An official website of the United States government Here's how you know

Soldiers take part in multi-agency nuclear forensics exercise

By Mr Christopher I Bush (20th Support Command)March 12, 2012

Soldiers take part in multi-agency nuclear forensics exercise
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Michael Mosier, a health physics officer with NDT 1, sets up a decontamination station for sample teams returning during "Trinity Oak," a Nuclear Technical Forensics exercise at Fort Gordon Feb. 27. Nearly 30 20th Support Command (CBRNE) Soldie... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Soldiers take part in multi-agency nuclear forensics exercise
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – CBRNE Response Team Soldiers prepare sample collection team members from the Department of Energy and Federal Bureau of Investigation for the decontamination line during during "Trinity Oak," a Nuclear Technical Forensics exercise at Fort Gordon Feb.... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Soldiers take part in multi-agency nuclear forensics exercise
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Wes Sumner, deputy chief of Nuclear Disablement Team 1, and Staff Sgt. Anisha Phillips, Sample Team Leader for a CBRNE Response Team, survey a forward operating base during "Trinity Oak," a Nuclear Technical Forensics exercise at Fort Gordon Feb... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Soldiers take part in multi-agency nuclear forensics exercise
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from the 20th Support Command (CBRNE)'s Nuclear Disablement Teams and CBRNE Response Teams debrief with members of the Department of Energy and Federal Bureau of Investigation during exercise Trinity Oak Feb. 24 " March 1. The exercise, whic... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- Rationally thinking about the unthinkable may sound like an oxymoronic pun, but that's the exact task of the National Technical Nuclear Forensics program.

NTNF is the United States government's program to develop, sustain and advance the nation's technical nuclear forensic capabilities. In support of this program, nearly 30 20th Support Command (CBRNE) nuclear disablement team and CBRNE response team Soldiers traveled to Fort Gordon, Ga. to take part in exercise Trinity Oak Feb. 24 -- March 1. The exercise, which included personnel from the Air Force, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Energy, trained and validated NTNF Ground Collection Task Force processes and essential tasks. The NTNF GCTF will play a crucial role in the immediate aftermath of a nuclear detonation by collecting vital information and evidence at the incident site. In this particular exercise scenario, NTNF GCTF personnel had to react to a suspected nuclear detonation in the Fort Gordon -- Augusta, Ga. area.

20th Spt. Cmd. (CBRNE) NDT and CRT members worked with their interagency partners on conducting deployment and convoy operations, planning operations for the response, sampling collection procedures as well as decontamination procedures.

One of the initial challenges that faced the NTNF GCTF personnel was getting orientated to the methods, personnel, and lexicon of the multiple agencies taking part in the exercise. Because of the extremely technical and scientific subject matter, it often takes a little work to learn the different ways each agency operates. This task involved translating Soldier-speak into DOE, DOJ, Air Force, and DHS-friendly language and vice versa. No small task, if you talk to the Soldiers participating.

"The first steps really are about asking 'hey, who are you?' and then coming together to work the interagency processes, document procedures, and conduct operations," said Maj. Wes Sumner, deputy chief of NDT 1.

Sumner and his team of Soldiers sprang into action at the start of the exercise to gather up their equipment at an intermediate staging base, organized a reconnaissance of the affected area, and then helped to establish a forward operating base to carry out operations. All of these actions have to happen according to a precise timeline in accordance with NTNF GCTF guidelines.

Accomplishing these objectives is no small feat in the best of circumstances, but after a nuclear detonation this could be an insurmountable task unless the processes are choreographed perfectly -- and that's why training exercises like Trinity Oak are incredibly important, according to Michael Holden, senior technical advisor to the DHS's National Technical Nuclear Forensics Center.

"Our goal is to integrate the units into one big team and to ensure they can be woven into the NTNF GCTF smoothly," Holden said. "My biggest desire is to shape the different agencies so that they can operate as an integrated force in the future."

Holden highlighted his vision of the NTNF operational capabilities. "I want all the experts in each area like safety, sampling, and others to be able to fold in together when we are out in the field and work together in a tightly integrated fashion. So I am really trying to push the envelope during these exercises to close the gaps between the different agencies."

NDT Soldiers were forced to employ a vast array of skills during Trinity Oak from setting up the FOB, collecting and analyzing samples, and setting up decontamination areas for teams who collected samples from the field.

"We take these types of exercises very seriously," said Sgt. 1st Class Nate Brown, a health physics NCO and NCOIC of NDT 1 who helped set up a "hotline" and decontamination area. "These NTNF exercises are really great because we learn a lot about how we would actually respond to an event. We learn the best mechanisms and methods to protect ourselves and our teammates."

In addition to the NDT Soldiers, CBRNE Response Team Soldiers from the 22nd Chemical Battalion also had a large role in Trinity Oak. These highly-trained, highly-specialized Soldiers were responsible for leaving the relative safety of the FOB and heading into the affected area to gather samples. They were joined by specialists from the Federal Bureau of Investigation -- who serves as the lead for the NTNF GCTF, represent the law enforcement portion of the sample collection and investigation -- and the DOE. Prior to departing on their collection sampling missions, FBI, DOE, and Army personnel peppered each other with questions about their methods and tactics, techniques, and procedures for the collection of samples and data.

Clarity and confidence in each other's skill sets is a critical spoke in the NTNF wheel, according to one CRT Soldier.

"I've been doing this work for two years, and I really love my job," said Sgt. Michael Nelson, CRT Collection Team Lead. "Working with these other specialists you learn other ways of doing things. You learn that in many cases that there isn't just one right way of doing things; that can be really helpful in the NTNF mission. It is really beneficial to be able to come here and train for this important mission."

Under the watchful eye of expert observers, the CRT, augmented with their FBI and DOE counterparts, conducted numerous simulated sample collection missions during Trinity Oak.

Maj. Matthew Armstrong, a 20th Spt. Cmd. nuclear research officer and one of the individuals responsible for the planning and implementation of the exercise, said he was satisfied with the training exercise and looks forward to continuing on with the progress made during Trinity Oak.

"I am really looking forward to the future NTNF GCTF exercises," Armstrong said. "We have made a lot of progress and I am excited to continue on building our relationships with the task force members."