Photo By Tech. Sgt. Nicole Wright | U.S. Air National Guard Senior Airman Joshua Farol with the 146th Civil Engineering...... read more read more
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The 146th Airlift Wing’s Civil Engineers Squadron’s (146 CES) emergency management office, began providing the enhanced curriculum for annual CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives) training, forgoing the legacy computer-based training (CBT) with the intent to provide more quality hands-on learning opportunities for airmen attending the course.
California Air National Guard Senior Airman Jeffrey Brown, a CBRNE instructor for the 146 CES, is responsible for familiarizing airmen with their training style and how to wear their MOPP (Mission Oriented Protective Posture) gear. Similar to the legacy version of the training, Brown covers proper techniques and wear of the equipment while also introducing a new curriculum that focuses on improving the skills sets airmen need to adapt to a contested environment.
During the scenario-based training, airmen work together to find solutions to specific threats in various training areas, including simulated EOD (Explosive Ordinance Devices), decontamination procedures, and identifying biological threats.
According to Brown, the hands-on training is beneficial to both instructors and airmen taking the course as it keeps their skills learned sharper and provides better familiarization with equipment.
“To utilize MOPP gear, you need to have an efficient hands-on set of skills. Since moving on from the CBT, we can help reinforce those skills. In the CBT, you can see the gear being put on and see some parts of the gear, but you have to actually get your hands on the mask to be able to take it apart, inspect it, and make sure everything is there. Putting on the gear and getting suited up expediently is necessary for training if you’re preparing for an actual threat,” said Brown.
California Air National Guard Senior Airmen Tara Neitzel, an additional CBRNE trainer, says the course also benefits newly arriving airmen who may have limited experience with the training.
“We try to walk them through every step, making sure they understand what they’re doing so they’re not freaked out, especially for the newer airmen doing this for the first time since basic training. This course helps us prepare them as best we can,” said Neitzel.
According to both trainers, the CBRNE training will be more of a recertifying process for some as they relearn the skills from practice; however, airmen can expect the course to include a much more robust approach, increasing the training time from two to three hours longer than the former one-hour online training.
Brown believes the time length addition is practical step that will add many benefits, testing many of the desired skills to keep airmen alive in contested environments.
“It’s important training; and the type of training that is starting to get more visibility now. We are doing what we can to make sure we can get everyone through in a way that will familiarize and best prepare them, and this learning environment and the amount of time we have them is helping that a lot,” says Brown.
Since its implementation this year, the new hands-on curriculum has been an Air Force-wide requirement for all enlisted and officers. All airmen must complete it every 18 months to help familiarize survive and adapt techniques in contested environments.
| Date Taken: | 02.08.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 09.21.2021 22:46 |
| Story ID: | 405745 |
| Location: | PORT HUENEME, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 114 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Enhanced CBRNE training helps better protect airmen in contested environments, by TSgt Nicole Wright, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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