Army Chemical Review

WINTER 2016

Army Chemical Review presents professional information about Chemical Corps functions related to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, smoke, flame, and civil support operations.

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35 Winter 2016 By Chief Warrant Officer Two Oliver A. Pottinger and W arrant officers are the technical foundation of the U.S. Army. Their roles and responsibilities re- volve around their ability to serve as subject mat- ter experts in their respective fields or disciplines. The cre- ation of the chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) warrant officer in the Chemical Corps institution- alized this needed capability, and the recent Force Design Update (FDU) ensured that these experts will now reside in the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explo- sives response team (CRT); company; and battalion echelons of our Corps. The purpose of this article is to share lessons learned on the roles and responsibilities of CBRN warrant officers that resulted from the FDU implementation in the 23d Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explo- sives (CBRNE) Battalion, Republic of Korea. The FDU allowed CBRN warrant officers to have a more prominent role in the critical areas of combat readiness. The appropriate employment of warrant officers in these critical areas is vital for their growth and for unit readiness. CBRN warrant officers are technical experts; but with the number of requirements potentially assigned, their responsibilities must be narrowed. In the 23d CBRNE Battalion, the CBRN warrant officers held responsibility in several technical ar- eas: nuclear, biological, and chemical reconnaissance vehicle (NBCRV) suite maintenance and gunnery; dismounted re- connaissance sets, kits, and outfits (DRSKO) maintenance; the toxic physical program; the unit consumables program; and CBRN tasks master trainer. Each of these responsibili- ties in itself is daunting, but warrant officers must complete them within the commander's intent, within the chain of command. Battalion CBRN warrant officers also have sev- en to 10 fellow CBRN warrant officers who assist them in the battalions. A warrant officer's role as a mentor and role model for enlisted Soldiers and junior officers is as impor- tant as his or her technical responsibility. In order for CBRN warrant officers to accomplish these defined responsibilities and perform their natural role as mentors, administrative burdens must be reduced. The battalion learned that companies require an execu- tive officer to perform the day-to-day operations of the company—even at the cost of a vacant platoon leader posi- tion. CBRN warrant officers should not be raters or senior raters of subordinate Soldiers within the unit; executive officers and operations sergeants should retain this impor- tant role within the company operations section. CBRN warrant officers and their units will benefit greatly in terms of readiness and morale by defining roles and responsibili- ties and refraining from unnecessary encumbrances. The battalion CBRN warrant officer is the senior CBRN warrant officer in the battalion, and he or she has broader roles and responsibilities than those at the team and com- pany levels. He or she should transition from a technical expert who directly spends time with unit Soldiers on the equipment to an operational expert who develops systems 23d CBRNE Soldiers review a chemical process during Mobile Training Team Advanced Chemistry and Biology Training.

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