Advanced CBRNE Training Branch – Custom Courses
DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center established the Advanced Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Training Branch to provide an educational connection between our subject matter experts (SMEs) and the customer. This unique relationship allows scientists and engineers to share knowledge, experience, and expertise through classroom instruction, hands-on activities, laboratory experiments, field training exercises, and reachback programs.
Our primary focus as the Advanced CBRNE Training Branch is to design mission-specific training and support to encompass the full spectrum of CBRNE battle space. A critical cornerstone of the program includes the flexibility to rapidly integrate new discoveries and emerging technology into our training programs with assistance from the most experienced chemists and biologists in the nation’s CBRNE operational environment.
Courses
The courses listed below are explicitly designed for training purposes only. They are intended for field training on tactical deployments on the battlefield for United States Government personnel. Courses are offered by request for groups, teams, and units and are not intended for individual instruction. Students can recommend and customize courses by contacting us to discuss course objectives and mission requirements.
- CONUS/OCONUS
- Classroom to full mission profile
- Introductory to advanced
Custom Courses
Chemical
- Basic Chemistry
- Low Technology Approaches
- Comparison of Chemical Agent, High Energetic Material, and Illicit Drug Productions
- Chemistry and Chemical Agents
- Small Scale Chemical Target Construction, Recognition, and Exploitation
- Site Categorization/Reconnaissance
- First Reconnaissance for Sampling Mission
This is a lecture style module that will allow students to describe basic chemistry to better understand chemical agents. Students will describe the concept of matter as elements and chemical bonding. Students will compare ionic/polar, non-polar, and polar covalent compounds and define acids, bases and salts. Students will also evaluate the concept of solubility.
Students will be able to compare and describe individual compounds without prior knowledge. This will be accomplished by placing compounds into larger categories such as:
• organic vs. inorganic
• ionic vs. covalent vs. polar covalent
• acids and bases
• salts
• oxidizers vs. reducers
• solvents
• fuels
• organophosphates
This is a lecture style module that will allow students to describe the compounds that can be produced utilizing lower technology methods. Students will also analyze the impact of these compounds as agents of terrorism and evaluate methods of dissemination for these compounds.
This is a lecture and demonstration style module that will allow students to define the inherent hazards found during exploitation of clandestine laboratories. Students will also be able to describe the generic footprint of clandestine laboratories.
This is a lecture style module that will allow students to describe the modern history of chemical warfare agents. Students will be able to describe chemical agents (namely blister and nerve) by structure, physical properties, and characteristics. Students will also describe the hazards associated with each chemical agent.
This is a hands-on laboratory module that will allow students to evaluate the role of the components and materials used to construct small-scale chemical clandestine laboratory production and /or dispersal processes. Students will determine appropriate personal protective and detection equipment and identify sampling points.
This is a table-top exercise that will allow students to analyze intelligence documents and categorize clandestine CB agent production and/or dispersal processes. Students will describe the materials that make up various small-scale production and/or dispersal process. Students will also determine appropriate personal protective and detection equipment and identify sampling points.
This is a table-top exercise that will allow students to analyze intelligence documents. Students will be able to categorize clandestine CB production and/or dispersion processes through analysis of environmental conditions and information provided by field detection equipment. Students will also identify sampling points and rank them in order of importance.
Biological
This is a lecture style module that will allow students to describe the three most common types of agents used for biological warfare: bacteria, viruses, and toxins. Students will also be able to list the physical properties which can be used to differentiate between bacterial agents and identify the conditions necessary for viral particles to survive.
This is a lecture and hands-on laboratory style module that will allow students to describe the basic properties of bacterial cells and the processes, equipment and terminology related to small-scale bacterial production. Students will also be able to describe the process of obtaining and isolating bacteria by collecting and propagating samples from the environment.
This is a lecture style module that will allow students to describe the basic properties of viral particles. Students will also describe the processes, equipment, and terminology related to small-scale viral agent production.
This is a lecture style module that will allow students to evaluate the properties of biologically-based toxins to determine proper extraction methods. Students will analyze common methods utilized in the extraction of toxin molecules from various biological materials.
This is a hands-on laboratory module that will allow students to evaluate the role of the components and materials used to construct small-scale chemical clandestine laboratory production and /or dispersal processes. Students will determine appropriate personal protective and detection equipment and identify sampling points.
This is a table-top exercise that will allow students to analyze intelligence documents and categorize clandestine CB agent production and/or dispersal processes. Students will describe the materials that make up various small-scale production and/or dispersal process. Students will also determine appropriate personal protective and detection equipment and identify sampling points.
This is a table-top exercise that will allow students to analyze intelligence documents. Students will be able to categorize clandestine chemical and biological production and/or dispersion processes through analysis of environmental conditions and information provided by field detection equipment. Students will also identify sampling points and rank them in order of importance.
Laboratories
This is a hands-on laboratory module that will allow students to describe the processes of reflux and distillation. Students will have the opportunity to construct both working processes as well as identify sampling points. Students will be able to examine various types of material to evaluate how they can be utilized in chemical processes.
This is a hands-on laboratory module that will allow students to evaluate the equipment and processes utilized to produce a chemical agent. This exercise allows students to utilize the equipment, methods, and reagents required to produce mock chemical agents. Students will analyze the procedures required to produce chemical compounds that are similar to both blister and nerve agents. Students will use their equipment set to properly detect and identify the synthesis products
This is a hands-on laboratory module that will allow students to evaluate the equipment and processes utilized to produce a chemical agent. This laboratory activity will feature the conversion of a primary alcohol to an alkyl bromide using an SN2 reaction.
This is a hands-on laboratory module that will allow students to replicate the extraction of a proteinaceous toxin from a biological source. Students will be able to analyze the materials and processes that are involved in proteinaceous toxin extractions and utilize field detection equipment to confirm extraction products.
This is a hands-on laboratory module that features the extraction and characterization of a simple non-proteinaceous organic compound from biological material using steam distillation. Students will be able to analyze the materials and processes that are involved in non-proteinaceous toxin extractions and utilize field detection equipment to confirm extraction products.
This is a hands-on laboratory module that allows students to evaluate methods of bacterial characterization. Students will evaluate the role of a compound microscope in characterizing bacteria. This laboratory activity teaches students to understand the purpose of staining bacteria, comparing Gram-positive vs. Gram-negative bacterial species, and identifying the shape of bacterial cells.