For the second phase of
the exercise the students
set up and manned a
CBRN decontamination
line for those who would
have theoretically been
contaminated in the first
phase of the operation.
They conducted pre-,
main- and post-decontamination of personnel,
kit and vehicles. This was
the first time the newly
upgraded CDS 1000s
were set up for an exercise and tested to their
full capacity.
Troops of the 101st
Three-star Course, who
were undergoing the
CBRN element of their
training in the DFTC at
the time, played the part
of the contaminated
survey teams.
| 15
The exercise was greatly
enhanced by the Ordnance
Corps' new CBRN field simulation unit, SIMPLUME, which
allowed us to place a number of transmitters around
the Military Training Facility
(MTF). The students could
get live 'readings' from these
transmitters on the training
versions of the new lightweight chemical detector, LCD
3.3, they were equipped with.
This made the exercise more
realistic for the students, who
now had realistic readings
showing up on their detector
units. They were also able to
identify the agent based on
these readings.
From a DS point of view it
meant we had much more
control over the exercise and
were also in a far better position to assess the students'
use of equipment and their
knowledge of the survey drills.
Students on the course
return to their parent units
with the knowledge and skills
required to train personnel up
to a higher standard of CBRN
proficiency than ever before.
Their running of companylevel CBRN defence specialist
courses will play an important role in maintaining and
developing our CBRN capability as part of any modern
military force, and allowing
us to remain current and
interoperable with foreign
militaries within Europe and
further afield.
www.military.ie the defence forces magazine
