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
19 Summer 2015 and ready forces to execute surveys, assessments, and mass casualty decontamination operations in support of the U.S. Northern Command. In addition, CBRN forces have been allocated to support global WMD elimination plans. To meet these requirements, these forces have been task- organized and equipped with nonstandard items including toxic industrial chemical protection and detection equip- ment, dismounted reconnaissance joint urgent operational needs statements, Mass Casualty Decontamination Sys- tems, and Advanced-Threat Boxes. In order to institutional- ize these capabilities and provide support for enduring re- quirements, the FDU focuses on reorganizing the maneuver support CBRN company into a hazard response company (Figure 2) that is manned, trained, and equipped to execute the missions. The hazard response company is a multifunctional for- mation that provides hazard reconnaissance, surveillance, assessment, and decontamination support to formations at brigade combat team (BCT) levels and above. A hazard response company consists of an armored reconnaissance platoon and two 30-person multifunctional hazard assess- ment platoons. The number of nuclear, biological, and chem- ical reconnaissance vehicles per armored reconnaissance platoon has been reduced from six to four—a of the decision to reduce the Army acquisition objective to 274 systems. The approved procurement and felding of the nu- clear, biological, and chemical reconnaissance vehicles more than doubles the capability of the 115 M93A1 Fox Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Reconnaissance Systems that were previously employed by the Army and ensures that the Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve are fully felded. While the nuclear, biological, and chemical reconnaissance vehicle reduction decreases the planned capability, each BCT continues to be supported by an armored reconnais- sance platoon, thereby resulting in no loss of operational capability to the force. Each hazard assessment platoon con- sists of two hazard assessment squads and two decontami- nation squads. The hazard assessment squads employee platoon dismounted reconnaissance sets, kits, and outfts to conduct dismounted reconnaissance, surveillance, and site assessment operations. The decontamination squads, which are equipped with two M26 Joint Service Transportable Decontamination System–Small Scale power drive decon- tamination apparatuses, can conduct supported operational decontamination and can support thorough decontamina- tion operations. The hazard assessment platoon squads are capable of concurrently conducting hazard assessment and operational decontamination; however, based on personnel and equipment requirements, thorough decontamination is executed as a platoon mission. The hazard assessment pla- toon provides the BCT commander with a variety of options to detect, protect against, and mitigate CBRN hazards on the battlefeld. As with CBRN battalions, doctrinal support relationships with hazard response companies have changed. This allows the CBRN force to provide enhanced capabilities despite re- ductions in organization size. Maneuver support chemical companies have traditionally provided support to divisions. Under the CBRN FDU, each BCT doctrinally receives an armored reconnaissance platoon and a hazard assessment platoon. Based on tactical requirements, some BCTs also re - ceive a company headquarters. These changes signifcantly enhance the ability of the BCT to protect against, respond to, and recover from CBRN hazards. The CBRNE Company: The last element of the CBRN FDU is the redesign of the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) company (technical escort) (Figure 3). The intent of the CBRNE company redesign is to resolve issues derived from previous force management decisions and revise the company concept of employment. The FDU postures the CBRNE company to serve as the backbone of the CBRNE technical force well into the future. In 2012, Regular Army CBRNE battalions were trans- formed from fxed force structures (organic companies) to composite structures consisting of a battalion headquarters and separate CBRNE companies. This transition was nec- essary due to the Headquarters, Department of the Army, Figure 2. Hazard response (HR) company organization Figure 3. CBRNE company (technical escort) organization