CBRN Challenge 2011 showcases emergency response capabilities

  • Published
  • By Ed McAteer
  • Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) --  CBRN Challenge 2011 wrapped up July 22 with the team from McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., representing Air Mobility Command, taking top honors.

Held at the Center for National Response, or CNR, in Gallagher, W.Va., 50 warriors, representing 10 major commands, gathered to showcase their capabilities in a variety of realistic chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear, or CBRN, training scenarios. Each command provided a team comprising a bioenvironmental engineer officer, two BE technicians and two emergency managers.

Team members participated in several emergency response exercises that focused on homeland defense and expeditionary hazardous material and CBRN objectives. The event is designed to sharpen emergency response procedures and help identify policy and equipment gaps in both the bioenvironmental engineer and emergency management mission sets.

"At the installation level, the teams train together already and they do exercises together," said Chief Master Sgt. Claudette Watler-Hall, the Air Force emergency management career field manager. "Bringing them here helps us to validate some of the tactics, techniques and procedures that we're teaching them."

"CBRN threat response training is the ultimate challenge between major commands and showcases who is performing at the top of their game," said Fred Casale, the Air Force Civil Engineer Agency's emergency management support manager. "The complexity of the scenarios that the teams faced this week is very similar to what they would encounter during an actual threat."

This year's CBRN Challenge included the use of a diverse array of simulated environments such as a manufactured home, passenger vehicle, cave and subway car. The teams also had to identify and respond to live chemical and biological agents prepared by the CNR cadre.

With the 2,800-foot-long Memorial Tunnel, the CNR provides a place for this type of realistic training. The facility allows the teams to see real effects of the threats on the materials and equipment they use. This tunnel also is used as a training facility for exercises that range from counterterrorism measures to combating weapons of mass destruction.

CBRN Challenge 2011 concluded with a simulation of a nighttime scenario at Joint Base Andrews, Md., where team members had to locate and identify the chemical or biological agents present in a base housing unit. The teams were given very little information and had to deduce the situation based on clues at the scene.

Chief Watler-Hall says events such as CBRN Challenge offer a chance to develop invaluable real-world integration between units.

"This training helps continue the cohesive working relationship between the bioenvironmental and emergency management teams," she said.  "Having both career fields working and training together ensures a smooth operating environment in which both speak the same language and understand the other's capabilities."

The team from McConnell AFB was recognized as the best-trained team and they successfully completed the most scenarios. The team included Maj. Jung Lee, a BE; Staff Sgt Randy Golleher, an EM; Staff Sgt. Timothy Hoffma, a BE; Staff Sgt. Matthew Rosenfeldt, also a BE; and Senior Airman Shellie Vincent, an EM. Other recognition for Air Mobility Command included the Outstanding Performer - Bioenvironmental Engineer Technician Category, presented to Sergeant Hoffma, and the Outstanding Performer - Emergency Manager Category, presented to Sergeant Golleher.

Maj. Michael Fea from Air Force District of Washington was recognized as the Outstanding Performer - Team Lead during the event.