34th CST conducts night operations training in Lynchburg

Soldiers and Airmen of the Virginia National Guard's Fort Pickett-based 34th Civil Support Team conduct night operations training May 18, 2016, in Lynchburg, Virginia. The mission of the 34th CST is to support first responders in potential biological, chemical, nuclear, radiological and explosive incidents, and the exercise provided an opportunity for the team to train in a limited visibility situation. In the exercise scenario, law enforcement officials discovered a possible terrorist bio lab, and the 34th CST was brought in to assist the locality with the incident. Members of the survey section searched room to room, gathered simulated samples of potential hazardous materials, took photos and then the samples were evaluated by the analytic section in order to provide the incident commander with information about potential hazards. The 34th also provided mission command and communications assistance to the incident commander.

The 34th CST is comprised of 22 full-time Army and Air National Guard personnel who can identify chemical, biological, and radiological substances, assess current and projected consequences, advise an incident commander on response measures and assist with requests for additional state support. The unit complements and enhances, but does not duplicate, state CBRNE response capabilities and is divided into six sections: command, operations, communications, administration/logistics, medical/analytical and survey.