Hayward Guard team ready in case of emergency

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Madelyn Brown
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Since May 2000, the 95th Civil Support Team weapons of mass destruction has been on call to deploy by air or ground in order to support civil authorities in the event of a domestic chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive incident.

The team, based out of Hayward, Calif., recently provided support to Travis during a base-wide exercise May 20.

"We learn something new every time we work with other agencies," said Army Capt. Nathan Serena, 95th CST operations officer. "Interoperability is hugely important in being prepared for when the time comes and we need to respond."

Not only is interoperability essential to the mission when working with local community authorities and other military bases, but because the 95th CST is comprised of both Army and Air Force Air National Guardsmen, it's essential to the internal function of the team.

"The CST is made of CBRN specialists who make up our survey section," Serena said. "We also have a communication, medical, operations, decontamination and command section to support our mission."

There are so many different moving parts to the team and each member is a crucial piece in keeping it moving forward, said Army Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Zuniga. As the duties evolve, the mission always will stand firm in the business of saving lives.

The area of responsibility for the team of 22 spans from the southern Oregon border to San Luis Obispo, Calif. In addition, the 95th CST has agreements with Nevada to cover Reno and Carson City.

While the 95th CST is quick to respond to any unforeseen hazardous material incidents, they also actively support large sporting events such as NASCAR, the Major League Baseball World Series, Professional Golf Association tournaments and Grand Prix Moto Super Bike races, Serena said. Other missions include diplomatic CBRN protection for the president of the United States and other international ambassadors.

Zuniga, a California native, recalled an incident response in 2007 which involved a drug tunnel on the border between San Diego and Mexico that resulted in the death of the Tecate chief of police.

"I remember saying to myself, 'how do I know someone on the other side of the border doesn't have me in their sights right now?'" he said.

This resonated with Zuniga because he understood it was a typical feeling for a deployed Soldier or Airman to have when performing a foot patrol in a village.

"However, it's a completely different feeling when you're on U.S. soil," he said.

The ability to respond to such a broad range of incidents in a large area of responsibility stems from coordination with other operating agencies, Serena said. It's paramount to have first-hand knowledge of the techniques and procedures of other agencies in order for an incident response to run smoothly.

"When emergencies happen, we react, recover, learn from these lessons and prepare for the next round of hits that may come our way," Zuniga said.