Helo decon at Muscatatuck Urban Training Complex

Photo By Master Sgt. Brad Staggs | Sgt. Aaron Mach of the 323rd Chemical Decon Company from Sioux Falls, N.D., uses a high pressure washer, March 15, to "decontaminate" a helicopter covered in flour to simulate radioactive dust and debris as Army North Observer/Controller/Trainer Eric Bodenhausen looks on during Vibrant Response 11.1, a U.S. Northern Command homeland emergency response exercise being conducted at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Complex in Butlerville, Ind., which tests the capabilities of the nation's emergency response network.  

BUTLERVILLE, IN, UNITED STATES

03.15.2011

Story by Staff Sgt. Brad Staggs 

Camp Atterbury Indiana

BUTLERVILLE, Ind. – When helicopters fly through or into a contaminated zone, they … just like human victims … must be decontaminated as soon as possible. During U.S. Army North’s Vibrant Response 11.1 exercise at Muscatatuck Urban Training Complex, a little flour on an old helicopter makes a convincingly contaminated machine.

“In this particular scenario, the helicopter landed to pick up casualties and became contaminated itself,” explained Eric Bodenhausen, an observer/controller/trainer for ARNORTH assigned to the exercise vignette.

According to the exercise scenario, the helicopter then had to be decontaminated as the pilot, crew, and casualties had to be evacuated to another site to be decontaminated as well. That’s where the 323rd Chemical Decon Company from Sioux Falls, N.D., comes in.

Using high pressure hoses fitted to water tanks on the back of trucks, the Reserve soldiers of the 323rd took their time to wash the entire helicopter from front to back and top to bottom. The decon doesn’t just involve the helicopter.

“Part of helicopter decon calls for the soldiers to decon the ground around the helo after washing it down,” said Bodenhausen. “They cordon off space around the helo for any splash which could be contaminated and account for water run-off. They then have to wash away any contamination that might have hit the ground. It’s a very complicated process.”

Sgt. Aaron Mach, a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear specialist with the 323rd, spent most of mid-day in a Mission Oriented Protective Posture level 4 suit, meaning he had full protection against chemical elements while manning the hose to wash down the helicopter.

“This has been great training,” Mach said. “The weather is good so we’re not roasting in these suits and there was nothing make-believe about what we were doing except the chemical agent. We had to go through all of the steps without fail … and we did.”

Following the spray-down of the exterior of the helicopter, the 323rd would normally wipe down the inside, including every button, switch, and component, using sponges and vacuums. After the 323rd passed the test with flying colors which only involved decontaminating the outside of the helo, they sprayed down the inside of the training vehicle just for good measure.

“They wanted to clean it up before handing it back to Muscatatuck,” Bodenhausen explained. “No reason to have clumps of flour hanging from the seats.”

The helicopter decontamination is just one small part of the ARNORTH Vibrant Response 11.1 exercise which draws together Army, Army Reserve, and National Guard troops along with civilian emergency responders in order to work together to save lives in case of an emergency.

• Date Taken: 03.15.2011
• Date Posted: 03.16.2011 08:14
• Story ID: 67160
• Location: BUTLERVILLE, IN, US