7th CSC CBRN Soldiers train Kosovo Hazmat Company

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Chlosta | Staff Sgt. John Bennetts, survey team chief, 773rd Civil Support Team, 7th Civil Support Command and a native of Sioux Falls, S.D., native, left, removes a chemical protective suit from Sgt. Bajram Peci, leader decontamination station, 1st Platoon, Hazmat Company, Civil Protection Regiment, Kosovo Security Force and Mitrovica, Kosovo resident during a Defense Threat Reduction Agency sponsored-preparedness partnership program exercise on Panzer Kaserne Aug. 20, 2014  

KAISERSLAUTERN, RP, GERMANY

08.20.2014

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Chlosta 

7th Mission Support Command

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – Soldiers from the 7th Civil Support Command’s 773rd Civil Support Team trained four Soldiers from the Kosovo Security Force’s Hazmat Company, Civil Protection Regiment, during a Defense Threat Reduction Agency-sponsored preparedness partnership exercise on Panzer Kaserne Aug. 12-22.

The event was a continuation of recent partnership and capacity building exercises between the 773rd CST, DTRA and KSF Hazmat Company held in Kosovo earlier this year.

“DTRA brought the Kosovo Hazmat Company soldiers here to see how we operate as a CST and our procedures and equipment capabilities,” said Staff Sgt. Wendell Reeder, survey team chief, 773rd CST, 7th CSC and a native of Atlanta. “They are learning everything very quickly.”

The KSF’s current missions are civil protection and to assist Kosovo government authorities in response to a natural disaster or an emergency incident.

“We are here to do a study visit at the 773rd CST,” said 2nd Lt. Bujar Ferizi, 1st Platoon leader, Hazmat Company, CPR, KSF and Fushe Kosove, Kosovo resident.

The visiting Hazmat team consisted of a platoon leader, two noncommissioned officers -- one who was a survey specialist, the other a decontamination specialist -- and a medic.

“We were chosen after the earlier training in May and July with the 773rd CST in Kosovo to come here and see how the 773rd CST operates at their headquarters in Germany,” Ferizi said. “All of our positions were chosen to take the knowledge learned here back to our unit in Kosovo and to enhance the skills we already have.”

The 10 days of training included an initial orientation, a tour of Kaiserslautern, equipment briefs and a walk-through of civil support team operations.

“We have learned about chemical warfare agents, and we have done a practical exercise with that,” Ferizi said. “I gave the 773rd CST a brief about what we do and our mission as the KSF Hazmat Company in Kosovo on day two.”

Ferizi said he attended the Rochester Institute of Technology in Kosovo, where he studied management and international relations. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as an officer in the KSF, and he also attended the U.S. Army’s Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Ferizi, who speaks German, English and Albanian, lived in Wertheim, Germany from 1993-2000.

“The benefit I see for the KSF Hazmat soldiers are equipment capability familiarization and for them to observe and learn our procedures and protocols, such as the safety aspects that we go through prior to going on scene during a hazmat incident,” Reeder said.

The KSF Hazmat soldiers also received training in medical response during decontamination for a CBRN event.

“I am learning about first aid in the DECON station and the equipment,” said Pvt. Adelina Demaku, a medic with 1st Platoon, Hazmat Company, CPR, KSF and a native of Drenas, Kosovo. “I’m taking some of the formulas the medics use here back to Kosovo and propose to the KSF Hazmat Company commander some of the paramedic training I saw here for our medics.”

“After working with us here, they will broaden their knowledge of site survey, medical and decontamination mitigation,” Reeder added.

The KSF Hazmat Soldiers thanked the U.S. for the continuing partnership and training with the 773rd CST.

“We are very, very excited to be here, and we are very thankful for what the 773rd CST and the U.S. government is doing for us,” Ferizi said.

• Date Taken: 08.20.2014
• Date Posted: 08.25.2014 08:01
• Story ID: 140262
• Location: KAISERSLAUTERN, RP, DE
• Hometown: KAISERSLAUTERN, RP, DE
• Hometown: ATLANTA, GA, US
• Hometown: SIOUX FALLS, SD, US
• Hometown: FUSHE KOSOVE, ZZ
• Hometown: PRISTINA, ZZ