Fort Drum Training for NY National Guard Aircrews

NY National Guard Aviation Units Conduct Training for Domestic Response Mission

FORT DRUM, NY (07/12/2010)(readMedia)-- New York National Guard Aviation Soldiers will train to prepare themselves for the newly formed Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High Explosive (CBRNE) Consequence Management Response Force, or CCMRF. This training of Soldiers and aircrwes will certify three of New York's aviation units to be called to Federal Active Duty if needed to deploy in support of federal missions for any natural or man-made disaster beginning in the new fiscal year, starting October1.

WHO: 3rd Battalion, 142nd Assault Helicopter Battalion (UH-60 Blackhawks) from Latham and Ronkonkoma. Company B, 126th Aviation (CH-47 'Chinook' Heavy Lift) from Rochester and the 642nd Aviation Support Battalion (Maintenance and Repair) from Rochester, Ronkonkoma and Oleans. In total, approximately 300 Soldiers will participate in the training.

WHAT: Soldier and Aircrew training to certify the readiness of the aviation task force to deploy anywhere along the east coast of the U.S. for consequence management or disaster response missions.

WHERE: Fort Drum, N.Y. News media will linkup with media escort Sgt. 1st Class Steven Petibone at the Fort Drum Media Center, Route 26 outside the Wheeler Sack Army Airfield entrance.

WHEN: Tuesday, July 13 at 10 a.m. for all news organizations. The National Guard training runs from 9-23 July, 2010.

NEWS MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES: News organizations are invited to cover the interview and to conduct separate interviews on site. Photo opportunities will include live fire helicopter door gunnery, live fire crew served weapons, humvee rollover training, Soldier first aid and collective Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or High Explosive (CBRNE) training

Background:

The mission of the CCMRF task force is to provide rapid response capability to assist local, state, and other federal authorities following a catastrophic event. CBRNE incidents pose a great and very real security challenge in the United States. A terrorist attack or accidental CBRNE incident could be catastrophic and can overwhelm local and state response capabilities quickly.

Federal military forces have capabilities that, in a catastrophic CBRNE event, may be otherwise unavailable to states and localities. A CCMRF is a joint force usually organized under a two-star headquarters. It is composed of three subordinate colonel-level task forces: operations, medical and aviation.

Task Force Operations is formed around the nucleus of an active duty army brigade combat team or maneuver enhancement brigade, augmented by active Army and Army Reserve logistics and specialized CBRNE units. It is capable of CBRNE detection and decontamination and can provide among other things, engineer, transportation, logistics, communication and public affairs support to local, state and federal entities.

The 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade Headquarters, located in Latham, N.Y. will provide the aviation resources from aviation elements across the state for the CCMRF aviation requirements.