Photo By Sgt. Brian Marion | Cpl. Colin Capelanno, a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear defense specialist...... read more read more
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AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq — Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Defense Marines from various units recently completed a grueling, week-long advanced CBRN Defense course conducted aboard Al Asad Air Base, Iraq.
The Toxic Industrial Chemical Protection and Detection Equipment operator's course refamiliarized the Marines with advanced CBRN response tactics, and required the Marines to spend much of the week inside tight and hot confines of a hazardous material suit. The course refined the Marines' skills in detecting and sampling suspected contaminants, and them taking steps to protect themselves, their fellow service members and the environment against various hazardous substances.
The final part of the course had the Marines respond to a suspected hazardous substance.
"[The exercise] is the culmination of everything we've been teaching them all week," said Chief Warrant Officer James Brookshire, CBRND officer, Marine Aircraft Group 26, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward).
For the exercise, Brookshire set up a scenario where a building had a hazardous substance stored. The Marines would be required to form assessment teams, enter the building and try identify the substance. Doing so allows on-scene commanders and medical officers to know exactly what type of contamination hazard they are facing so the CBRN Marines can respond appropriately.
"The size of the team is based on the size of the site," said Lance Cpl. Jacob Wahlgren, a CBRN defense specialist with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Task Force Military Police. "For the scenario and the size of the building, having us in three-man teams is sufficient."
The Marines donned their "Level-A" suits and entered the building. Once inside, they went to where the substance was placed and started to perform detection operations. The Marines tested for a variety of agents and packaged samples for documentation and further testing.
Once the Marines finished their actions inside the 'contaminated' building, they traveled to the decontamination area where another team rinsed off the suits and decontaminated the team so they could doff their protective suits and finish the exercise. After they were rinsed off, the Marines experienced probably one of the most pleasing sensations of the exercise — their suits were opened to the morning breeze.
"It's amazing when they open up the suit," Wahlgren said. "It's about 15 degrees hotter than an Iraqi summer in there when it is closed."
In actuality, the suit adds about 20 degrees to the body's temperature, and with Iraq's already oppressive heat, the instructors took extra precautions for the Marines, Brookshire said.
"We've considered the operational risk management involved, and have set up different measures to help prevent heat casualties," Brookshire said. "We have cool water set aside for the Marines. We have a dedicated corpsman who checks each Marine's vitals before and after they get into a suit, and we have safety spotters everywhere. It's literally hot enough in the suits that when the Marines take off their gloves, they can pour the sweat out of them."
After one team finished the exercise, the team who decontaminated them prepared to head to the building and begin their turn at assessing the site.
By cycling all the Marines through the survey and decontamination stations, Brookshire was able to ensure all the CBRN defense specialists walked away from the course with the most knowledge and experience. Identifying and confirming the use of CBRN weapons or Toxic Industrial Materials is a vital part of terrorism response, and Brookshire added it is a skill set that has to be constantly maintained and requires knowledge of technical equipment.
"It's what we do," he said. "The Marines have done very well this week."
| Date Taken: | 06.18.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 06.18.2009 05:48 |
| Story ID: | 35275 |
| Location: | AL ASAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 430 |
| Downloads: | 342 |
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