Guard units train for terrorist attacks at Hanford

RICHLAND – Specialized National Guard units from Washington, Idaho and Alaska trained together on how to respond to terrorist attacks at a training center at the Hanford nuclear reservation this week.

The National Guard’s Civil Support Teams, created by Congress in 1999, are specially trained to respond to weapons of mass destruction found or triggered within the United States and its territories. The 32 teams are strategically based throughout the country to be able to respond to a terrorist attack within four hours.

The training was being held at the Hammer training center at the Hanford nuclear site. The center was created in 1997 to train Hanford workers about radiological and hazardous materials they might encounter while cleaning up the highly contaminated facility.

Since its creation, the center’s mission has expanded to include training for police, firefighters, the military and others.

“This is excellent training and in keeping with Hammer’s philosophy of ‘Training as real as it gets,’ ” said Tom Calihan, program manager at Hammer.

Lt. Col. Brett Meyer, who commanded the Alaska team, called the teams a “second-tier” response to weapons of mass destruction incidents. The first response would be local emergency response workers, while the third tier would be federal agencies.

The 22-member teams paid about $30,000 each for the exercise, excluding lodging, meals and transportation.