Photo By Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry | Indiana Army National Guard Spc. Michael Clayton, a chemical operations specialist...... read more read more
CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. - There's a member of Indiana's emergency response unit who isn't big, brawny or bald, like some cleaning icons, but his fellow troops rely on him in their mission to decontaminate causalities.
At 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing less than 150 pounds, Indiana Army National Guard Spc. Michael Clayton, a chemical operations specialist with the 438th Chemical Company, brings nearly 10 years of experience to the Guard's civil, emergency response effort to nuclear, chemical or biological catastrophes.
"He probably knows everything there is to know out here about decon," said 1st Lt. Jason Moore, Clayton's supervisor at the company. Moore said he and other 438th troops lean heavily on the bantam-sized soldier.
"He's helped me a lot," said Moore. "He makes me better and those he works with better because he shares his knowledge and his talent."
Clayton, 27, Indianapolis, enlisted in the Guard in January 2002, and the 438th became his Guard home. For three years he worked full-time with Indiana's 53rd CST, which helps civilian first responders with nuclear, chemical or biological catastrophes. Now he's doing that on a larger scale with the 19th Chemical, Biological, Nuclear, Radiological and high-yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package.
Clayton is a member of the 19th's decontamination team that focuses on cleaning casualties of chemical, biological or nuclear attacks.
"We run [causalities] through our decontamination line to clean them up make sure nothing is on them, that they're going to live," said Clayton.
The 19th, which has been training since March, is here to validate and be certified as mission ready.
"The way I see it we're going to do really, really well," said Clayton of the validation process. "The way we've been setting up and working well as a team - because we're a chemical unit, we already have decon - so it's made everything easier."
Clayton said the 19th's decontamination mission is vital to central Indiana.
"We have so much going on in Indiana, for instance the Indy 500, the Brickyard, we now have the MotoGP, and that's just at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We're going to be having the Super Bowl coming in 2012," said Clayton. "So it's always good for us to be on alert for this. Anybody could bring a dirty bomb. If we're not here, a lot is not going to get done."
Clayton's desire to help Hoosiers stems from one of his childhood dreams of being a soldier. Another motivating factor was was the 9/11 terrorists attacks.
"That was a big push," said Clayton of why he joined the Guard just four months later.
While Clayton wasn’t there to save a life that day, he now has the skills and the ability to do so.
"It's outstanding I love it," said Clayton of his job with the 19th. "Everyday we've been doing this I wake up; I 'm ready to go. You have the choice, you make the right decision, you know you're saving a life. So it's an outstanding feeling."
Not only has Clayton inspired his boss, but he also received accolades from a fellow chemical operations specialist, Sgt. Dustin Mars, and Ronnie Saunders, one of many observer controller trainers who will help validate the 19th CERFP.
"Clayton is an entity onto himself," said Mars who has worked nearly six years with Clayton. "He's a specialist at his job. If there's any question about our job, he's pretty much got the answer."
Saunders agreed about Clayton's abilities.
"He's one of the experts out here."
| Date Taken: | 08.23.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.24.2011 17:20 |
| Story ID: | 75856 |
| Location: | CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, US |
| Web Views: | 176 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Decon soldier plays integral part in CERFP mission, by MSG Jeff Lowry, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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