Table of Contents
· TAG's Message
· CSM Message
· 108th Passes First Year Mark in NETTF
· Band of Brothers - and Sisters
· 177th CE Deploys to RAF Mildenhall
· Cavalry MOUTs up at Fort Knox
· 21st CST Go For Hot Zone
· Operation Whirlwind
· Chaplain Beats the Devil out of Soldiers
· News Guard Families Can Use

· Short Rounds
· Army and Air Enlisted Promotions
· Farewell to Brig. Gen. Bell
· Family Assistance Centers & Family Readiness Centers
· Guardlife Information

Guardlife - Volume 31, No. 4

21st CST Go For Hot Zone
Photos by Tech. Sgt. Mark Olsen, NJDMAVA/PA

The 21st Civil Support Team (CST) passed its final evaluation by the First United States Army inspectors on June 30.

The evaluation came at the end of a daylong exercise held at a Salem County
shipping company. The location was suited for simulating a WMD event because it's various commercial and industrial sites, in addition to its proximity to the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia. The site was also important in that it went against commonly held perceptions that a WMD event in New Jersey would likely occur in a major city or port closer to New York City.

The event was part of the validation process for the 21st CST, which was called
out on 90 minutes notice in order to respond to the simulated WMD incident.

The team, which consists of 22 fulltime Army and Air National Guard members,
was being evaluated on its initial response time to the incident, which could have been staged anywhere in the state and also how it handled the possible contamination by the simulated WMD.

The Team supports civilian authorities at a chemical, biological, radiological,
nuclear and explosives incident site by identifying agents/substances, assessing
current and projected consequences, advising on response measures, and assisting
with appropriate requests for additional state support. The CST, who, while directly under the command and control of the Governor, is fully resourced, trained and evaluated by the federal government. The CST participates in both military and civilian emergency responder specialized technical training. Team members require approximately 600-800 hours of initial training above and beyond their primary military skill requirement.

Once the unit receives its final certification, the 21st CST will be on call to respond
to nuclear, biological or chemical incidents anywhere in the United States.

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