CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwaiti CBRN Training

Sgt. Amanda Plummer, of the 637th Chemical Company, takes photos as part of the standard protocol while entering a contaminated area during a demonstration on Feb. 14, 2019 at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Soldiers from the unit assigned to Task Force Spartan provide a display on the chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear-dismounted reconnaissance equipment to Kuwait Weapons of Mass Destruction Defense Command. The unit is deployed to Kuwait as the CBRN defense response force for the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Samantha Petersen)

CAMP ARIFJAN, KUWAIT
02.14.2019
Story by Spc. Samantha Petersen
Task Force Spartan

Stepping in, zipping up, securing gloves, fastening boots are all steps one must take when getting into a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear suit. Task Force Spartan CBRN personnel from the Ohio National Guard’s 637th Chemical Company conducted an exchange of information with the Kuwait Weapons of Mass Destruction Defense Command on Feb. 14th, 2019 at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
Lt. Col. Brandi DeGier, a Task Force Spartan CBRN officer explained, “The WMD Defense Command workshop was an exchange between U.S. personnel and Kuwait's Ministry of Defense, WMD Defense Command to assist us in understanding each other’s ability to counter weapons of mass destruction and respond in the event of an incident.”
The CBRN team attended the event as the division’s representatives and subject matter experts during the various workshops. The three-week long workshop provided an unprecedented understanding of command structure, personnel, equipment, training and operations to develop effective future engagements and subject matter expert exchanges for partnership building and interoperability in CBRN operations.

Staff Sgt. Dustin Bowshier of the 637th chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear Company is the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge and explains the self-contained breathing apparatus that is worn with the suits for different levels of contamination during the display on the CBRN dismounted reconnaissance equipment on Feb. 14, 2019 at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Soldiers from the unit provide a display of layout and equipment with CBRN dismounted reconnaissance equipment to Kuwait Weapons of Mass Destruction Defense Command. The 637th Chemical Company is deployed to Kuwait as the CBRN defense response force for the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

This lead to the unique opportunity for Task Force Spartan’s CBRN professionals to be afforded the opportunity to meet and develop relationships with staff across the WMD Defense Command force.
This workshop wrapped up with the Soldiers from the Ohio National Guard’s 637th Chemical Company assigned to TF Spartan providing a display and layout on the CBRN Dismounted Reconnaissance Sets, Kit and Outfits. The 637th Soldiers spoke to different levels of proof and experimental establishment and provided a demonstration.
Through Operation Spartan Shield OSS, Task Force Spartan maintains a U.S. military posture in Southwest Asia sufficient to strengthen our defense relationships and build partner capacity.

86th Civil Engineering Squadron Responds to Emergency Fire Simulation

GERMANY
03.05.2019
Video by Senior Airman Sara Voigt
86th Airlift Wing/Public Affairs 

86th Civil Engineering Squadron Responds to Emergency Fire Simulation during Operation Varsity.

Tech. Sgt. Kyle Dobler 17th Training Wing Spotlight

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kyle Dobler, 312th Training Squadron section chief, works with the 17th Training wing producing over 300 assistant fire chiefs and fire inspector professionals across the Department of Defense. (Courtesy Photo)

By Senior Airman Seraiah Hines, 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
Published March 05, 2019

GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --
17th Training Wing Spotlight

 Who: Tech. Sgt. Kyle Dobler

Unit: 312th Training Squadron

Duty Title: Section Chief of the Fire Inspection Course

This spotlight features Tech. Sgt. Kyle Dobler, 312th Training Squadron section chief of the fire inspection course on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas.

How does your job support the 17th Training Wing's mission?

My job supports the 17th Training Wing by producing over 300 assistant fire chiefs and fire inspector professionals across the Department of Defense.

What do you find most rewarding about your work?

I find helping fellow firefighters from all service branches receive a better understanding of fire safety is the most rewarding. The fire school takes great pride in producing the world’s best trained firefighters, which is a direct reflection of the assigned instructors and support staff.

What has been your biggest challenge in the military, and how did you overcome that challenge?

My biggest challenge in the military was my last deployment in 2015. Our tour was extended for a short period of time and it was challenging on the entire rotation. Our team worked through this challenge together by staying busy and making the most of our time downrange.

What has been your most memorable experience in the military?

My most memorable experience in the military has been here at Goodfellow as a fire apprentice student. I still remember my assigned instructors and I’m lucky enough to work with some of them 12 years later as a technical training instructor.

What is one piece of information or advice you would like to pass on?

One piece of advice I share is to have a positive attitude with anything you do while serving. There are a lot of things you can’t control in life, but you can always control your attitude. I’m a firm believer that positivity breeds positivity and surrounding yourself with it improves your overall quality of life!

Public Health Emergency Officer Plays Vital Role During Emergency Drill

PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland (Mar. 5, 2019) Lt. Cmdr. Sadie Henry, author of Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River's (NHCPR) mass casualty response standard operating procedures, and Patricia Bray, NHCPRs public health emergency officer, discuss after-actions from the 2019 Citadel Shield/Solid Curtain anti-terrorism force protection exercise that occurred Feb. 4-15. The annual two-week, anti-terrorism and force protection exercise is conducted by Navy installations within the continental United States to ensure that the Navy is ready to respond to changing and dynamic threats at all times. (Official U.S. Navy photo by Marcus Henry, Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River Public Affairs/Released)

PATUXENT RIVER, MD, UNITED STATES
03.07.2019
Story by Donna M Cipolloni
Naval Air Station Patuxent River 

During the 2019 Citadel Shield/Solid Curtain (CSSC) anti-terrorism force protection exercise, a resource that hadn’t been utilized for a number of years was called into action – the Public Health Emergency Officer, better known as the PHEO.

On Feb. 6, the pre-planned CSSC exercise included a bio-terror incident at Center Stage Theater where an individual carried and detonated an explosive device, releasing a biological agent that created an imminent threat of illness or health condition, which qualifies as a public health emergency.

“In this case, suspected anthrax was deployed in gusting winds,” explained Dr. Patricia Bray with Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River. “In my role as PHEO, I was activated to work under [Pax River Commanding Officer] Capt. Jason Hammond who is the overall incident commander.”

Bray immediately reported to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), joining other representatives from various departments across the installation, such as administration, logistics, air operations, fire and emergency, security, and public affairs, among others – all with their own role to play.

For her part, Bray apprised Hammond of the medical impact from the drill event, advising him on his response, assisting with public communication, launching the necessary medical and public health notifications, and seeking the additional expertise needed for such an incident. That expertise varies widely – from a meteorologist who could track how far the anthrax spread in the short term, to Defense Health Agency epidemiologists would could help identify and track people who fall ill over time.

“Each call I made triggered a domino effect of assistance and required notifications,” Bray said. “County public health was immediately responsive, and in the process, I learned we have a bio safety officer at Dahlgren. I now know I could call on that unique internal resource in the event of a real-life incident.”

Bray credits her success in the EOC to her close working relationship with Lt. Cmdr. Sadie Henry, who serves as the NAS Flight Surgeon and is also responsible for setting up the health clinic’s response to mass casualties at Pax River.

“In past CSSC exercises, Lt. Cmdr. Henry has stood up a triage team, but we wanted to expand on that this year,” Bray noted. “She asked me to help form a scenario for a bio-terror agent and we developed it together. It launched a new, complicated facet of response.”

Henry, who arrived at Pax River two years ago, wrote the clinic’s mass casualty response standard operating procedures, and has been doing exercises with the base ever since.

“I help provide medical scenarios for the people who write the drills, so it’s my job to advise them on something that’s doable that fire and emergency can respond to, as well as the clinic,” she said. “I’m also the medical evaluator for the clinic mass casualty response team and have a great working relationship with the fire department and EMTs. We do training with them and want to continue that relationship so if something actually happens at Pax River, they’re not alone. Because we’re here on base, we’d be able to get help to them before anyone off base could arrive.”

Hammond was also appreciative of the PHEO’s contributions in the EOC.

“What we learned from this particular scenario is that we have a resource that is able to come into the EOC and guide our efforts to keep us from going down an illogical path,” Hammond said. “The expertise and accessibility of the PHEO to come and work for the installation [in an emergency situation] was extremely important and valuable, both to gain her knowledge and to understand how she can interact within the EOC.”

Hammond stressed the importance of being able to reach out to those resources in a crisis and effectively integrate them into the process.

“If you don’t practice that, you won’t be ready for it and you won’t be as effective,” he added. “Medical was extremely helpful and giving of their time and expertise to help us get through the drill as an installation and to understand how we’re going to go forward with handling difficult situations.”

Washington Guard Aviators receive training and evaluation in preparation for fire season

A water bucket releases its load of water over a lake during a check ride between the Washington National Guard aviators and the US Forest Service. The pilots and their crew chiefs train on water bucket operations annually to prepare for wild land fire season.

CAMP MURRAY, WA, UNITED STATES
03.06.2019
Story by Sara Morris
Joint Forces Headquarters, Washington National Guard

With wildfires becoming a more common summer occurrence, aviators with the Washington National Guard are already starting their annual water bucket and wildland fire training – and spring hasn’t even started.

Washington Guard Aviators receive training and evaluation from the state Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service.

The ability to assist DNR and USFS during fire season is crucial. David Ritchie, helicopter program manager with DNR, said they are limited in their resources, with nine small helicopters and about six planes.

“So when the fires grow large and the governor declares an emergency we get to have the Guard respond and they bring large helicopters with some more capabilities than ours,” said Ritchie.

This coordinated training has been an annual requirement since the Guard was activated to assist with fires in 2012. The program has grown over the years and now includes interagency exercises in late winter and spring to get prepared for fire season.

These cooperative exercises make the pilots more comfortable before going to an active fire.

“We get our first chance to work with other helicopters in a daisy chain dropping water, and the more important skill of talking to the people on the ground that are guiding us in,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Noel Larson, the state standardization officer for pilots. “That’s an eye-opener for these guys, dealing with civilian helicopters while also talking to the trainees on ground.”

Having previously been on three combat tours as an aviator, Larson says that wildland fire response is the most difficult flying he has done. There are a million things going on and you can’t see anything.

Larson went on to say that the difference between the contracted pilots and the Guard pilots is the coordination required to drop the water. Generally, a civilian helicopter will have a single pilot that also controls the pendent release. Guard helicopters have at least three personnel working to achieve the same thing.

“It’s a huge coordination between the two pilots in the front and the crew chiefs in the back. In order to get it right everyone is talking back and forth, and then also talking to the guy on the ground,” said Larson. “Usually the pilots up front are the first ones to see the target, but the crew chiefs can see the water bucket and have the release switch, so practicing that coordination beforehand is crucial.”

This training also ensures that when the pilots and crews arrive at an active fire they are prepared to work with the multiple agencies on the ground and understand their role.

“It’s important for the overall safety and security of the state and its residents that we are able to safely ingrate between the DNR, federal partners and the National Guard for aviation operations,” said Ritchie.

The National Guard provides both Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters for fire response, which are the largest aircraft that carry water. Larson said, “I’ve received nothing but positive feedback from the different agencies that we work with. We’ve been very successful.”

Crew chief on a Chinook helicopter watches the water bucket pendent from the sling-load window on the floor in order to relay its position to the pilots during a check ride. The Washington National Guard aviators conducted their annual water bucket training with the US Forest Service in preparation of wild land fire season.