20th CBRNE troops train for homeland security mission

Courtesy Photo | Soldiers from CBRNE Coordination Element 5 deployed from Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., to Fort Eustis, Va., for Exercise Sudden Response Dec. 4-8.  

UNITED STATES

12.12.2014

Story by Walter Ham  

20th CBRNE Command

FORT EUSTIS, Va. - Soldiers from the 20th CBRNE Command (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives) trained for their homeland security mission here during Exercise Sudden Response.

The Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland-based 20th CBRNE Command's CBRNE Coordination Element 5, or CCE 5, supported the exercise.

Held Dec. 4-8, the exercise was conducted in support of Joint Task Force-Civil Support (JTF-CS), a subordinate task force of U.S. Northern Command.

CCE 5 Soldiers support the task force as a part of the Defense CBRNE Response Force (DCRF), a joint unit dedicated to defending the United States homeland.

Not only does the 20th CBRNE Command deploy for global military operations but it is also the Defense Department's only multifunctional command that conducts Defense Support to Civil Law Enforcement Agency missions. These missions range from defusing unexploded military munitions to serving on the Defense CBRNE Response Force.

CCE 5 deployed on short notice and set up a command post on Fort Eustis.

During the exercise, CCE 5 Soldiers provided operational planning, synchronization, coordination and technical reach back support across CBRNE disciplines to the JTF-CS staff, said Lt. Col. Chad Lewis, the CCE 5 team leader.

"Throughout the year, team members stay in close communication with JTF-CS staff to maintain mission readiness," said Lewis, who is from Cincinnati.

Lewis said the semi-annual exercise enabled his troops to hone their life-saving skills.

"We provided value to the staff through the analysis of CBRNE hazards, recommendations on employment of forces and how forces can safely deal with those hazards to protect themselves and the lives of citizens," said Lewis. "Every time we have the chance to identify threats and implement measures to eliminate or mitigate them, I consider that a success."

• Date Taken: 12.12.2014
• Date Posted: 12.12.2014 16:15
• Story ID: 150225
• Location: US
• Hometown: CINCINNATI, OH, US