Photo By Pvt. Josephine Malloy | Soldiers from the 12th Civil Support Team (CST), 54th Troop Command, New Hampshire...... read more read more
GLEN, N.H. - On a cold and windy morning just after sunrise on April 9, 2025, members of the 12th Civil Support Team (12th CST) could be found zipping up their Level A Hazmat suits and donning their protective masks in the abandoned parking lot of Storyland in Glen, New Hampshire. The children and families who usually pack the fairy tale-inspired theme park were safely at home as the soldiers and airmen of the unit prepared to respond to a notional incident involving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) hazards. The scenario was fictional, but the mission was anything but.
Tasked with providing immediate, expert response to potential CBRN incidents, the 12th CST trains continuously to remain ready to support local, state, and federal agencies in real-world emergencies. This combined lanes training exercise, held at a recognizable, high-traffic venue, offered the team a realistic environment to rehearse critical skills under pressure while involving every component of their surveying, sampling, and decontamination teams.
“We have mission essential tasks that we are graded on externally every 18 months from the National Guard Bureau,” said Capt. Anthony Rorick, the survey team leader for the 12th CST. “This is a soft test to ensure that we are doing things according to our territorial defense operations.”
The scenario began with a hazardous substance discovered in the park’s food court. Local first responders initiated the call, prompting the CST to respond. The survey team was first on the ground, using advanced detection equipment to identify the threat, document the scene, and relay critical data to the mobile command post.
Upon exiting the hot zone, soldiers were met by the decontamination team, who initiated a meticulous cleansing process to neutralize any contaminants and prevent the spread of hazardous materials beyond the scene.
“We’re going to make sure that they get cleaned off, monitored and removed from their suits,” said Sgt. 1st Class Derek Lavalley, the decontamination noncommissioned officer in charge of the 12th CST. “We want to keep any contaminants contained and away from the public.”
Following initial detection, the sampling team entered to extract specimens and deliver them to the mobile lab for analysis, another crucial element of the CST’s real-world capability to identify unknown substances and advise leadership on appropriate response measures.
While the exercise serves as a key step in preparing for the CST’s upcoming National Guard Bureau evaluation, it also strengthened coordination with local emergency services. Representatives from the Bartlett, Conway, and Jackson fire departments, along with the Jackson Police Department, observed the training firsthand.
“It gives us a view of how the 12th CST operates and the scale and possibility that we could deal with something like this in our own town,” said James Langdon, the Deputy Fire Chief for the Bartlett FD. “There's a lot going on in the world and we’re proactive in defending against those attacks.”
For the 12th CST, daily training is more than a routine, it’s a necessity. Every movement and procedure is honed through repetition to ensure the team can respond quickly and safely when called upon.
“We focus on muscle memory,” said Lavalley. “Even something as simple as learning to breathe correctly through an air tank becomes second nature with practice. That’s what saves lives in real events.”
The team’s expertise is often deployed quietly, providing behind-the-scenes protection at major events such as Patriots games and the Boston Marathon, where the 12th CST conducts precautionary sweeps and remains on standby in case of a threat.
“We do pre-event sweeps and stand by just in case anything happens,” said Sgt. Tucker Leitch, a survey team member with the 12th CST. “Anything as small as an unattended bag can turn into a serious situation that we are trained to handle.”
That unpredictability is built into the Storyland scenario, where evaluators simulated a medical emergency involving a team member. The 12th CST had to adapt their plan and execute a coordinated response, demonstrating flexibility in the face of uncertainty.
“These are the kinds of things we want to experience in training,” said Rorick. “It ensures we’re ready to act proficently, no matter the circumstance.”
Exercises like this underscore the National Guard’s motto “Always Ready, Always There.” By integrating local agencies and creating real-world conditions, the 12th CST reinforces its role as a rapid-response asset dedicated to protecting New Hampshire communities.
“It is a great opportunity to see how this side of it works,” said Mosher. “Now we are more aware of what we need to do if an incident like this were to occur.”
| Date Taken: | 04.09.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.14.2025 16:44 |
| Story ID: | 495278 |
| Location: | GLEN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, US |
| Web Views: | 56 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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