Photo By 1st Lt. Aaron Ritter | Sgt. Paul Born, of Washington, Illinois with the Illinois National Guard’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High Explosive (CBRNE) Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) repels down to rescue a casualty during the teams External Evaluation June 22-24 at the Marseilles Training Center in Marseilles, Illinois. They were tested on their ability to effectively respond to CBRNE emergency incidents.
06.24.2016
Story by Sgt. Robert Adams
Joint Force Headquarters- Illinois National Guard Public Affairs
“We had a lot of veteran members and new members on the team and we integrated very well,” said Army Lt. Col. Wesley Strain of Acworth, Georgia, the commander of the 44th Chemical Battalion based in Macomb, Illinois. “For the Soldiers, it gives them an additional duty that comes with certification and a unique task set.”
The two day evaluation tested the team’s ability to conduct victim extractions, mass casualty decontamination, emergency medical triage and treatment, command and control and fatality search and recovery missions. The team supports civil authorities by providing a disciplined, trained and equipped team, which supplements local, state, and federal efforts during CBRNE incidents, when ordered by the Governor.
“The civilians get a true sense of not only the capability, but also the dedication to the community for the preservation of life, property and the environment based on what we do to stop threats,” said Strain. “These are our fathers, sisters, brothers, mothers and this gives an opportunity for us to showcase and reveal not only the resources that we have available to them, but also our skillsets to preserve lives.”
The CERFP had 206 personnel on its roster for the external evaluation this year from both the Illinois Army and Air National Guard.
Army Sgt. Eric Malmstead of Orion, Illinois, team chief for concrete breach and break team, said the team is re-evaluated every three years.
“We have to maintain our drills, skills and our readiness,” said Malmstead, a member of the Galesburg, Illinois based 444th Chemical Company. “In the CERFP, there is always room for improvement. I always tell my troops that you don’t have to be better than everyone else, just better than you were yesterday.”
Sgt. 1st Class William Reed of Paducah, Kentucky, line leader for technical decontamination with the Shiloh, Illinois-based 445th Chemical Company, said it’s a very important mission and real threat in today’s Army.
The Joint Interagency Training and Education Center (JITEC) evaluated the servicemember’s abilities to complete the tasks.
“The Illinois folks are really aggressive and have taken every opportunity they can to train,” said Pat Schey with RescUSA, an evaluator with JITEC. “I am very impressed with how they have handled everything.”
Members of the Illinois National Guard’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High Explosive (CBRNE) Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) use large pry bars to lift a concrete slab a mock casualty is trapped under during the teams External Evaluation June 22-24 at the Marseilles Training Center in Marseilles, Illinois. They were tested on their ability to effectively respond to CBRNE emergency incidents.
