VOLK FIELD, Wis. - Soldiers and Airmen of the Wisconsin National Guard’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high-yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package (CERF-P), alongside civilian counterparts, conducted a collective training exercise at Volk Field May 1-3.
The Wisconsin CERF-P, a highly specialized joint Army and Air National Guard unit, undergoes external re-evaluation and validation every two to three years. This framework facilitates seamless interoperability, allowing the two forces to blend their distinct expertise and, ultimately, enhance mission success through a unified approach.
“I appreciate the professionalism and the knowledge of the Air Force”, said Capt. Joshua Long, commander of the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 457th Chemical Company and the exercise operations officer for command and control. “They are very high-level professionals, and they bring a different aspect to the Army side”.
Wisconsin CERF-P provides rapid, expert assistance to local and state agencies during complex emergencies. During the training exercise, Soldiers with the 229th Engineer Company search and extraction teams located and rescued simulated casualties from hazardous environments, while 115th Fighter Wing medics and 457th Chemical Company Soldiers sorted and decontaminated simulated casualties to ensure safe transition to medical care.
This year, the Wisconsin CERF-P partnered with state and local agencies to integrate specialized working dog teams into the decontamination process. Transitioning from canine mannequins to live dogs provided critical, realistic hands-on experience in safely handling and treating animals in hazardous contaminated environments.
Andy Kissh, a firefighter and paramedic with the Menomonie Fire Department, brought two of his canine companions, Voodoo and Jinx, to help during the simulated operation.
“Big natural disasters hit, and when they do, we need these CERF-P teams, special teams to make sure everyone is okay,” said Kissh. "We were asked to bring in our dogs for the decontamination line. When you spray a dog with water, they are not going to act like the mannequin that lays there in a scenario.”
Having specialized working dogs in the exercise was beneficial not only for the CERF-P Soldiers and Airmen, but also for the K-9 handlers.
“We are with our dogs all the time,” said Kissh. “If we get into some nasty things, we need to be [decontaminated]as well, and we won’t be with our dogs [during the process].”
Operating within a chemically compromised environment presents significant physical and mental hurdles for everyone impacted, but comprehensive training exercises ensure that Wisconsin CERF-P, and state and local agency responders can execute their mission with confidence and speed when every second counts.
“This is our time to bring it all together,” said Long. “If the worst-case scenario happens, we can just respond, flow in, and operate instead of responding to an event without proper training.”