NAVAL SUPPORT FACILITY INDIAN HEAD, MD -- Members of the House Armed Services Committee visited Chemical Biological Incident Response Force, II Marine Expeditionary Force, to review the unit’s capabilities here in November. CBIRF Marines and sailors showed the members of the committee that CBIRF is capable of supplying medical support and extracting casualties in a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-yield explosive (CBRNE) incident.
“I think our resources are great if anything were to happen,” Cpl. David Rogers said, decontamination team leader, Company A, CBIRF. “We can take care of anything that happens.”
If a real-world CBRNE incident, CBIRF would be at the front lines helping to save lives.
“We go in, remove casualties, and stabilize the civilian population,” Sgt. David Goral said, decontamination platoon commander, Company A, CBIRF.
According to Goral, with CBIRF’s resources, the unit is self-sustainable in a CBRNE environment.
“We have ‘Response’, and they go out there and remove casualties and evaluate the situation. We have PAT (Preliminary Assessment Teams) teams with a Medical Evaluation team, and they medically evaluate, detect, and remove certain obstacles from our area,” Goral said. “We have Technical Rescue Marines who perform all of the technical rescue capabilities and stabilize structures.”
CBIRF responded to the Anthrax attacks on Capitol Hill, Feb. 2002, which marked CBIRF’s importance.
“As a consequence management asset, I see it as very important,” said Timothy McClees, staff member of the House Armed Services Committee.
History tends to repeat itself. According to one Marine, CBIRF is prepared for when it does.
“It’s going to happen again. It’s important that we’re here to respond to those incidents,” said Sgt. Jason Burch, a sector team leader, Company A, CBIRF.
Members from the House Armed Services Committee visited CBIRF to analyze the unit’s capabilities, taking one more step to protect the American public.
“They should understand the government is doing what they can to help mitigate and respond to particular threats,” said McClees.