Army Chemical Review presents professional information about Chemical Corps functions related to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, smoke, flame, and civil support operations.
Issue link: https://chemical.epubxp.com/i/141522
Figure 1. Select NATO organizational structure elements nations, met irregularly at frst. As NATO grew and sought engagements with partner nations, the NBC Medical Working Party evolved into the CBRNMedWG. The organization now convenes annually at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The 33d meeting, which was held in February 2012, was attended by more than 40 delegates from 15 nations, including the "Partnership for Peace" states of Austria, Serbia, and Switzerland, whose delegates are invited to open sessions (while other sessions are limited to NATO member delegates only). Among the key results of CBRNMedWG efforts are three cornerstone doctrinal contributions (medical in nature, but likely somewhat familiar to Chemical Corps personnel) that are critical to the CBRN defense posture of NATO and the United States: • Allied Medical Publication (AMedP)-06, NATO Handbook on the Medical Aspects of Defensive Operations (Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical). AMedP-06, which is aimed at medics who provide care on the battlefeld, contains information about tactical-level medical CBRN defense. • AMedP-07, Concept of Operations of Medical Support in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Environments. AMedP-07, which targets medical operations personnel, can be viewed as the operational-level counterpart to AMedP-06. • AMedP-08, NATO Planning Guide for the Estimation of CBRN Casualties. AMedP-08, which is geared toward 6 medical planners, is a technical manual that is designed for ease of use—but which is, nonetheless, supported by complex methodologies and technical estimations developed by CBRNMedWG scientists and supporting contractors over a period of many years. BioMedAC In recognition of the unique issues and technical complexity surrounding questions of medical biodefense, the BioMedAC was frst constituted as a somewhat informal gathering of seven scientists from fve NATO nations (Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States), who met in London in 1998. The group considered issues related to chemoprophylaxis and immunization against biological warfare agents. Later that year, representatives from Canada and Norway joined the group and the BioMedAC slowly grew to include members from the dozen or so NATO nations that had robust biodefense programs. The BioMedAC now convenes twice each year, with one meeting at the NATO Headquarters and the other rotating amongst participating nations. The 29th BioMedAC meeting was held in Warsaw, Poland, in May 2012. In the early years, the BioMedAC provided advice and technical expertise to the CBRNMedWG; but as the scope of responsibilities grew and the emphasis on biodefense issues increased, the BioMedAC was subordinated directly to the COMEDS. The BioMedAC provided subject matter expertise during the development of the biological portions Army Chemical Review