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.
Pentagon Task Force, FAA to Test Counter-Drone Laser
March 7, 2026
The Pentagon’s counter-drone task force announced it would conduct a high-energy laser test with the Federal Aviation Administration less than a month after the use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border prompted the FAA to shut down the airspace over El Paso, Texas.