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
By Captain Sean T. Carmody I magine a weapons of mass destruction objective in hypothetical Country X. Visualize the terrain, facilities, and materials present. Visualize the presence of enemy combatants amidst host nation civilians. Pause. What is the likelihood that the only relevant materials to be exploited are of a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) nature? Wouldn't there be computers and hard drives? Wouldn't there be latent fngerprints and documents that would be of concern? Wouldn't personnel on the objective pose an opportunity to obtain required information? The short answer is "yes, to all of the above." This is evident by the myriad of exploitation-related vignettes that are being established by entities such as the Rapid Site Exploitation Joint Capability Technology Demonstration and doctrine writers across the centers of excellence. For example, according to Army Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (ATTP) 3-90.15, Site Exploitation Operations, "During Operation Iraqi Freedom, U.S. Central Command formed an ad hoc sensitive-[site exploitation] task force, drawing on specialized CBRNE [chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosives] and associated technical expertise from across the Department of Defense. Team members were drawn from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, and explosive ordnance disposal and technical escort unit elements. The task force also received interagency attachments from the Central Intelligence Agency and Department of Justice. This task force was known as the 75th Exploitation Task Force. The task force established mobile exploitation teams based on any unique requirements identifed during the intelligence preparation of the battlefeld. For example, Mobile Exploitation Team Alpha was augmented with a team of nuclear experts from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to conduct the exploitation mission at the military-industrial complex near the city of Karbala, Iraq."1 The Chemical Corps and the larger CBRN enterprise must integrate capabilities with Army exploitation efforts in order to provide effective and timely capacities to decisionmakers at all echelons. Future conficts are expected to be highly complex, requiring greater technical capabilities to defeat the enemies. If our leaders are to adapt accordingly, we must Summer 2013 develop supporting doctrine, force structure, training, materiel, leadership, and education. The Army Challenge The U.S. Army Combined Arms Center—in conjunction with the Headquarters, Department of the Army, and representatives from the centers of excellence across the force—are in the process of redefning the exploitation enterprise under the construct of unifed exploitation (UE). This is an inevitable effort resulting from the problem as identifed by the Combined Arms Center in the Concept of Operations: "The Army lacks a systematic approach to effectively integrate multiple organizations, disciplines, functions, and processes that support exploitation through their application of tactical, technical, and scientifc processes. The absence of an organized exploitation framework to develop facts, actionable information, or intelligence from collected adversary information, materials, or people results in a knowledge void. This lack of knowledge may compromise our ability to execute commander-directed, follow-on actions and represents tactical, and perhaps even strategic, opportunities lost."2 Each center of excellence faces unique challenges in establishing its roles within a unifed construct. However, many compelling opportunities exist for a unity of effort, resulting in signifcantly increased capabilities and improved outcomes. The Chemical Corps Challenge The U.S. Army Chemical Corps has long been involved with exploitation. The Corps role in the eight combating weapons of mass destruction military mission areas of offensive operations, elimination operations, interdiction operations, active defense, passive defense, weapons of mass destruction consequence management, security cooperation and partnership activities, and threat reduction cooperation requires highly specialized training and resourcing.3 Over the years, as the Corps and other agencies have become specialized, many changes in 19