By Staff Sgt Peter A Ford
FORT MCCOY, Wis. -- The 335th Signal Command (Theater) and it's 415th Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) Brigade, hit the grounds at the Red Dragon 14 training exercise with high intensity and motivation.
The 335th SC (T) is one of the Army's four vital theater signal commands that are unique in structure, with nearly all of the Army Reserve's signal units and its chemical units. The unit's signal and cyber-security arrived earlier to set up communications and secure the airway and network in preparation for the training here.
“Our main purpose here during the Red Dragon training exercise, is to make sure communication is in its place and the network is secure,” said Green Cove Spring, Florida native, Lt. Col. Consuello Hodges, the cyber-security branch chief of the 335th SC (T). “If we leave the door of information open on the network, we take the risk of losing everything important to us,” continued Hodges.
The “First Lightning” command ensured Soldiers are “fit to fight” after taking measures to safeguard the network. The unit also coordinated with Logistics Health Incorporated to update the medical and dental records of the Soldier participating in the Red Dragon exercise.
“Nearly two thousand Soldiers have their records updated during this Red Dragon exercise,” said Chief Warrant Officer Tami Saunders, human resource technician, of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company 415th CBRN Bde. “Record updates are important because, we could be called up at any time,” added Saunders.
The medical and dental records of the Soldiers were being updated upon arrival. During the records update, the Soldiers deemed “fit to fight” enter the Red Dragon training lanes.
“The Red Dragon training exercise is designed to give Soldiers realistic training of how to detect and decontaminate CBRN agents,” said Waltersboro, South Carolina native, Master Sgt. Anthony Womble, operations non-commissioned officer in charge of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 453rd CBRN Battalion. “Here the Soldiers will conduct reconnaissance and decontamination training.”
The 318th Chemical Co. were the first Soldiers to enter the Red Dragon. They conducted mounted and dismounted reconnaissance in search of CBRN agents.
“Our primary goal is to prevent others from being exposed,” said 1st Lt. Joshua Donaldson, platoon leader of the 318th Chemical Area Support Company from Birmingham, Alabama. “There are various types of CBRN that can be detected such as radiation, nerve and blister agents.”
CBRN agents can be deployed by airburst, rockets, mortar shells, water sources and dirty bombs. There are several methods of identifying the different types of CBRN agents.
“We use M-8 and M-9 paper to identify chemicals, eyecam samples to identify nerve and blister agents,” said Donaldson. “If we become contaminated we have the ability to self-decontaminate; however, we would have to call the decontamination team,” continued Donaldson.
There are two ways contamination can be removed from Soldiers during this Red dragon exercise. One way is operational and the other is thorough.
“Operation decontamination is used to remove just enough contamination to allow Soldiers to sustain operations,” said Sgt. Matthew De La Cruz, Recon non-commissioned officer of the 369th Chemical Company. “The thorough decontamination is a process of reducing contamination to a negligible risk; this is normally where Troops and equipment are decontaminated.”
“CBRN training is something that we must have but hope we never have to use,” said Donaldson.
| Date Taken: | 08.18.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.20.2014 12:10 |
| Story ID: | 139941 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WI, US |
| Web Views: | 88 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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