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/533676
16 Army Chemical Review for the extremely high personnel turnover rates in Korea was by incorporating a 6-month training cycle and identify- ing master trainers to increase technical and tactical prof- ciency and continuity. How We Sustain To meet "Fight Tonight" sustainment requirements, the 23d CBRNE Battalion collaborated with sustainment units at brigade and theater levels to develop a comprehen- sive plan for support in armistice and wartime operations. At the battalion level, the primary task was to develop a comprehensive maintenance program, a 72-hour unit basic load, and push packages for resupply operations. The sus- tainment requirements were shared with higher echelons using venues such as Ulchi Freedom Guardian, 2ID WMD Elimination Microexperiment, Key Resolve, and Warpath exercises. Maintenance Program Two NBCRVs from the Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1ABCT, were task-organized to the 23d CBRNE Battalion, increasing the battalion NBCRV for the purpose of training and readiness oversight. The battalion maintained a 20-vehicle NBCRV above 90 percent by implementing a comprehensive maintenance program, which included the following advancements: • An extension to the feld service representative contract was requested, granted, and funded by the project mana- ger. • The NBCRV technical manual was condensed into a more manageable, user-friendly version to assist Soldiers in conducting preventive maintenance checks and services. • Soldiers with Military Occupational Specialty 94F (Com- puter/Detection Systems Repairer) and Additional Skill Identifers F1 (Biological Integrated Detection System/ Joint Biological Point Detection System Repairer) and F6 (NBCRV Sensor Suite Maintenance Technician) were di- verted to the Korean Peninsula. • The battalion maintenance offcer and a select master NBCRV maintenance NCO attended the Additional Skill Identifer F6 course and an abbreviated Universal Mobile Tester course at Fort Gordon, Georgia. • 2ID acquired a Universal Mobile Tester for the battalion to conduct services on the Biological Agent Warning Sys- tem and run diagnostics on the line-replaceable units in the Joint Biological Point Detection System. • The project manager installed data collectors in two NBCRVs to identify the root causes of maintenance fail- ures with the Chemical Biological Mass Spectrometer. • Circuit cards were purchased and added to the unit basic load of the NBCRV platoon to replace damaged cards in the Mass Spectrometer Electronics Module and save on Chemical Biological Mass Spectrometer costs. • Quarterly NBCRV operator and maintenance courses were conducted, with semiannual support from project manager instructors providing training on start-up, op- eration, troubleshooting, and shutdown procedures for the sensor suites. With the felding of DRSKO, there was no requirement for a feld service representative for reconnaissance and surveillance platoons; therefore, equipment went straight to the test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment activ- ity for service while consumables were ordered through the usual Army supply system. Furthermore, the equipment was standardized across all assessment teams except CRTs. The battalion extracted the preventive maintenance checks and services from the technical manuals, with equipment identifed as requiring weekly and monthly maitenance; con- sequently, the technical manual was reduced to a 147-page document. Additionally, in the interest of simplicity and a common understanding across the battalion, a standard- ized bumper format was developed for uploading DRSKO equipment into Standard Army Maintenance System– Enhanced boxes. Due to the unique requirement of the 501st CBRNE Company to maintain its commercial, off-the-shelf equipment, a feld service representative contractor was employed to assist with the trouble- shooting, service, repair, and evacuation of equip- ment to the continental United States and the procurement of consumables for commercial, off-the-shelf equipment. Unit Basic Load The next sustainment challenge that the 23d CBRNE Battalion tackled was the identifcation and subsequent funding of the unit basic load required to meet "Fight Tonight" standards. The battalion ordered 72 hours' worth of consumables for its units and enough decontamination solution for three combat arms battalions. In addition, the battalion purchased the new PINS3-CF®, thus reducing the logistic requirement for liquid nitrogen. Throughout receipt of the unit basic load, all companies continued to improve load plans to account for all classes of supplies during nu- merous battalion, brigade, and division alert exercises. These exercises refned alert procedures in preparation for wartime missions. Push Packages To resupply the newly designed company teams for their wartime mission, the battalion developed push packages for NBCRV reconnaissance platoons, reconnaissance and surveillance platoons, decontamination platoons, CRTs, and explosive ordnance disposal teams. The defnition of the sustainment requirement provided a shared (user to theater level) understanding of the WMD resupply sys- tem. Push packages consisted of a standard set of consum- ables that could be adjusted to meet any specifc mission requirement. In most cases, standard push packages were requested; however, after conducting a large mission at a biological facility, additional handheld assays and RAZOR® EX pouches may be added to the push package for CRTs. Collaborations regarding the contents and cost of push pack- ages were conducted with 1ABCT, 2ID, and the 19th Ex- peditionary Sustainment Command during the 2015 2ID WMD Elimination Microexperiment, which was facilitated by the Asymmetric Warfare Group. (Continued on page 20)