JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
The 33rd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (WMD-CST) conducted a full-scale chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive exercise at Joint Base Andrews reinforcing the unit’s mission readiness and tactical proficiency ahead of its upcoming training proficiency evaluation.
The exercise focused on identifying and mitigating an unknown CBRNE hazard. It offered a valuable opportunity for leadership to assess the team’s performance across more than 500 individual task steps.
Each WMD-CST member receives extensive training beyond their military occupational specialty or air force specialty code. It typically takes three years to become fully certified. Additionally, the unit conducts at least eight collective training lanes per fiscal year to sustain operational readiness.
These exercises are essential in evaluating the unit’s capabilities to respond to various hazardous threats. Components of the evaluation include site assessment, hazard mitigation, communication setup, decontamination operations, safety measures, medical monitoring and coordination with local civilian agencies under the Incident Command System.
“TPEs are critical to validating our unit’s readiness and ensuring we meet national defense requirements,” U.S. Army National Guard Maj. Ketner Jackson, deputy commander of the 33rd WMD-CST said. “It’s not just a requirement—it’s about being ready when the nation calls.”
Conducting the exercise at Andrews provided the team with a realistic and dynamic training environment, while also showcasing the WMD-CST’s mission capabilities to local, state and federal stakeholders.
“The overall objective of our CBRNE-WMD training lanes are to replicate realistic scenarios, where specific events, locations, personnel, and or resources may be the intended target,” Jackson continued. “Andrews contains all the above on any given day; we must be ready!”
The 33rd WMD-CST remains committed to supporting civil authorities in responding to WMD incidents, and exercises like these are a cornerstone of the team’s continued excellence and preparedness.