Students from across the United States recently attended Nuclear Weapons Accident / Incident Response Training (NWIRT) training at Warren Air Force Base, WY September 24-26. Hosted by the Defense Nuclear Weapons School (DNWS) of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), the training is conducted at various installations within the continental United States and overseas throughout the year.
The multi-day course includes presentations from DTRA personnel along with other government agencies including the FBI, DOE, FEMA and DHS on subjects ranging from radiological response to nuclear secure transport. The course also discusses legal and public affairs issues specific to a domestic nuclear weapon incident.
“This training represents an opportunity for state, local, and tribal responders partnered with military and civil national defense entities to come together and learn the processes of response and recovery of nuclear assets within the national response framework,” said U.S. Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer Aaron Rager, the DTRA Albuquerque/DNWS, Nuclear Response Officer in Charge (OIC). “It is very important to train with folks you would actually be expected to respond with and these locality tailored training sessions are invaluable for building the team and supporting network.”
Warren AFB is the home of the 90th Missile Wing (90 MW), assigned to the Twentieth Air Force, Air Force Global Strike Command. It is also the home of Twentieth Air Force, which commands all U.S. Air Force intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The DNWS is a unique entity that provides training in nuclear weapons, nuclear and radiological incident command, control and response, as well as chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives (CBRNE) modeling for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Sources: Article adapted from original by Melissa Tune, Defense Threat Reduction Agency Public Affairs; and Defense Nuclear Weapons School Radiological & Nuclear Training Course Catalog FY2019 (.pdf)