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    Toxic training helps service members keep clean

    Toxic Training Helps Service Members Keep Clean

    Courtesy Photo | Staff Sgt. Timothy Price, a member of the 308th Brigade Support Battalion, 17th Fires...... read more read more

    BASRA, IRAQ

    12.29.2009

    Courtesy Story

    17th Field Artillery Brigade

    By Sgt. 1st Class Samantha M. Stryker

    CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq — U.S. forces respond to a request by the Iraqi security forces to investigate a strong odor emanating from liquids discovered during a routine search of a usually quiet neighborhood. After donning spacesuit-like 'HAZMAT' apparatuses, the team circles the building with their detection equipment and upon entering they note a large number of black containers. This could be a toxic chemical environment.

    This is a scenario twelve Soldiers and three Sailors recently trained on during a 10-day Toxic Industrial Chemical Protection and Detection Equipment training exercise on COB Basra.

    "You never know what could pop-up," said Capt. Leann Yi, 17th Fires Brigade Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear officer-in-charge. "In case of any sort of hazardous material, toxic industrial chemical [leak] from a lab or a chemical manufacturing company in our area of responsibility would require the assistance and expertise of this team," the former Cerritos, Calif., resident added.

    When 17th Fires Brigade arrived, Yi and Staff Sgt. Ronny Romero, 17th Fires Brigade, CBRN NCOIC, from Arrington, Va., were informed by 34th Infantry Division CBRN section that Multi-National Division South — Iraq did not have a TICPDE team. So they coordinated with Multi-National Corps — Iraq CBRN TICPDE for trainers and equipment and told subordinate units to send their CBRN troops.

    One of the trainers to arrive was Karen Kirkpatrick, an instructor with the MNC—I CBRN TICPDE team. According to Kirkpatrick, the 80-hour course is the same training received by stateside emergency services personnel.

    For the military, this training is usually given as additional training for CBRN specialists prior to deployment. However with the high operational tempo and the limited number of trained CBRN troops, it is sometimes the first time service members receive this invaluable training.

    This shortage of specially-trained personnel could have posed a challenge for the course coordinators. The training required at least nine persons for a TICPDE team to travel to the base and bring all the CBRN equipment needed for training. Fifteen military members showed up for training. Among them was an Army mechanic and three naval hull maintenance technicians.

    During the course trainees learned to inventory and operate all the protection and detection equipment. They rehearsed the roles each team will play when working in a hazardous material and toxic industrial chemical environment. First they practiced as the initial-entry team, then as the identification and detection team and then finally as the sample-collection team.

    However, before the scenario-based training took place the trainees played a quick game of football; suited-up in the HAZMAT suits and air tanks. Yi and Kirkpatrick said the game was an exercise designed to allow the trainees a chance to become familiar with operating in the suits and be aware of the air supply.

    "It was challenging being in the level A suit. You have limited dexterity and limited visibility because of the condensation in the mask," said Sgt. 1st Class Michael Blackwood, a CBRN specialist with the 203rd Military Police Battalion.

    The Cleveland, Ala., native agreed with his fellow trainees about the difficulties identifying and collecting samples when actually wearing the 26-pound, Level A Hazardous Material training suit and breathing apparatus.

    Less than two days after the completion of training and becoming the only trained MND-S TICPDE team, Yi received the team's maiden mission. The team went along and was prepared to assist the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team in the removal of a missile with 500 pounds of explosives from Basra city. The TICPDE team was on hand in the event hazardous material was detected in the area at any time in the movement of the munition.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 12.29.2009
    Date Posted: 12.29.2009 01:28
    Story ID: 43218
    Location: BASRA, IQ

    Web Views: 301
    Downloads: 261

    PUBLIC DOMAIN