VOLK FIELD, Wis. - When the National Guard moves a Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear and high-yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package of 200 people and 265 tons of equipment, it can be challenging. To beat that challenge, they went to the air.
Since a CERFP team had never been transported entirely by military aircraft until the 2011 Patriot Exercise, held here July 11 to 23, it presented some unique challenges.
It was important to accomplish this feat, but it didn't go without any obstacles, said Army Capt. Cory Marks, operations officer for the 9th CERFP of the California National Guard.
The team used commercial trucks, trailers and other military vehicles designed to be transported on aircraft.
Aircraft loadmasters created a plan for how an aircraft should be loaded, but working with unconventional equipment requires patience and flexibility, said Air Force Staff Sgt. Thomas Berry, a loadmaster with the 249th Airlift Squadron, Alaska Air National Guard.
"There haven't been a lot of people [who] have moved this equipment, so the challenge is that it's not common cargo and it takes extra work and a lot of extra help," Berry said.
In 2010, a CERFP team was transported to Guam by air, but civilian aircraft were used in addition to C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft.
Marks recalled Hurricane Katrina; where there was a mass exodus and said there are situations where the infrastructure is damaged or cannot be traveled to easily and a team would need airlift to arrive quickly.
"We need an ability to get in," he said. "We could use aircraft to do that.
Soldiers and Airmen were transported from California to Wisconsin over the course of three days and despite delays and limited leg room, the entire 9th CERFP arrived at their destination ready to train and participate in the exercise.
"The whole point of this trip was to see if we could fly the equipment on military aircraft," said Sgt. Craig Carter, a member of the 149th Chemical Company of 9th CERFP, "And we did."
Since 2004, the National Guard has created 17 CERFPs nationwide with at least one in each Federal Emergency Management Agency region. They provide immediate response capabilities for natural or manmade disasters. With the ability to transport exclusively via military airlift, the response can be even faster.