BLOOMSBURG, Pa. –
The world can be a dangerous place as the realistic potential for terrorist attacks can come at any time and in many different forms.
The Pennsylvania National Guard’s 3rd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team trains rigorously so they are prepared to respond to a wide variety of threats, at any time or place across the entire commonwealth.
This highly-specialized 22-member unit responds to incidents involving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear high-yield explosives by identifying substances, toxic industrial chemicals and materials, and disasters.
To maintain its proficiency, the team must undergo an external evaluation every 18 months where it is evaluated by a team from U.S. Army North. The evaluation serves as the team’s Department of Defense accreditation.
The evaluation is conducted in manner that is as realistic as possible, according to Air Force Lt. Col. Jake Derivan, commander, 3rd WMD-CST. It tests the full limits of the team’s ability to perform its mission properly and safely.
In the case of this exercise conducted at Bloomsburg University’s Rober B. Redman Stadium, the scenario is an apparent threat to a collegiate track meet, where potentially contaminated items were discovered on the bleachers and in the press box before a major sporting event.
“Unfortunately, in the world we live in, bad people want to try to do bad things. We're here to try to keep that from happening, or at least mitigate the problem if it occurs” Derivan said. “So, if you have a lot of people together, if there's a sporting event, a lot of times we're there. We’re here for the commonwealth.”
Just as they would in a real-world scenario, the team works through its checklist items as it works to evaluate the scene and neutralize any potential hazards it encounters to eliminate any threat.
“We go in blind to the actual situation,” said Sgt. 1st Class William Amerman, a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) specialist who has been with the 3rd WMD-CST for about seven years.
When the team arrives on scene they conduct reconnaissance, establish their operational footprint and begin coordination with the incident commander, which is often a local fire chief or a senior law enforcement officer.
“We do not take over the situation, we support [their efforts],” said Derivan, who has been part of the team for more than 15 years and its commander for nearly two years.
Unlike the movies or television, the team’s response efforts are deliberately slow and methodical, as the responders work for several hours in an encapsulated suite to keep them safe from contaminants.
“It can be draining mentally and physically,” Amerman said. “But you just got to have the perseverance to push through it and get the mission done.”