Sgt. David Rygmyr of Georgia’s 4th Civil Support Team take samples of substances found at a simulated lab under the watchful eyes of observer-controllers from U.S. Army North, 5th Army, CST Readiness Group. (Georgia National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Roy Henry)

By Staff Sgt. Roy Henry
Georgia National Guard
Public Affairs Office

Nov. 7, 2007 – As the citizens of Marietta and Cobb County made their way home after a hard day’s work, men dressed in bright yellow hazardous material safety suits, with oxygen tanks strapped to their backs and riding an all-terrain vehicle carrying special equipment made their way toward a dark, empty warehouse just off Dobbins Air Reserve Base proper.

While passing commuters went happily on their way anticipating just how they’d spend the remainder of their day, these specially trained members of Georgia’s 4th Civil Support Team were deciding how to best handle the potentially dangerous circumstances in which they were about to find themselves.

That situation was created by observer-controllers of U.S. Army North, 5th Army, Civil Support Team Readiness Group, whose job it is to test the 4th CST’s abilities to respond to and assist civil authorities with situations involving hazardous materials.

In this scenario two homeless men had entered the warehouse earlier in the afternoon and discovered a make-shift laboratory in one of the building’s first-floor rooms. One of two men died from exposure to whatever was being produced at the lab Local police had responded to citizen calls for help, but after realizing the situation exceeded their capabilities, cordoned off the area and called in the 4th CST.

While Staff Sgt. Sean Katz, a survey team chief, and survey team member Sgt. David Rygmyr made their way into the darkened recesses of the warehouse to begin their mission, Maj. Darrell Smith, 4th CST commander, explained why the unit is being tested.

“Ours is a very specialized and very important job,” he said. “So, every 18 months we’re required to ‘recertify’ by having our techniques and procedures scrutinized and our skills put to the test to find out what we’re doing right and where we need to improve.

“And that’s the job of the folks from Army North,” Smith added pointing to the team wearing orange reflective vests and attentively watching his Soldiers’ every move. 

Among the things the observer-controllers look for, he continued, are the CST’s proficiency in fielding personnel and equipment; the ability to assess the threat: take samples, analyze them and determine what the sources is; and liaison with “interagency coordination.”

“Conduct communications is an important one among those tasks,” Smith said. “In a situation such as happened during Hurricane Katrina, it’s our job to also help the local agencies talk to each other should the ability to communicate become nonexistent.”

So far, he said, 4th CST has done well with its external evaluation. And with the recommendations the observer-controllers have provided, he and his Soldiers will not just continue to do well, but include new techniques that help them provide even better assistance when called upon.

In the mean time, Katz and Rygmyr left the warehouse with the samples they’d collected, and had gone through decontamination before moving those samples to the CST’s mobile lab for analysis…all under the watchful gaze of the Army North observers who documented every step.

Sergeant Ryan Schwartz, the CST’s newest member and a former Marietta police officer, said the observer-controllers in no way make the evaluation easy. It’s one “curve ball” after another.

“The scenarios they come up with really test our abilities to get ‘down range,’ get the job done and get it done right, the first time,” Schwartz said. “There isn’t one among us who’d want it any other way …the harder the better”

After all, he concluded, the real thing never, ever will be a walk in the park.