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Guard unit to move into Ellsworth

Ryan Woodard, Journal staff | Posted: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 11:00 pm | (0) Comments

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buy this photo Ryan Woodard Cpt. Lori Starr, a science officer for the South Dakota National Guard's 82nd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team, works with equipment inside one of the team's trucks that is used for analyzing samples and data. The team will be moving onto Ellsworth Air Force Base in 8-10 months. It will be the first time a South Dakota Guard unit has been located at Ellsworth. (Ryan Woodard/Journal staff)

RAPID CITY - The South Dakota Army National Guard's 82nd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team will soon be located at Ellsworth Air Force Base.
This is the first such combining of the resources of the Guard and Ellsworth, but it will probably not be the last.
The team, which specializes in responding to hostile uses of chemical, biological or radiological agents, is moving to Building 1012 on base after it is remodeled. The remodeling will include an 8,000-square foot addition that will make up the unit's new Ready Building.
Col. Scott Vander Hamm, commander of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth, said the move is a positive one for both military organizations - and one that is happening around the country.
"This is happening all over the military DOD (Department of Defense)," he said. "This joint basing concept is a great thing. (It) helps us to be good stewards for the taxpayer dollars and of the limited infrastructure and resources."
Currently, the 82nd is located in three separate buildings on Camp Rapid, which can make it difficult to organize things, according to the unit's leader, Maj. John Emick. Space is also a problem right now because the unit has a number of vehicles that need to be stored. That includes trucks with analytical laboratories and communications units.
Emick said the move to Ellsworth will provide his unit with much more space, as well as a more unified location.
"It's a very nice facility that will support our needs," he said.
The construction will be complete in roughly eight to 10 months, according to Emick. The building will provide about 13,000 square feet of space for the unit.
The part of Building 1012 that is standing right now will house the unit's classrooms and administrative offices. The 8,000-square foot addition will include more administrative space, a supply room, locker rooms and a 4,000-square foot storage bay.
The project will cost $1.4 million.
Emick said being located at Ellsworth will not only provide the team more room and maneuverability, it will also come in handy in several other ways.
Being located at an air base will help if the unit needs to be air transported to an emergency, Emick said. At Ellsworth, the group will have a "strike package," which will include the ability to fly out in Blackhawk helicopters, if necessary.
In addition, the Ellsworth location will provide the unit a chance to work with the base's fire department and other units that the 82nd trains with.
The 82nd responds to a variety of threats, Emick said. The team is not a first responder to civilian incidents but is the first military responder.
They specialize in going in and identifying the "downwind hazard," after other groups have already arrived on scene, according to Emick.
So the group needs to work with various types of responders, including fire departments, emergency medical teams, hazmat teams and others.
"It's going to be a good fit. I think it really is," he said. "I think it's going to really enhance the jointness - working together with them."
He said the unit may also be able to take advantage of hangars and other buildings available at the base.
Vander Hamm said the group may be able to use areas of housing for urban scenarios or flight line facilities for other purposes.
"Camp Rapid is a little bit space constrained," he said. "We have a lot more infrastructure that they can use for some of their training scenarios."
He said the unit will basically be a tenant on the Base and will remain under Guard command. Soldiers from the 82nd will be able to use the Ellsworth commissary, Base Exchange, fitness facility and other community facilities.
Vander Hamm said military bases across the nation are being looked at to determine whether facilities can be combined.
"I think you're going to see more and more of that in the future," he said. "It's just an inevitability of limited resources and shrinking budgets."
Combining facilities is also something that goes along with war strategy, he said.
"That's the way we fight in theater," he said. "And that is the way we are starting to base ourselves here at home station."
The 82nd Civil Support Team was certified on July 13 to be able to be able to assist civil authorities in their response to weapons of mass destruction incidents. Emick said the group has been through extensive training to get that certification.
Contact Ryan Woodard at 394-8412 or ryan.woodard@rapidcityjournal.com

Posted in Top-stories on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 11:00 pm

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