National Guard Works to Improve Response to Attacks
Global Security Newswire
The Virginia National Guard plans to develop a task force to support the response to a potential attack involving an unconventional weapon, officials said Friday (see GSN, April 18).
Guard units around the nation are preparing to work with state and local agencies in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack, the Washington Post reported.
“The idea is to help in any kind of weapons-of-mass-destruction kind of attack,” said Jack Harrison, a National Guard spokesman.
About 500 soldiers and airmen with experience in medical triage, chemical decontamination, explosive detection and other areas would put in 18 months of training for the task force, said Lt. Col. Chester Carter III, a spokesman for the Virginia National Guard.
“We would support the first responder,” he said. “What we would do is bring to the table an additional tool in such an event.”
The U.S. Defense Department developed the nationwide program, the Post reported. The National Guard selected 17 states for the task force program. Harrison said personnel in 12 states have gone through the training and are “mission-ready” (Sandhya Somashekhar, Washington Post, June 24).
The Virginia National Guard plans to develop a task force to support the response to a potential attack involving an unconventional weapon, officials said Friday (see GSN, April 18).
Guard units around the nation are preparing to work with state and local agencies in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack, the Washington Post reported.
“The idea is to help in any kind of weapons-of-mass-destruction kind of attack,” said Jack Harrison, a National Guard spokesman.
About 500 soldiers and airmen with experience in medical triage, chemical decontamination, explosive detection and other areas would put in 18 months of training for the task force, said Lt. Col. Chester Carter III, a spokesman for the Virginia National Guard.
“We would support the first responder,” he said. “What we would do is bring to the table an additional tool in such an event.”
The U.S. Defense Department developed the nationwide program, the Post reported. The National Guard selected 17 states for the task force program. Harrison said personnel in 12 states have gone through the training and are “mission-ready” (Sandhya Somashekhar, Washington Post, June 24).
