Courtesy Photo | 050914-A-7377C-004--Pvt. Jerel Ridgley, chemical specialist, 21st Chemical Company,...... read more read more
Sgt. Michael J. Carden 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office
Sept. 14, 2005
NEW ORLEANS " Sgt. 1st Class Louis Hicks has been in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps for 15 years, and this is the first time he's ever used his chemical training in a real-world situation.
For the first time in the company's history, Hicks and his Paratroopers of the 3rd Platoon, 21st Chemical Company (Airborne), 82nd Airborne Division, successfully set up and established a real-world decontamination site -- and did so in an urban environment.
The platoon has been working around the clock, decontaminating individuals and vehicles that have been in contact with the polluted waters inhabiting much of New Orleans.
The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and two broken levees on the Inner Harbor Canal left much of Orleans Parish underwater. Numerous Soldiers and other government agencies have been conducting search and rescue missions in and around those areas since the storm ended. The water levels rose as high as 10 to 15 feet in some communities, leaving the risk of biological and chemical contamination a constant threat.
Bacteria and toxic-industrial chemicals from household products, power and food-processing plants, vehicle fluids, sewage and the dead pollute the waters. Once that fact was established, Staff Sgt. Richard Bear, regimental chemical defense noncommissioned officer, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, informed his unit of the necessity for a decontamination site.
"I found out that our guys were patrolling and spending a lot of time near the water, so I decided that we needed a decontamination site," Bear said. "Because of the biological and toxic-industrial chemicals in the water, we determined it necessary to have decontamination support from 21st Chem. (Co.)."
Bear and the 21st Chem. Co. quickly got the project in motion. They picked a centralized location in the French Market area for easy access by the 505th PIR and supporting units in the French Quarter of Downtown New Orleans.
The site operates similar to a carwash. Paratroopers and Soldiers, federal and state law enforcement agencies, emergency medical teams, as well as civilian media, line up their vehicles to be sprayed down by chemical defense-trained Paratroopers. The troopers use bleach and hot-soapy water from high-pressured hose, or pressure washers, to prevent the spread of bacterial diseases. Two lanes are used for vehicle decontamination.
If a person falls into or has physical contact with the water while on patrol, they have immediate access to the personnel decontamination tent. The tent is equipped with eight shower heads for individuals to clean themselves with water and anti-bacterial soap, said 1st Lt. Aimee Hemery, platoon leader, 21st Chem. Co.
Individuals are advised to check for particular rashes while they shower. Medics are on-hand in case rashes or other skin irritations are discovered. So far, nine people have found rashes and were referred to medical care, Hemery added.
"There are a lot of bacteria out there," said Capt. Richard Maltbie, 21st Chem. Co. commander "We're trying to prevent the spread of these bacteria and other chemicals, so our soldiers can carry on with their mission in a healthy manner."
The company decontaminated more than 450 vehicles and more than 190 people in their first five days of operation. They started off slow, only decontaminating seven vehicles the first day, but once the word spread about what they were doing; their production increased dramatically, Maltbie said.
"This is like the Super Bowl for the Chemical Corps," Bear said. This platoon has worked tirelessly to support this mission, and they're not going to stop until the mission's complete."
Though the company has had much success in their current operation, they know this mission isn't exactly what they've trained for. Usually, a decontamination site is set up at the source of the contaminants. The Paratroopers usually work while wearing protective suits and masks. However, defense against toxic-industrious chemicals and biological threats are what the Chemical Corps is evolving towards -- rather than nerve gas and nuclear weapons they"d been training to react to in recent years, Maltbie said.
"This isn't the exact mission we train for, but the principals are still the same," Maltbie said. "The guys understood what was supposed to happen and they adapted."
"This mission is important because of the way the battlefield is shaped today," Bear said. "It's not all about (wearing a mask and protective suit) and going through the gas chamber. That's good training, but this experience puts us on track for the way the Chemical Corps is shaping today."
As the only airborne chemical company in the Army, the Paratroopers of 21st Chem. Co. are already proud of their heritage. They hope their experience and success in New Orleans will be studied by the Army's chemical field for future generations to learn from. Their decontamination site will solidify the need to train more often for a chemical environment, so commanders can better utilize their chemical assets, Bear said.
"Our time in New Orleans has been a good experience and great learning tool for the Army," Bear said. "This is the perfect platform for us. Hopefully we can document the progress and establish new (tactics, techniques and procedures) for how to decontaminate in an urban environment."
hkat
| Date Taken: | 09.18.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 09.18.2005 19:38 |
| Story ID: | 3042 |
| Location: | NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 275 |
| Downloads: | 158 |
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