Photo By Maj. David Pytlik | Sgt. Dan Pyo, of the 14th Civil Support Team assists teammate Sgt. Justin Madore with...... read more read more
Windsor Locks, Conn. - The 14th Civil Support Team, Connecticut National Guard, underwent its Training Proficiency Evaluation (TPE) by a team of evaluators from U.S. Army North on March 22-26, 2021.
The TPE is an opportunity for the team to showcase all of their skills, training, and equipment every 18 months. The USARNORTH scenario, designed to challenge the Soldiers and Airmen of the 14th CST, included injects for hot zone operations, the medical and analytical team, and the operations cell all in effort to keep the public safe and identify the hazard. This event was originally scheduled for October 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed twice. So, the team utilized its expertise and incorporated COVID monitoring and testing measures for team members and USARNORTH evaluators to ensure the TPE would take place. The 14th CST’s performance exceeded expectations, further proving the team was ready.
But that is just icing on the cake. Over the last three years, the 14th CST has been at the forefront of building relationships and strengthening old ones. Back in 2017, TSA Connecticut deployed the Collaborative Operations Between Response Agencies (COBRA) security team strategic model, and, in the summer of 2018, increased the scope to include ferries crossing between the Connecticut shore line and Long Island, NY. Because of the new scope, the team asked the Director of the Joint Staff, BG Ralph Hedenberg, his thoughts and the reply was, “get on the boat.” Since then, the team has not stopped. During that same summer, the team supported the PGA Travelers Championship and US Women’s Soccer Tournament of Nations for the first time.
In 2019, there was a major change in the way the team operated. Under the direction of the new commander, Maj. Robert Burgess, the goal was to increase the team’s footprint within the State of Connecticut and New England. The 14th CST continued its support of legacy events such as the Hartford Marathon, Manchester Road Race, and Sailfest while adding new support to neighboring CSTs, other sporting events, and large gatherings in the region. The result – the 14th CST conducted 136 missions during fiscal year 2019, the highest in the nation and more than the previous three years combined.
The 14th CST did not lose momentum going into 2020. The team added the Yale Bowl and Secretary’s Cup football games, US Women’s National Hockey, and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Monday Night Raw. But things changed in March 2020 as the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) became a worldwide pandemic.
While most of the country was shutting down, the 14th CST went in the opposite direction. Initially, the team provided medical and analytical guidance to the state’s chain of command. In April, the team was approached by the Connecticut Department of Public Health Laboratory (DPH-Lab) to fill a gap in testing at long-term care facilities and nursing homes. As a member of the Laboratory Preparedness Advisory Committee and Laboratory Response Network, the CST had worked with the DPH-Lab for nearly 15 years. This robust relationship between the 14th CST and DPH-Lab allowed for the rapid development, planning, and approval in less than nine days of one of the first testing capabilities in the nation. The team utilized the mobile laboratory to provide mobile field testing at facilities around the state. With help from the 24th CST (NY), the team tested more than 2000 samples over the course of two months while the state stood up its capability.
The 14th CST had hit a groove and was conducting operations nearly every day during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, sometimes at three or more sites a day. All of those relationships built over the years, the willingness to assist interagency partners, and the confidence the team instilled had paid off. The 14th CST was relevant. At the end of fiscal year 2020, the team had done it once again - number one in the nation. The 14th CST conducted 211 missions during the year, nearly surpassing the previous four years combined.
During September 2020, the team underwent an NGB-J39 Standardization, Evaluation, and Assistance Team (SEAT) evaluation remotely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the SEAT evaluation is to provide CST program oversight, assess a team’s ability to comply with applicable laws and policy, and ensure resources are properly allocated. Instead of an intensive three-day in-person evaluation, the team was evaluated in 10 total areas over the course of 35 days. At the end of the evaluation, the team scored a 96% overall, meeting the national average for compliance. The team is consistent and reliable.
Fast forward to this last week as the 14th CST closed out its final day of TPE. With nearly 55% in personnel turnover since the last TPE in 2019, the team walked away without a single No-Go on the entire evaluation. The team conducted a collective training exercise nearly every week over the last two months to hone its skills. Not to mention a real-world response at a Waterbury, Conn. recycling center mixed in just a few weeks ago. With only a couple of days to take a breath, the team was back at it supporting TSA and other COBRA partners.
This story was contributed by U.S. Army National Guard Maj. Matthew Marks, 14th Civil Support Team, Connecticut National Guard.
| Date Taken: | 03.30.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 03.30.2021 15:39 |
| Story ID: | 392632 |
| Location: | CONNECTICUT, US |
| Web Views: | 105 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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