Weapons of Mass Destruction team responds to threat in the Sierra Mountains

Photo By Senior Airman Jessica Green | Staff Sgt. Esteban Peralta and Sgt. Joshua Gould, entry team chiefs assigned to the 95th Civil Support Team, California Army National Guard, tests the range of a repeater radio station while participating in Operation Red Snow, Feb. 16, at the U.S. Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center near Bridgeport, Calif. Operation Red Snow is a multi-agency chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threat response exercise to strengthen the partnership between federal, state and local jurisdiction regarding a response to the possible threat of a domestic attack on the United States.  

TRUCKEE, CA, UNITED STATES

02.17.2012

Story by Senior Airman Jessica Green 

California National Guard Primary   

TRUCKEE, Calif. - Soldiers from the California National Guard’s 95th Civil Support Team participated in a weeklong multi-agency, winter field training exercise, Feb. 12-17, 2012, to strengthen the partnership between federal, state and local jurisdiction regarding a response to the possible threat of a domestic attack on the United States.

Operation Red Snow, focusing on the response to a fabricated terrorist organization constructing weapons of mass destruction and formulating plans of attack against the state, drew more than 30 mutual aid partners, across three separate emergency disciplines and locations throughout California, in a free-play, real time chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threat response exercise.

“This is a tactical training event with a primary focus on execution and operation decision making,” said 1st Lt. Edward Baon, the medical operations officer for the 95th CST and exercise director for Operation Red Snow. “This is not superviser training, but a focused exercise on individual, section, team and tactical incident command. Tactical decisions have consequences and run their course in this event, under real time, day and night, and all-weather conditions.”

A free-play exercise is designed to establish a learning environment for players to implement emergency response plans, policies, and procedures. This allows the participants’ actions to dictate subsequent events after the opening scenario has been established, and is as close to real-world as possible, Baon said.

Exercise scenario

During a 129th Rescue Wing recovery mission, crew members spotted an unusual camp in the Sierra Mountains and reported the finding to local law enforcement. The 129th RQW crew witnessed members of the camp conducting what appeared to be military maneuvers and working with numerous weapon systems. The group didn’t shoot at the helicopter but seemed concerned with its presence.

During FBI surveillance operations of the group, ties were discovered linking them to the Revolutionary Communist Party, an anti-government group, and their communities along the west coast, to include Truckee and Mammoth, Calif., Klamath Falls, Ore., Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and the Teton Mountains in Wyoming.

The RCP is utilizing its lucrative drug networks to generate funds for CBRN weapon systems and personnel training in explosives and chemical attacks. The leader of the RCP is planning to cripple the California state government.

95TH CST involvement

While conducting security patrols, Feb. 14, at the Truckee Glider Airport, a guard noticed an unconscious individual lying down wearing personal protective equipment and a respirator and notified local authorities and emergency medical service personnel.

First responders from the Truckee and Placer County fire departments arrived on scene to find two more individuals with similar PPE in a nearby open field with a 55-gallon drum of an unidentified substance. Due to raised suspicion of possible CBRN threat, the fire departments notified FBI’s domestic All-Hazard Response Team and the 95th CST to assist with mitigation of the potential CBRN WMD threat.

The teams established an incident command post and decontamination site and began agency integration to secure the perimeter. The agencies launched a safety plan and various courses of action to investigate the situation.

“We’ve been tasked to survey the site and rescue the person downrange,” said Sgt. Joshua Gould, entry team chief assigned to the 95th CST, as he donned his gas mask and CBRN protective suit. “We’re going to wear our level A ensemble, which is one the highest level of protection we have, because of the unknown substance.”

The 95th CST entry team conducted multiple trips to the simulated camp showcasing its capabilities to assist, identify, advise and assess the CBRN threat, said Staff Sgt. Garrick Whitley, the reconnaissance non-commissioned officer-in-charge.

“After completing our first recon of the site, we assessed the photos from the scene and found evidence of propaganda, maps and potential weapons of mass destruction from the lab,” said Staff Sgt. Esteban Peralta, entry team chief assigned to the 95th CST. “We are preparing to return to gather samples of the substance suspected to be ricin.”

The Center of Disease Control and Prevention describes ricin as a poison found naturally in castor beans that gets inside the cells of a person’s body and prevents cells from making the proteins they need to survive. Eventually this is harmful to the whole body, and death may occur. Effects of ricin poisoning depend on whether ricin was inhaled, ingested, or injected. Ricin has been used in the past as a bioterrorist weapon and remains a serious threat.

The 95th CST conducted cold weather medicine and survival training, Feb. 15, in preparation to move to the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center near Bridgeport, Calif., Feb. 16 responding to the request for support at the RCP camp the 129th RQW found days before.

The Immediate Response Team the FBI’s All-Hazard Response Team were airlifted from Truckee to the MCMWTC, integrated with incident command post and conducted sample collection and analysis missions at the RCP lab.

“When we receive the samples from the site, we extract the DNA to determine if the substance really is ricin,” said Staff Sgt. Aaron Zuniga, a science and healthcare specialist assigned to the 95th Civil Support Team. “We make samples for our records and supply the FBI with samples for their analysis as well.”

The exercise wrapped up with an after action meeting allowing members from all agencies involved to offer suggestions, provide praise and answer any questions that stemmed up from the training exercise.

“I see a lot of areas where things need improvement and I see a lot of areas where things have worked out great, Baon said. “Everything we’re doing here is a learning experience, so I think the next exercise we do will be even bigger and better.”

“The purpose of Red Snow is to exercise unified command, control and tactics during a CBRNE multi-agency response to an Incident of National Significance,” he added. “This is evidence of the growing public safety partnership the 95th [CST] is cultivating with our civilian counterparts and first responders.”

In accordance with the Department of Homeland Security’s National Defense Plan, an Incident of National Significance is a high-impact event (e.g. bioterrorism, radiological response, catastrophic incidents) that requires an extensive and well-coordinated multiagency response to save lives, minimize damage, and provide the basis for long-term community and economic recovery.

The effective response to a major emergency involving a terrorist training camp, chemical weapons production and drug manufacturing facilities will require a coordinated effort among first responders from local, state and federal agencies, said Col. Zac Delwiche, commander for the 95th CST.

• Date Taken: 02.17.2012
• Date Posted: 03.26.2012 19:22
• Story ID: 85816
• Location: TRUCKEE, CA, US