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Calgary Herald

Training exercise at CFB Suffield faces down the invisible, lethal enemy

It can be a bit unnerving for a civilian to see military personnel in hazmat suits walking around, even if a person knows those involved are only running training exercises. Article content Over about three weeks this June, the Canadian Armed Forces led annual chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training — Exercise Precise Response — at CFB Suffield near Medicine Hat. Article content Article content Article content The live agent training exercise was directed by Defence Research and Development Canada on behalf of NATO. Article content Article content The exercise involved about 475 participants, representing 12 NATO allies and partner countries. The flags of several NATO nations, including Canada, Great Britain and Germany, were seen flying at the Precise Response training ground as participants trained, tested and coordinated decontamination capabilities during realistic CBRN scenarios. Article content For those involved, hazmat suits are just part of the job, like steel-toed boots and a hard hat at a construction site, said Lt.-Col Trevor Waaga, the exercise director. 'It's just part of the equipment to keep the individual safe,' Waaga said during an interview Wednesday with Postmedia. Article content The origins of this chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training on Canadian soil came out of the November 2022 NATO Prague Summit, which led to the establishment of the NATO CBRN Defence Battalion, a unit that forms part of the NATO Response Force. Article content Article content As part of its contribution, Canada offered to host three weeks of annual live agent training in support of the CBRN Battalion, which includes a wide variety of assets from several countries that run specific CBRN defence activities in support of NATO operations. Article content The Precise Response exercise began in 2004, and Canada has hosted the training each year since at Suffield, except for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the years, Precise Response has hosted approximately 4,000 chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialists from allied and partner countries. Article content This year's Canadian contingent included 40 members of the 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group's Decontamination Platoon, along with reservists from across the country. The Decontamination Platoon provides chemical, biological and radiological decontamination for vehicles, equipment, and personnel, including those injured.