PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AP) — The military plans a large-scale exercise in Texas to prepare for the 2012 hurricane season.

U.S. Northern Command says the exercise will take place May 2-9 at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas.

Northern Command is responsible for the military defense of U.S. soil and assisting civil authorities in emergencies. It’s based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.

The exercise will test the capabilities of Task Force 51, a 75-person unit designed to command military forces supporting civil authorities during a disaster.

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