SAVANNAH, Ga. — About 150 joint service military members, including Airmen and Soldiers from more than 36 different units and seven major commands, recently conducted exercise Toxic Peach.
The April 28–May 2 exercise at the Savannah Air National Guard Base, Georgia, focused on large-scale aircrew contamination control in a joint operating environment.
During Toxic Peach, Aircrew Flight Equipment (AFE) and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) specialists deployed mobile decontamination (DECON) equipment to respond rapidly and employ procedures. Those procedures included determining the type of CBRN, applying chemical solutions to neutralize contaminants and removing contaminated clothing on five different simulated aircrew contamination configurations.
“The skills these troops learned during this exercise are invaluable to the deployable combat wing construct,” said Chief Master Sgt. Charles Bittle, C-130 AFE Weapons System Team chief, National Guard Bureau. “These AFE and CBRN specialists are now prepared and ready to mitigate contamination anywhere, for any airframe or aircrew, whether they are island hopping or working with units of different capabilities.”
Toxic Peach also provided participants with operational-level training, including the opportunity to practice radiological detection procedures in a simulated austere environment and strengthen interoperability with joint service CBRN procedures and base emergency management.
The event concluded with an aircraft offload of simulated contaminated aircrew that AFE and CBRN specialists had to respond to in real time. The DECON techniques participants practiced throughout the week enabled them to operate seamlessly when it mattered most.
The Georgia Air National Guard’s 165th Airlift Wing hosted Toxic Peach.
“The 165th AW has some of the most capable and qualified personnel to support groups of this size,” Bittle said. “Our willingness to complete the mission, coupled with the overwhelming support of leadership, has driven this event to be the most successful exercise of its kind to date.”
The annual certification event involved 72 Total Force AFE specialists and Army CBRN specialists from the 25th CBRNE Company (Technical Escort), Fort Stewart, Georgia. It provided each participant with formal training credit.
As real-world threats evolve, exercises like Toxic Peach ensure joint service teams remain ready, resilient and responsive—reinforcing the 165th Airlift Wing’s role as a leader in large-scale CBRN response.