US Defense CBRNE Response Force trains at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Soldiers from various US military units trained at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, between 10-12 February as part of Task Force 2 under the Defense CBRNE Response Force.
According to an article written by army private James Hernandez, the training ensured the soldiers remain prepared to deploy on no-notice orders in response to a potential weapon of mass destruction attack within the United States.
"The culminating exercise brought together chemical, medical, engineering and military police units to simulate a large-scale domestic response following a catastrophic chemical or biological incident. The training evaluated the task force's ability to secure a contaminated site, conduct technical rescues and decontaminate mass casualties under realistic conditions," he wrote.
The task force operates under US Northern Command as part of the Defense CBRN Response Force mission, which provides rapid-response capabilities to support civil authorities during domestic CBRNE incidents. It is composed of three primary operational components: hazardous materials reconnaissance, urban search and rescue and mass decontamination.
The hazmat element is led by the 21st Chemical Company, 48th Chemical Brigade, conducts reconnaissance of affected sites to determine contamination levels and establish safe operating zones. They also continuously monitor conditions to ensure the safety of responding forces and civilians.
Guardian Response, Fort Atterbury
Following a site assessment, the urban search and rescue component, composed primarily of soldiers assigned to the 50th Multi-Role Bridge Company, 5th Engineer Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, conducts technical rescues in structurally compromised environments such as collapsed buildings or contaminated structures in which trapped civilians require specialised extraction. Local community role players replicated injuries consistent with a weapon of mass destruction scenario during the exercise.
"Once victims are extracted, the mass decontamination team processes affected personnel to remove hazardous contaminants and prevent further exposure. The soldiers are trained to rapidly decontaminate large numbers of individuals, enabling medical personnel to provide follow-on treatment and move civilians to safety. Supporting the operation is the 602nd Medical Company, 44th Medical Brigade, responsible for treating service members and civilian casualties," wrote army private Hernandez.
The 41st Military Police Company, 89th Military Police Brigade, serves as a general-purpose force, providing additional support from assisting with moving victims to augmenting decontamination and rescue operations. Observer-controllers evaluated the training event and, following the exercise, leaders conducted an after-action review to identify strengths and areas for improvement ahead of a larger-scale validation exercise.
Task Force 2 will next participate in Guardian Response at Camp Atterbury, Indiana — an annual large-scale exercise that brings together multiple regional response forces in a scenario featuring collapsed structures, overturned vehicles and complex rescue lanes designed to replicate real-world devastation.
A gallery from the exercise in Fort Bragg can be viewed here.
