The 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord is at at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif, participating large-scale, conventional warfare training with offensive and defensive operations.

A NTC first happened during the 3-2 SBCT's rotation. Soldiers assigned to the 20th Support Command (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives or CBRNE) were in the house. The 20th CBRNE Command out of the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland was challenged with integrating into a maneuver force and brigade combat team, including a training scenario included engaging opposition forces that deployed mustard gas.

According to Guy Volb from the Fort Irwin Public Affairs Office, the CBRNE Response Team teamed with the Stryker BCT's 2-3 Infantry Battalion to secure an objective area and facilities suspected of housing chemical weapons.

Once successfully secured, the CRT moved in to assess, characterize, and exploit the site - a small aluminum-sided warehouse containing "chemical processing equipment, artillery shells and large tanks used to store mustard gas."
"There were several objectives, but basically we're charged with systematically locating, characterizing, and securing or destroying WMD programs, networks and related capabilities," said Stremlau.
At depth that means preventing looting or capture of WMD and related material by enemies, while exploiting program experts, documents and other media found on such sites to prevent proliferation of material, technology, or personalities associated with the WMD network.
"There are four phases of WMD elimination," the major stressed. "Isolation, exploitation, destruction, and monitoring/redirection; but first we have to safely shut down operations at each site, take samples, and mitigate associated hazards."

Read Volb's full story on the exercise here.

>>> Pfc. Kim Landicho, 24, monitors a soldier for possible "chemical weapons" contamination during a WMD elimination exercise held at Fort Irwin's National Training Center Jan. 31. Landicho, in the green gloves, said she hasn't been deployed during her first year in the Army so "every training scenario teaches me something new." Photo credit: Guy Volb