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Alarm Black: CBRN Defense Training enhances mission continuation, force survivability

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Eric Petosky
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Giant voice declares Alarm Black a few minutes after incoming rounds stop falling. 

Sweat is pooling at the bottom of your gas mask and dripping down your back as you struggle to get up off the ground in full personal protective equipment. Nervously, you gather the rest of your post-attack reconnaissance team and venture outside with a wary eye. 

It’s eerily quiet except for the ringing in your ears and the steady rhythm of your teammates breathing through canisters. Casualties and unexploded ordnance litter the ground. Time to put your training to the test. 

Thankfully, this scene is part of a controlled exercise during Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Training. It’s used by 100th Civil Engineer Squadron Readiness instructors to test students at the end of refresher courses. 

“It’s like any skill,” said Airman 1st Class Leia Weaver, 100th CES Readiness. “If you don’t use it, you lose it. A hands-on approach is the best avenue with this training.” 

Students in the refresher course must show proficiency with core tasks such as donning a gas mask and protective gear, marking UXOs, testing for chemical agents, responding to different alarm conditions and performing post attack reconnaissance. 

“The main purpose of the training is to enhance mission continuation and force survivability,” said Airman 1st Class Michael Tesi, an instructor. “If you got attacked with a nerve agent and didn’t know how to use your mask, you could die. People don’t usually think about that. The exercise after the lecture gets people to pay a little more attention.” 

Since there are typically 15 months between required refresher courses, Airman Tesi encourages students to read the Airman’s Manual. It contains the majority of course material found in the course. He also emphasized the importance of routine checks and cleaning on gas masks. 

“In the past five years of getting the training at RAF Mildenhall, this class was definitely better and more informative,” said Tech. Sgt. Mike Goesmann, 100th Maintenance Squadron Aerospace Ground Equipment Gold Team chief, who recently completed the course. 

“The hands-on scenario was extremely helpful,” he added. “It actually got everyone involved in what to look out for when conducting perimeter sweeps and marking UXOs. This training brought back fond memories of when I was back at Kunsan Air Base, Korea.”