History of Civil Support Teams

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Information Research Paper on Civil Support Teams
Little is known about the National Guards Civil Support Teams. They are
National Guard units that support civil authorities in responding to events were WMD’s are suspected, whether it be hostile use of various chemicals, accidental chemical spills, radiological sources or any one of numerous biological events. Liza Porteus Viana (2012) notes, “The National Guard’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams are known as some of the most effective first responders when it comes to a potential chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or enhanced improvised explosive event.” The mission of the Civil Support team according to NGR 500-3 is, “to support civil authorities at a domestic CBRNE incident site by identifying CBRNE agents/substances, assessing current and projected consequences, advising on response measures, and assisting with requests for additional support.” (p. 2) I believe that the Civil Support Team is a very important asset in home land defense and as a CBRNE soldier we should be more aware of their history and capabilities.

History of Civil Support Teams
The first ten CST’s were created in 1998 because it was believed that the United
States had to improve its homeland terrorism defenses. These were placed in the states with the largest populations to cut down on response times in emergencies. Congress has since then authorized 57 CST’s. Each state has at least one with some of the bigger states having two. They can also be found in some of the U.S. territories such as
Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In fiscal year 2011, Civil Support Teams deployed to support civil authorities a total of 128 times. They were depl...

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...nown agents.

Conclusion
I believe that as a CBRNE soldier it is very important that we know and understand what the Civil Support Team does and how they operate. This can be done by understanding what their purpose and mission are. You can also understand the Civil Support Team by knowing what personnel and equipment they have and use to complete their missions. The Civil Support Team is a high value asset used against the fight on terror and in homeland defense. More information on the Civil Support Team can be found in AGR 500-3.

References
Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Defense (2012, July 02) Report No.
DODIG-2012-12
National Guard Bureau (2006, Jan 12). Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team
Management. AGR 500-3
Porteus-Viana, Liza (2012, May 14 ). Guards WMD CST can respond faster than other federal assets. WWW.hstoday.us

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