An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Aug. 25, 2025

Specialized Oregon Guard Unit Conducts Training at Camp Rilea

By Master Sgt. Steph Sawyer, 142nd Wing

WARRENTON, Ore. - Airmen and Soldiers from the Oregon Air and Army National Guard completed a week-long annual training at Camp Rilea in Warrenton, Oregon, in mid-August.

These Airmen and Soldiers are part of a National Guard initiative known as CERFP, an acronym within an acronym that stands for CBRNE, or Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive, Enhanced Response Force Package. CERFP Airmen and Soldiers specialize in CBRNE and are trained to respond to varied mass casualty events.

The scenario that played out in the August exercise involved an ammonia tank explosion that caused structural damage to a building, resulting in a number of trapped victims.

One of the first teams to respond in a disaster situation is the search and extraction CERFP medics. This team is responsible for locating, rescuing and medically stabilizing victims at the site of a disaster. Their overall objective is to evacuate victims from the “hot zone” to a location where they can be decontaminated, if needed, and medically assessed and treated.

CERFP Senior Airman Kevin Batsch, a search and extraction medic, explained the impact and importance of this recurring training.

“I think the advantage is getting to work, not only with your team, but with your counterparts,” Batsch said. “So that way you’re comfortable with them…so when they send you down into a hole on a rope, you have absolute faith in them that they’re going to be able to get you down safely and they’re going to be able to haul you and your victim up.”

Training events such as this give members the opportunity to practice and apply their skills in a scenario designed to resemble what would happen in a real-world disaster. It also allows Airmen and Soldiers to train alongside each other, building team cohesion and trust while enhancing skillsets through knowledge sharing and collaboration.

In a real-world disaster, CERFP is designed to work in conjunction with civilian rescue personnel to support their efforts.

“Our goal is to help the resources that are already in an area that are overwhelmed,” Batsch said. “[To] help them do their jobs of rescuing victims and getting them to medical care.”

Before the scenario unfolded during the latter part of the training week, 20 Airmen visited the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Astoria, Oregon.

Coast Guard personnel hosted and briefed the Airmen on their mission. They showcased and discussed some of their rescue equipment, as well as an HH-60 T helicopter.

The visit enhanced the Airmen’s training week by opening a door for a broadened understanding of the Coast Guard and how CERFP and Coast Guard missions could potentially overlap.

Lt. Col. Christopher Webb, 142nd CERFP commander, explained the value of the visit.

“In the event of a real-world mass casualty disaster, our paths would definitely cross,” Webb said. “It's very likely that in that scenario, we would be handing patients over for evacuation to the Coast Guard.”

The goal of the exchange was to lay the groundwork for a more fruitful and effective relationship between the two entities by familiarizing both organizations with each other.

“We…learned quite a bit about how they do patient movement [versus] how we do patient movement so we can speak in the same language when we’re loading their helicopter and using their equipment,” Webb said.

Webb intends to continue to build the relationship moving forward.

“We established that we both have a tremendous desire to start communicating with one another,” Webb said. “So we’re going to do that in future exercises…and potentially even coordinate a landing and maybe even a patient evacuation.”

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Stepfanie Glidewell, 142nd Maintenance Operations Flight unit deployment manager, rests on a bench press at Portland Air National Guard Base, Ore., Sept. 6, 2025. Glidewell is training to compete in the U.S. Military Powerlifting Nationals after recovering from major surgery in October 2024 that removed multiple tumors from her sciatic nerve.
Oregon Guard Member Rises Toward Powerlifting Nationals
By Tech. Sgt. Alexander Frank, | Sept. 26, 2025
PORTLAND, Ore. — In October 2024, U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Stepfanie Glidewell was preparing for surgery. For years, Glidewell had struggled with a debilitating pain that made even walking a challenge. While the cause had...

Oregon Army National Guard Sgt. Aaron Stiner, assigned to the 102nd CERFP, demonstrates the procedures for removing a coverall hazard suit with members of the Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside Medical Center staff taking part in a mass casualty training event at the Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside Medical Center on September 16, 2025, in Clackamas, Oregon. The medical personnel and other first responders, along with members of the Oregon National Guard 102nd Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) Defense Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP), collaborated during the exercise, which aimed to develop a response to a real-world incident, identify gaps, and improve response procedures.
Oregon Guard Supports Two Hospital Mass Casualty Training Exercises
By John Hughel, | Sept. 19, 2025
PORTLAND, Ore. - The Oregon National Guard's 102nd Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear, or CBRN, Defense Enhanced Response Force Package, known as CERFP, partnered with two regional medical centers during a four-day...

Peter DeJoseph, left, a Red Cat flight trainer, observes as Staff Sgt. First Class Gregory Mannen, center, and Staff Sgt. Timothy Powers operate the Flightwave Edge 130 unmanned aircraft system during training at the 249th Regional Training Institute, Rees Training Center, Oregon, Sept. 4, 2025. The Edge 130 provides vertical takeoff and landing capabilities with transition to fixed-wing flight, offering up to 90 minutes of flight time and advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities for Oregon Army National Guard units.
Oregon Guard Advances Drone Capabilities With New Training Systems
By Maj. Wayne Clyne, | Sept. 16, 2025
RAYMOND REES NATIONAL GUARD TRAINING CENTER, Ore. – The Oregon Army National Guard is transforming its unmanned aircraft systems training at the 249th Regional Training Institute, introducing advanced platforms while...