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Implement Unconventional Training Scenarios

By Staff Sgt. Alvin J. Blackmon Jr.

501st Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive Company, 23rd Chemical Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division

May 7, 2018

In our six-part series of responses from noncommissioned officers to the question of what training or equipment their MOS needs to better prepare for future conflicts, Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald L. Wylie Jr., 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Stanley, Republic of Korea, tasked Staff Sgt. Alvin J. Blackmon, Jr., a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear specialist (74D) with the 501st Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive Company, 23rd Chemical Battalion, to respond.

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Implement unconventional training scenarios

Sgt. 1st Class Dustin C. Westfall, a Chemical Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) noncommissioned officer in charge, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 500th Military Intelligence Brigade-Theater, shows a Soldier how to check the seal of his protective mask during a CBRN training exercise at the gas chamber at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Shameeka R. Stanley, 500th Military Intelligence Brigade-Theater)

In reference to the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear defense specialist field, the Army should field a military training team of subject matter experts composed of civilians and Soldiers who are up-to-date on threat analyses for the theatre of operations they visit. These specialists can set up the most realistic operations security training scenarios possible. I have noticed too many times that training scenarios conducted by personnel within the unit, though well planned, tend to be redundant.

In my opinion, the Army should implement more unconventional warfare training in units across the formation. The majority of commands may fall back on a standard way of training tactics and procedures. However, providing scenarios that require thinking outside the box and on the fly is not only something I feel is lost in most types of training but also discouraged.