Photo By Spc. Tristin Salisbury | U.S. Soldiers with the 10th Civil Support Team (CST), Washington National Guard, and...... read more read more
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On game day in Seattle, long before fans push through the gates at Lumen Field, a small team from the Washington National Guard’s 10th Civil Support Team (CST) is already at work.
With more than 70,000 fans expected to fill the stadium the event represents not only a celebration of football, but a potential target for disruption. In an instant, the roar of the crowd could give way to confusion — cheers replaced by alarm if an unseen threat were to emerge.
But that moment never came. The reason is due to a team that the fans will never see — a specialized National Guard element which operates largely unnoticed, working to keep the public safe.
The CST partners with local, state and federal agencies to help safeguard large public events such as the Seattle Seahawks playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field, Wash, Jan 17th, 2026.
The 10th CST is composed entirely of full-time Washington National Guard and Air Force personnel who maintain a 24-hour response watch in support of state and local partners. The team includes survey members trained to enter hazardous environments in protective equipment and conduct area sweeps for high traffic events such as this.
Their mission at the Seattle Seahawks playoff game was quiet but critical: conduct radiological sweeps of the stadium and help protect tens of thousands of spectators from potential chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear threats .
“Our job is to be the first responder to the first responder, — when our partner agencies need specialized detection or identification capabilities, we’re here to assess the situation, identify any hazards and help them determine the safest way forward,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jordan Cowart, a training NCO with the 10th CST. For Cowart, who joined the CST in 2018 after serving in the Army Reserve and later with an infantry unit in the Guard, the mission stands apart from traditional military assignments.
“The most satisfying part about this job is assisting the public and supporting partner agencies across the state,” said Cowart.
At the playoff game, that meant joining a multiagency effort that included the Department of Energy’s Radiological Assistance Program team, the Department of Homeland Security and the Seattle Fire Departments HAZMAT Unit. CST members conducted handheld radiation sweeps throughout the stadium before kickoff. Separate teams placed stationary air-monitoring devices, known as aerial arrays, at different locations inside the venue to continuously sample the air during the event..
By the time the national anthem plays and the stadium roars, the CST’s work is largely invisible. The arrays continue to monitor. The sweep teams blend back into the broader safety apparatus. And as nothing of note happened, the quiet success belongs to the responders working behind the scenes.
| Date Taken: | 02.07.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.07.2026 19:20 |
| Story ID: | 557694 |
| Location: | SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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