Air and Army members of the Oregon National Guard’s 102nd Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team spotlighted their first response capabilities, and how those interact with local police and firefighter efforts, in a demonstration Oct. 27 in Brooks, Ore. According to a National Guard Bureau news release, the Salem-based unit reacted to a scenario in which an apparent Sarin gas cloud spread from a building onto the road. After first responder units of police and firefighters also were exposed, authorities called on the 22-member Salem-based team to help identify and eradicate the hazardous element. The Oregon unit received its certification this past summer.
Unit commanders are being told to separate service members who can’t shave their cheeks and chin for medical reasons for more than a year, according to new guidance from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
