USARCENT hosts 2017 CBRNE Forum

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Tom Wade | Adam Arnold (right), logistics management specialist, U.S. Army Central, gives a presentation on why the warehouse expansion initiative is important, July 17, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Once the warehouse expansion is completed, individual augmentee service members and contractors traveling within the U.S. Army Central area of operations, can draw chemical equipment for training and usage. The warehouse expansion is part of protecting the force, and proactive risk management for all operations and activities.  

KUWAIT

07.17.2017

Story by Sgt. Tom Wade 

U.S. Army Central   

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait – U.S. Army Central hosted a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive Materials Forum, July 13, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

The purpose of this forum was to ensure that the USARCENT officers in charge and noncommissioned officers in charge have the knowledge base needed to set conditions for CBRNE prevention and recovery.

“Each installation has to have an emergency management plan, which are those executable items that we do in the event of either an attack or just an incident,” said Lt. Col. Yvette Rose, CBRNE officer, U.S. Army Central. “For the CBRNE community we must have an annex or [standard operation procedure] that’s nested with the emergency management plan.”

When asked, others participating with the forum agreed with Rose’s need for having a standardized SOP.

“Emergency Management encompasses plans that reduces our vulnerability to hazards and provides contingency responses for recovering from disasters,” said Andrea Blanchetti, USARCENT emergency planner. “The CBRNE plan is essential and it is nested with the Emergency Management Plan to provide countermeasures to recover and continue operations in the asymmetrical threat environment our Soldiers face at USARCENT locations.”

A warehouse expansion initiative was another hot topic discussed at this forum.

The initiative is scheduled for completion in December 2017. The expansion will allow contractors and service members to have the ability to replace certain pieces of their chemical suit that may have an expiring shelf life and it can also provide full Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology training suits while forward deployed.

“We need the warehouse expanded to be able to support the theater with individual protective equipment for civil defense,” said Col. Michael Standish, CBRNE officer, USARCENT. “By early next year, or mid next year we should be fully operational … which will allow tenant organizations and installations to function in a synchronized manner.”

USARCENT CBRNE Forum 2017 concluded with all attendees sharing business cards and small jokes. Many thought this first forum completed its mission objectives, whereas conducting them quarterly is an option.

“I now have a better understanding of how we are communicating between USARCENT … and the other mission partners,” said Staff Sgt. Tony Harness, CBRNE materials specialist, United States Military Training Mission. “This training forum has allowed me to see the difference or uniqueness between everybody and how we all come together to accomplish the mission.”

• Date Taken: 07.17.2017
• Date Posted: 08.01.2017 09:24
• Story ID: 243276
• Location: KW