NBC Training IAW Army Regulations



INFORMATION PAPER

14 August 2002

SUBJECT: Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) Training IAW Army Regulations

1. References.

a. AR 350-1, Army Training, 1 August 1983.

b. AR 350-41, Training in Units, 19 March 1993.

c. Memorandum from CSA, SUBJECT: Chemical and Biological Training Proficiency, 10 June 2002.

d. FORSCOM Reg 220-3, Reserve Component Training Assessment, 7 April 2000.

e. FORSCOM Reg 350-1, Active Component (AC) Training/Specialized Training in FORSCOM Active Army and Reserve Component (RC) Units, 1 October 1998.

f. FORSCOM/ARNG/USAR Reg 350-2, Reserve Component Training, 27 October 1999.

2. Purpose. To summarize unit NBC training guidance found in current Army Regulations.

3. General.

a. AR 350-1. This regulation, although quite old, still appears to be in effect. It defines the responsibilities of commanders to conduct and manage Army training, and applies to the Active Component (AC) and Reserve Component (RC). Guidance includes:

1) Units must train as they expect to fight. Conditions in training must be as close to what is expected in combat. Therefore, NBC training must be emphasized, and both active and passive NBC measures will be incorporated in all training (para 3-3b).

2) Commanders at all levels will conduct training in subjects listed at Table 4-1 (to include NBC) (para 4-3).

3) IAW Table 4-1, a structured, standardized program of NBC Defense training will be conducted at all resident training (Basic, AIT, NCOES, OBC, OAC) for enlisted and officers.

4) IAW Table 4-1, NBC Defense training will be integrated in units. That means that NBC is to be conducted with other training (MOS training, CPXs, FTXs, etc.) It states that subjects like this do not usually appear on the training schedule as separate entities unless the commander deems appropriate (para 4-6d).

5) The policy in chapters 1 through 5 applies equally to RC units (para 6-3).

b. AR 350-41. This regulation prescribes Army policy for training in units, and applies to both MTOE and TDA units, for both the AC and RC units. Chapter 11 is entirely devoted to NBC defense training. Guidance includes:

1) Units must train to perform their mission under NBC conditions, smoke, and flame (para 11-2e).

2) Units must be proficient in NBC defense tasks at the appropriate skill level (para 11-2e).

3) Units must be able to perform their common and MOS mission essential tasks in full MOPP 4 (para 11-2e).

4) Units must maintain command emphasis at all levels on individual and unit proficiency in NBC skills and tasks (para 11-2e).

5) NBC defense training will be designed to ensure that all soldiers, leaders, and units achieve and maintain proficiency in combat operations under NBC conditions (para 11-3a).

6) NBC defense training will be conducted so that soldiers, leaders, and units achieve and maintain the standards for NBC tasks described in Mission Training Plans/ARTEP manuals, drills, soldier’s manuals, and MQS manuals (para 11-3a).

7) NBC defense training will be integrated into unit mission training by emphasizing contamination avoidance, protection, and decontamination doctrine (para 11-3a).

8) Commanders will analyze their missions and train to accomplish them in an NBC environment (para 11-3a).

9) Selected FTXs and CPXs will include NBC operations against an OPFOR with a capability of employing NBC weapons (para 11-3a).

10) Civilian personnel expected to deploy with Army units will be trained to the same NBC standards as military personnel (para 11-4).

11) During Basic Combat Training, soldiers will train to qualify in the NBC defense tasks in STP 21-1-SMCT. In addition, they will train a minimum of 4 continuous hours in MOPP4. During Advanced Individual Training, soldiers will also train for 4 continuous hours in MOPP4 while performing mission or MOS critical tasks. During periods of warm weather, the time requirement may be reduced (para 11-5).

12) NBC tasks for leaders will be trained during resident courses for noncommissioned and commissioned officers. After mastery of NBC leader tasks, NBC is to be presented as a condition that modifies the performance of branch or unit specific tasks. All leaders must be able to direct operations on the Air Land battlefield by fully integrating the reinforcement of individual and unit NBC skills in FTXs, CPXs, and other training events (para 11-5).

13) The unit NBC defense officer, NCO, and enlisted alternate must have successfully completed the NBC Defense Course developed by the U.S. Army Chemical School. Chemical Officers (branch code 74) and enlisted 54B BNCOC graduates are not required to complete the two-week course (para 11-6a). (Note: Implication for all 54B junior enlisted soldiers assigned as company NBC NCOs that have not been to BNCOC is that they need to attend the two-week NBC Defense Course.)

14) Soldiers and leaders will spend an appropriate time (based on mission requirements and criteria in FM 3-4) in MOPP 4 while performing their MOS and other job-related tasks (para 11-6c).

15) Units will conduct weapons qualification on individual and crew-served weapons with personnel wearing MOPP 4 (para 11-6d).

16) Notice that there is no longer any requirement to spend a certain amount of time in MOPP 4 (other than at Basic and AIT), or to go through a CS Chamber on an annual basis. (Note: The annual requirement to check protective masks with the M41 PATS is a recommendation from the Technical Manual associated with that piece of equipment, and does not from any Army regulation.)

c. Memorandum from CSA, SUBJECT: Chemical and Biological Training Proficiency. In light of recent Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) and National Training Center (NTC) observations, as well as the events of September 11 and the ongoing Global War on Terrorism, the Army Chief of Staff issued some additional guidance, which includes:

1) Commanders at all levels must ensure that soldiers are trained to conduct operations in a chemical or biological environment.

2) Battle staffs must properly integrate chemical and biological considerations into training plans, orders, and staff estimates.

3) Commanders must review unit training plans to ensure that chemical and biological training is doctrinally integrated.

d. FORSCOM Reg 220-3. This regulation applies to RC (both ARNG and USAR) units only. It covers the Training Assessment Model (TAM) evaluation that priority units have to go through on an annual basis and traditional units will do every three years, usually during their Annual Training (AT). There is a section on this evaluation tool that deals with NBC defense (found under the functional area of “Field Operations”). It says that the unit “demonstrated proficiency in NBC defense methods”, and that “appropriate measures were taken to conduct monitoring/survey procedures for NBC hazards and decontamination (hasty/deliberate) as needed.” Fairly vague, but basically, NBC defense must be evaluated somehow, regardless of whether or not NBC collective training events are scheduled during AT (Appendix H, para H-5).

e. FORSCOM Reg 350-1. This applies to AC units only. Not too much different than AR 350-41. It does specify that individuals will not hold NBC positions at two levels simultaneously (i.e., the Battalion NBC NCO may not also be the assigned Headquarters & Headquarters Company NBC NCO) (para 3-19i).

f. FORSCOM/ARNG/USAR Reg 350-2. There is just one sentence here that reads, “To ensure a capability to defend against NBC threats, units will integrate NBC individual and collective (squad/platoon) tasks into premobilization training.” (para 4-3c)

4. This Information Paper was authored by Master Sergeant Russell E. Gehrlein, Chemical Observer Controller/Trainer, 3-360th Training Support Bn (CS/CSS), 2nd Bde, 91st Div (TS), Salt Lake City, Utah; email: GehrleinRE@carson-2bde91div.army.mil.

MSG RUSSELL E. GEHRLEIN, (801) 656-3916.

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