I know something about Army CBR protocols since I was the battalion CBR NCO even though my rank at the time was E4 which was 3 graded below the allotted slot. The reason for that was the battalion had never gotten a satisfactory grade in CBR on any field exercise until they sent me to school for 6 months.
The most important thing I can tell you is you can not turn an 11B into a 54E with a couple of hours of training a month. If you think you can you are inviting disaster.
Now this was near 40 years ago but I do not imagine things have changed much. We can send grunts for securing a perimeter while engineers do their thing for the medical corps but the only interface with locals should be the mission of the Chemical Corps. The author has the protocols down pretty good. Isolate and decontaminate. That’s doctrine. No visas. No mixing of elements that have exposure with those that don’t. Plenty of water, bleach and fuel for burning.
But 11b’s have no business interacting with the local population. None, Nada, zippo.
A great post, Jwalsh. Thank you for your service!
Just a question. Each time I’ve looked it up, the FM’s say that the first principle for a fighting unit coming upon a contaminated area is AVOIDANCE.
Do you agree with that from your experience?
I don't think they are limiting contact with all Liberians, just as the civilian medical and Christian missionaries aren't, for instance Liberians were testing the temperatures of the Americans, but they do intend to keep them from the infected.
The Army NG's unless rules have changed since 85 was a hodgepodge force made up of all Branches many of which were not ever for combat trained in their prior service. My NBC training I got while on the ship. Their mission needs to go back to domestic ones and fill ins for deployed units back here.