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  Date / Time: 9/19/2009 12:55 AM UTC

  Israel conducts massive defense drill
  

  TEL AVIV – Israel is preparing for the possibility of war and it appears to be serious about it.
  
  At 11 a.m. on Tuesday, sirens blasted the air, sending millions of citizens into the nearest bomb shelter in the country’s biggest-ever civil defense exercise. The drill is part of a five-day training code-named Turning Point III. It involves simulated rocket and missile attacks on Israeli cities and also preparations for a nonconventional strike.

  Most of the kids from the Elharizi School in Tel Aviv were giggling in class as they waited for the siren. Their teacher was trying to get them to act seriously, but the loud siren did the job for her. You really can't stay too calm when you hear a blaring sound, wailing up and down, representing one thing: war.

  VIDEO: Israel conducts massive defense drill

  The kids, all the way from grade one to seven, made their way in pairs to the neat and clean shelter. They were told beforehand that they could bring games to play with while they waited for the all-clear sign. So the packs of cards came out, and most of the kids seemed happy to miss class and play their favorite game. 

  Dozens of senior military and government officials from around the world, including representatives from the U.S. National Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), observed the school drill to see what lessons for emergency preparedness they could take back to their home countries. The officials said they were impressed with the calm conduct of the students who conduct similar exercises several times a year.

  "Very impressive," said Andrew Slaten, the FEMA representative from Washington, D.C. attending the event. "We have a very long and active relationship with Israel’s home front command. So it’s a great opportunity to be here today to be able to experience the way that they have taken national preparedness to a comprehensive level – lessons that we can take back to the United States."

  A dozen kids were asked to pretend they were wounded so medical teams could practice on them. One girl was crying her heart out so much that NBC News cameraman Dave Copeland and I looked at each other with surprise. It turned out she was in a state of shock and was really overwhelmed by the commotion. Her teacher was called and eventually managed to calm her down.

  The simulation comes at a time of rising Israeli concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but Israeli officials insisted that the drills were not a direct response to those fears.

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