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thedrifter
03-27-09, 08:00 AM
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. —

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Dwight Torres, an intense 23-year veteran of the Marine Corps, asked Marines one simple question.

“What is al Qaeda?”

After a few seconds, a Marine responded, “A terrorist organization, sir!”

“Right, but does anyone know what al Qaeda means?” Torres asked.

No one answered the question.

“It means the base. That means to be prepared at anytime to adjust for or take action. This enemy we’re facing now is patient and determined,” he said.

Torres has many passions, one of his greatest is training the “next generation” of Marines how to properly react and, or, counter a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack.

Marines of Headquarters Battery, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, received a class in decontamination procedures, led by Torres. Marines are undergoing a three-week training exercise known as, “Rolling Thunder,” at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Torres, a 40-year-old from Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico is the CBRN officer for the regiment. He was assisted by Cpl. Nicholas Weidner, a 21-year-old from Rockford, Ill., and the CBRN chief for 3rd Battalion, and Lance Cpl. Brandon Price, a 21-year-old from Sandusky, Ohio is a CBRN specialist with the 3rd Battalion.

The instructors taught three periods of instruction at three simulated checkpoints. After each period of instruction, Marines were allowed to apply the knowledge they learned.

“We educated them a little bit on the decontamination process and the mission they were given by their unit and their commander,” Torres said. “If needed, the Marines should now be able to decontaminate the Marines in their unit.”

The entire class was completed in less than an hour. Instructors said the short training session was by design.

“The training turned out well,” Price said. “We didn’t do all of the training at once because CBRN tends to be learned easier if it’s broken down into smaller bits instead of all at once. The instruction flows better and Marines get more out of it that way and enjoy the training more.”

Torres said if the Marines walked away having learned only one thing, he hopes they learned the importance of being prepared and having the skill set to react to an attack.

“While it may not be the most important thing they ever do, it is a very important skill to know,” he said, “because in the event of a chemical or biological attack, they would be able to call on our team to stand up, take action and take care of the fighting forces.”

Price echoed Torres’ thoughts.

“We taught the Marines something that may save their life or someone else’s life,” he said. “In the event something does go down and one of these Marines is around, they can say ‘wait, I’ve got a grasp of what to do.’”

The training and practical application was the first time all 12 Marines gathered at once. They’re now considered the unit’s decontamination team. According to the 2nd Marine Division standard operating procedure, each unit must have a decontamination team and complete four hours of training per quarter.

“The Marines performed fantastic,” Torres said. “This was what I would call, ‘Decontamination 101,’ because we had a brand new team out there. We constantly have to retrain due to Marines leaving for various reasons such as moving to a different command or getting out of the forces.”

Torres said periodically revisiting the lessons they have learned is actually preferred because it keeps Marines focused.

“It’s important that we don’t become complacent and we always properly prepare for an attack,” he said. “I believe it’s not a matter of if, but when it’ll happen.”