12 July 2024
Trainees were tested on decontamination processes during Exercise Bardia, the culminating activity for future combat engineers at the School of Military Engineering.
The trainees tested collective decontamination - medium (CDM) and new-in-service equipment decontamination - light in tandem for the first time during the exercise.
CDM is designed to provide capability to a battle group when it responds to attacks from weapons of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) nature.
Corporal Ryan Roach, of CBRN Defence at the school, said if a CBRN event were to happen, the CDM provided sappers with the means to conduct an operational-level decontamination and survive the attack.
An action-packed final assessment scenario included a surprise chemical attack when the troop was down range conducting a section approach.
Post-attack, they moved back to the decontamination site, where casualties were triaged and evacuated.
At the decontamination reception, trainees moved to a shuffle pit, then were marshalled through hot, soapy showers in the decontamination station, followed by a final chemical detection to ensure no traces of hazardous chemicals could be found.
“It’s great being able to take the CDM out,” Corporal Roach said.
“Here we’re able to see the nuances of the field environment and the issues that come with deploying it, so it’s a better testing area.”
The exercise also included practising field skills, section patrols, clearance of hostile zones and explosives hazard reduction.
