Michigan National Guard’s 51st WMD-CST trains at Mackinac

Photo By Master Sgt. Denice Rankin | Michigan National Guard 51st Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team medical operations officer Army Capt. Amie Phelps assists with carrying equipment from a UH60-Chinook helicopter at St. Ignace, Mich., airport Nov. 6, 2014. Behind her are teams members Air Force Master Sgt. William Bennett and Army 1st. Sgt. Jason Baldwin. She and nine other members of the team were returning from Mackinac Island where the survey team members were being evaluated during a training exercise. (Photo by Master Sgt. Denice Rankin, Joint Force Headquarters, MING, Public Affairs/Released)  

MACKINAC ISLAND, MI, UNITED STATES

11.06.2014

Story by Master Sgt. Denice Rankin 

Michigan National Guard

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. - The Michigan National Guard’s 51st Weapons of Mass Destruction, Civil Support Team, based in Fort Custer Training Center in Battle Creek, Michigan, conducted a training exercise the first week in November with Michigan upper peninsula civil authorities from Mackinac Island and St. Ignace sheriff, emergency 911 personnel and medical professionals.

The exercise began on the mainland in St. Ignace until Thursday, when the scenario called for movement of a nine-person team to travel to Mackinac Island, five miles off shore. The team was scheduled for airlift with MING aviators from Detachment 1, Company B, 3-238th General Support Aviation Battalion based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Harrison Township, Michigan, but poor visibility forced them to improvise their plan. The only other transportation to the island is by ferryboat, which logistically turned out to be a great asset.

“In emergency events, there has to be a backup plan,” said 51st CST Commander Maj. Mark Sitterly. “The ferryboat was planned for and we seamlessly adjusted to this mode of transportation. Fortunately, there was a scheduled ferry that fit our exercise timeline.”

The ferry landed the team just blocks from where the incident commander, a local decontamination team and Mackinac Island fire department members were already in place. In training, as well as in a real event, the MING CST is designed to support local and state authorities. The decontamination team from the island received their decon-equipment last month, and the exercise provided their team the opportunity to train alongside the Michigan Guard members.

The exercise scenario was played out at the Iroquois Hotel where a hotel worker had succumbed to a chemical agent. The 51st Civil Support Team was called to collect samples, analyze and identify the unknown substance—all while establishing and maintaining an operations center. Evaluators from Army North were on hand to observe the CST response to the scenario.

The Michigan joint Army and Air Force 22-member CST organized in 2004 and is trained to respond to suspected or actual chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive incidents at public sites statewide. Since its creation, the team has deployed to more than 15 confirmed or suspected events across Michigan. They have also been on stand-by during high profile events such as presidential visits to Michigan, the presidential memorial and repose ceremony for Gerald R. Ford, and the 2006 National Football League Superbowl in Detroit.

• Date Taken: 11.06.2014
• Date Posted: 11.14.2014 12:20
• Story ID: 147876
• Location: MACKINAC ISLAND, MI, US
• Hometown: ST. IGNACE, MI, US