Photo By Tech. Sgt. John Linzmeier | Participants of exercise Toxic Swell, from the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 154th...... read more read more
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The Hawaii Air National Guard, in partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps, wrapped up the Toxic Swell 25 contamination response deployment training exercise with an explosive firefight in a mock-marketplace Aug. 21 at Bellows Air Force Station.
This third iteration of the exercise was co-hosted by Airmen from the 154th Civil Engineering Squadron and Marines from Marine Wing Support Squadron 174. It gathered 44 participants from all three U.S. Air Force components and the Marine Corps, and several members of the Royal Australian Air Force to enhance proficiency in emergency management and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear tactics, techniques and procedures.
Conducted at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, Toxic Swell exercise fosters joint integration, enabling Airmen and Marines to develop shared CBRN warning, reporting, and defense practices in a deployed environment.
"Looking back on the two weeks of training the most valuable thing we walked away with was understanding joint operations and utilizing collaborative knowledge to accomplish the variety of missions effectively,” said Senior Airman Cathleen Drake, a 154th CES emergency management specialist, “For example the Air Force provided different equipment that is less used by the Marine Corps CBRN, such as the ResQ, that allowed us to reduce time in the danger zone when collecting samples while the Marine Corps provided close-quarter battle techniques to us to get in and out of the danger zone safely and effectively."
As the second consecutive iteration that welcomed international participation, RAAF service members were fully embedded into bilateral response teams. The Australian Airmen engaged in every training event and led sessions that showcased specific decontamination techniques to the student body. The remainder of the class comprised Guardsmen from West Virginia, Iowa, Oklahoma and Hawaii Air National Guard units, with seven active-duty Airmen from Pacific Air Forces, three Air Force Reservists, and 15 U.S. Marines—including CBRN defense specialists from MWSS 174.
Master Sgt. Mitchell Snead, Toxic Swell ANG project lead, emphasized that the key to counter-WMD efforts is building CBRN defense coordination with partners, including alerts, reports, responses and preparation for incidents from state and non-state sources.
"Over the past three iterations of Deployment for Training Toxic Swell, and reaffirmed again this year, the event has consistently demonstrated its value,” said Snead. “It fosters unmatched strategic and operational relationships while meeting emerging requirements for tactical joint interoperability across the Indo-Pacific Command ecosystem.”
The exercise unfolded in two phases, with the first week at JBPHH dedicated to classroom instruction and hands-on training to build essential skills. Participants honed expertise in troop leading procedures, CBRN close-quarters battle, land navigation, tactical combat casualty care, tactical communications, and specialized equipment and tactics.
This curriculum was carefully designed to build trust and foster a cohesive partnership among the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and international allies, allowing participants to better understand one another's unique capabilities and procedures through shared training and collaborative problem-solving.
“The unique dynamic I saw between the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force was that although our mission sets differ, there was a seamless integration in the training as our CBRN procedures was and doctrines go hand and hand with each other,” said U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maxwell Matter, MWSS 174 CBRN defense platoon sergeant and cadre for Toxic Swell. “The U.S. Air Force provides increased technical proficiency, whereas the U.S. Marine Corps provides boots-on-the-ground tactics. By combining these capabilities, we greatly increase mission success.”
Week two transitioned to field operations at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, where training intensified with advanced tactics tested in a climactic rural combat scenario. Patrol teams, equipped in full combat gear, navigated a simulated township designed to mimic deployed conflict environments. The joint teams of Airmen and Marines were inserted in combat formations, facing an overstimulated setting with dozens of role-playing actors creating distractions in a bustling market. The scenario escalated with simulated ambush, sounding off with realistic explosive detonations and simulated gunfire from multiple directions. The surprise attack compelled teams to seek cover, locate threats, and neutralize them in a crowded environment.
Emergency management and CBRN specialists demonstrated their learned skills by securing a safe space to don personal protective equipment and making their way toward a discovered hazard zone. Upon arrival, they were challenged to egress civilians with simulated wounds, cleared housing areas of threats and detained suspicious actors linked to a chemical warfare lab. The contested environment gave CBRN teams a limited time to assess the situation and used specialized instruments to identify the hazardous agents before fighting their way out toward safety.
Drake, recognized by MWSS 174 leadership as a top performer at the conclusion of Toxic Swell, highlighted the intense physical demands of the combat scenarios. She explained that she has long been inspired by the Marine Corps CBRN's focus on fitness and valued the opportunity to challenge herself while keeping pace with the joint team.
"Some of the most intense moments during Toxic Swell were times when we had to keep up with the CBRN Marines physically,” said Drake. “This includes TCCC buddy drag as well as moving directly into an operation after hiking out to the site. It can be laborious, but it puts it into perspective of how ready we need to be for the potential future."
Toxic Swell 25 saw the completion of more than 100 training tasks across various military standards. Participants and planners developed improved awareness in the roles of leadership, communication within a complex environment and a foundation of trust and strengthened capabilities amongst joint and bilateral forces.
| Date Taken: | 09.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.04.2025 16:10 |
| Story ID: | 547270 |
| Location: | BELLOWS AIR FORCE STATION, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 112 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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