HARRISBURG, Pa. –
Nobody knows just when and where a catastrophic disaster involving hazardous materials, chemical substances or biological contaminants will occur.
However, if an incident of this type happens anywhere in the commonwealth a group of highly trained National Guard airmen and soldiers remain ready to respond.
Members of the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 3rd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (WMD-CST) conducted phase one of a two-day training proficiency exercise at Harrisburg International Airport Feb. 15, and phase two at Harrisburg Area Community College’s Senator John J. Schumaker Public Safety Center Feb. 17.
“It was my honor today to meet with members of the Pennsylvania National Guard and support their work preparing our commonwealth for the security challenges we face,” said Gov. Josh Shapiro, who observed a portion of the team’s training at HIA. “This unit’s specialized and quick response capabilities to safeguard our communities is exactly what the Pennsylvania National Guard is known for.”
The evaluation was conducted by U.S. Army North (ARNORTH) and tested the team’s ability to identify nuclear, radiological, chemical and biological contaminants, advise on response measures, and assist with requests for support from local authorities.
“This exercise is very important for us,” said Air Force Maj. Jake Derivan, commander, 3rd WMD-CST. “It’s our certification, and as a team it says we can do the mission that’s been assigned for us to do.”
More importantly, this exercise “tests all our resources and capabilities at one time,” said Derivan, who has been the team’s commander since last May, and a part of the team for 14 years.
The 3rd WMD-CST is a 22-person joint Pennsylvania Army and Air National Guard unit that remains ready to react and conduct quick response missions throughout the commonwealth for a multitude of incidents involving Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear high-yield Explosives (CBRNE) by identifying agents/substances, toxic industrial chemicals and materials, as well as natural or man-made disasters. Units can also provide immediate response for intentional and unintentional CBRN or hazardous material (HAZMAT) releases and natural or manmade disasters that result in, or could result in, catastrophic loss of life or property.
“The intense training and extreme readiness of the 3rd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team is another example of how the Pennsylvania National Guard works to make our communities safer,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, acting adjutant general. “After observing today’s exercise, it is clear that this team – on call at all times – is ready to respond throughout the Commonwealth if any hazardous incident threatens the loss of life or property.”
When the team is not responding to emergencies, they are continually preparing for the unexpected. That also includes developing partnerships with emergency response agencies and organizations across the commonwealth.
“I get to interact and coordinate with our civilian partners, work hand-in-hand with civilian partners,” Derivan said. “Probably most important, we actively have an outreach program where we look for new partners and engage with them offering training and helping build relationships.”
Establishing partnerships is critical, so that when the unthinkable happens the team already has a repour with the other agencies who are responding.
“The CST brings a wide range of skills and specialized training to this exercise, and working with them in this setting helps us all see and understand their capabilities,” said Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) Director Randy Padfield. “They are a valuable partner to all levels of government in our mission to protect everyone in the commonwealth.”
The Army North evaluators put the team through several realistic scenarios designed to stress the team’s capabilities and test their ability to handle a multitude of difficult tasks as team.
Most of the equipment used by the WMD-CST is commercial off-the-shelf (COT), and it does change over time and requires updates, said Army Staff Sgt. Brandi Tipton, who has been with the team for six years.
“This exercise is a good opportunity to ensure we are proficient with the equipment we use,” Tipton said.
All members of the 3rd WMD-CST must have more than 1,800 hours of specialized training per member. This training is conducted by the U.S. Army Chemical School, Defense Nuclear Weapons School, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Fire Academy (NFA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Defense (DoD), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
“Teamwork allows us to work together, everyone has a job and focusing on their specific task makes our response more efficient,” said Army 1st Sgt. Adam Wetzel, who has been a member of the unit for 10 years. “As a 22-member team, being able to cross-train [on the functions used] in other sections helps to spread the workload and be more efficient.”
“We always fall back on our training, so the more we train the better prepared we are to react to real world situations,” said Air Force Maj. Arthur Prough Jr., 3rd WMD-CST deputy commander, and a member of the unit for nearly 14 years. “Every 18 months we go through an external evaluation from ARNORTH as our validation.”
CSTs are located in each state, U.S. territory and Washington, D.C., and are provided at no cost to civilian partners at the local, state, and federal levels. Support can be tailored to the needs of the requesting agency and can include as much as the whole team with the mobile lab and communications vehicle or as little as a few personnel with air monitoring capabilities.