Training aids chemical, biological weapons preparedness

Marines and Illinois response units recently joined forces to share training techniques designed to enhance chemical and biological emergency preparedness.

Marines and sailors with the Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBRIF) participated in Exercise Chicago Response in Chicago, Illinois, trading tactics, techniques, and procedures that could potentially save lives.

“We specifically chose this region because Illinois is one of four regions that fall within the New Madrid seismic zone and Chicago provides an infrastructure that can facilitate our response,” Bob Novak, exercise design and operational support organizer, said. “I think this exercise is important to the American people because it shows, as we have in the past and as we will continue to do, that the Marine Corps has their back. That’s what we’re here for.”

It is estimated that, in the event of a chemical or biological attack in that zone, there could be over 80,000 casualties and 7 million people displaced.

During the exercises, both groups were charged with providing humanitarian assistance to simulated survivors of an earthquake, with Marines in the unit presented with situations they do not normally train for, testing the versatility inherent within the unit, according to officials.

“We’re grateful to train alongside our local and state partners,” Jordan Fox, Initial Response Force commander, said. “The Marines are going to take what they learned here today back with us to increase our capabilities so that should we ever need to come back to respond the Marines will be ready.”