Photo By Sgt. Samantha Stoffregen | Sgt. Justin Brandon, left, the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade...... read more read more
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FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - With close to a decade spent focusing on counter-insurgency threats, with particular emphasis on improvised explosive devises and far ambush tactics, chemical warfare training has gone from high priority to a lost art.
In order to prepare for future operations, the Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, continued their efforts to sustain and improve their skills in protecting against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense hazards by conducting CBRN training here at Range 64, July 23.
“We conducted the CBRN gas chamber with the scouts from our headquarters platoon,” said Sgt. Justin Brandon, the battalion chemical noncommissioned officer. “They went in, took their masks off, cleared and resealed their masks and moved out the gas chamber.”
While previous training events had focused on the use of individual chemical protective equipment, Red Currahee’s most recent event added the simulated chemical agent CS gas.
“This event marks the culmination of individual level CBRN training and is a yearly requirement per AR 350-1 [Army Training and Leader Development],” said 2nd Lt. Oliver Klein, the battalion chemical officer.
The riot control agent, CS gas, is primarily implemented as a crowd control measure, intended to make targets temporarily ill, unable to see – due to eye irritation – and incapable of fighting. For Soldiers in a chemical environment, it is imperative to understand the warning signs of an attack, its effects, and most importantly, how to protect themselves and their comrades.
“It’s important to be prepared for anything at any time,” Brandon said. “We never know when we could be hit with a chemical attack. You need to be prepared for the worst. If a CBRN attack happens and you are not trained properly, the consequences can be dire.”
While many Soldiers and leaders can imagine where and when the next conflict may take place, it is impossible to know exactly where they will go, who they will fight, and how they will combat them, Klein said. Because of these variables, a diverse skill set, which includes CBRN, is critical to the battalion’s future success and mission readiness.
| Date Taken: | 07.23.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 12.02.2015 13:29 |
| Story ID: | 183277 |
| Location: | FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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