Photo By Staff Sgt. Bradley Cooney | Staff Sgt. Ronald Poland and Sgt. Neal Casey, members of the 63rd Civil Support Team,...... read more read more
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OKLAHOMA CITY—Early in the brisk spring morning, long before the sun has peered over the cornices of the buildings and skyscrapers of downtown, members of the 63rd Civil Support Team (CST), Oklahoma Army National Guard, work tirelessly to ensure the safety of all the participants of Sunday’s Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.
“The 63rd CST gets tasked out during the memorial marathon to be part of a joint hazard assessment team,” said Sgt. Neal Casey, of Moore, Oklahoma, and a survey team member of the CST. “We pair with Oklahoma City Police Department and local bomb squad to assist in the mission of keeping the crowd safe, making sure there’s nothing suspicious going on before, during, or after the race.”
A Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (WMD CST) is a highly technical and specialized unit ready to help local responders prevent mass attacks and are equipped to handle chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. The CST is a valued asset to local law enforcement, spectators and participants of the event, whether the anyone is aware of their presence or not.
“We bring some very unique capabilities that not many local law enforcement and fire departments have,” Casey said. “We bring more advanced techniques and strategies to locate and assess possible hazards.”
The pairing of the CST with law enforcement came after the events of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2014.
“The Boston marathon incident opened the eyes to law enforcement and other first responders that there is a small gap that needs to be covered by an outside agency,” Casey said. “Given the threat level and potential hazard that someone could bring to a large crowd like this.”
Sgt. Michael Whitson, from Paden, Oklahoma, is a survey team member for the CST and this year was his first time to assist with the event. As a survey member, Whitson helped scan the area for any indications of threats.
“I’m honored to be able to do this,” Whitson said. “It means a lot to me.”
The United States consists of 58 full-time CSTs. Each National Guard state and territory is assigned one CST, with an additional team each in California, Florida and New York. There is one Army Reserve CST located in Germany.
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 05.02.2017 10:16 |
| Story ID: | 232081 |
| Location: | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, US |
| Hometown: | MOORE, OK, US |
| Hometown: | PADEN, OK, US |
| Web Views: | 113 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Oklahoma National Guard Public Websitehttp://ok.ng.mil/
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