Gas, Gas, Gas - Soldiers gain confidence in gas chamber

By Staff Sgt. Neysa CanfieldFebruary 12, 2019

Gas, Gas, Gas - Soldier gain confidence in gas chamber
1 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Pvt. Austin Ehler, assigned to Bravo Company, 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, puts on rubber boots, Feb. 6, 2019, during a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear class on Fort Carson, Colorado. Sol... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Gas, Gas, Gas - Soldier gain confidence in gas chamber
2 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Staff Sgt. George Nieves, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Brigade, , 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, seals his gas mask, Feb. 6, 2018, during a gas mask confidence training at the gas chamber on Fort Cars... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Gas, Gas, Gas - Soldier gain confidence in gas chamber
3 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Staff Sgt. George Nieves, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Brigade, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, takes off his gas mask, Feb. 6, 2018, during a gas mask confidence training at the gas chamber on Fort Car... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Gas, Gas, Gas - Soldier gain confidence in gas chamber
4 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conduct exercises inside the gas chamber, Feb. 6, 2019, during a gas mask confidence training at the gas chamber on Fort Carson, Colorado. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Gas, Gas, Gas - Soldier gain confidence in gas chamber
5 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Soldier assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, breaks the seal of his mask, Feb. 6, 2019, during a gas mask confidence training at the gas chamber on Fort Carson, Colorado. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Neysa Canf... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Gas, Gas, Gas - Soldier gain confidence in gas chamber
6 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Soldier assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, coughs after coming out of the gas chamber, Feb. 6, 2019, during a gas mask confidence training at the gas chamber on Fort Carson, Colorado. (U.S. Army photo by Staff ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Gas, Gas, Gas - Soldier gain confidence in gas chamber
7 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Harris, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Brigade, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, prepares to take off his mask, Feb. 6, 2019, during a gas mask confidence training at the gas chamber ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT CARSON, Colorado - Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company Brigade, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 2IBCT, participated in chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear training, Feb. 6-7, here.

The training began with a refresher course on Mission Oriented Protective Posture Gear levels.

"CBRN training is important because it allows Soldiers to maintain and build their confidence with all the equipment they are given," said 2nd Lt. Marius Tchounke, CBRN officer for 2IBCT. "The goal is that Soldiers continue to practice those skills so that when they are put in a CBRN environment they are ready to react properly."

The next stop after the refresher course was the gas chamber.

According to some of the senior leaders participating in the training, the gas chamber is a crucial part in building confidence with the CBRN equipment.

"In order to build confidence you have to build muscle memory during training in a safe and controlled enviroment," said Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Harris, electronic warfare noncommissioned officer in charge for 2IBCT.

Having subject matter experts at the gas chamber allowed Soldiers to go over anything they might have not understood, said Harris.

"A controlled environment gives Soldiers the opportunity to mess up and ask questions to correctly perform tasks, like sealing a gas mask properly," said Harris.

Tchounke said he hopes his training allowed Soldiers to gain and refresh their knowledge on CBRN.

"Any soldiers could be out on a patrol and come upon a CBRN attack and they need to know what to do because at the end of the day missions still need to be completed," he said. "It's important that all Soldiers complete this training annually and take it seriously."

Harris added that the training not only enhanced CBRN skills but it also brought some teambuilding among the participants.

"Training like this allows Soldiers with different [military occupational specialties] to come together and learn about each other," he said. "The training was fun and knowledgeable and it worked out perfectly because I think it also built comradery, and I believe that comradery makes a unit stronger."