The Milwaukee Post

18 • Milwaukee County Post • September 19, 2014 Special to The Post MILWAUKEE — As the nation reflected on the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, the Wisconsin National Guard's 54th Civil Support Team was hard at work training to combat terror- ism here at home. The Madison-based unit con- cluded a multiple-day exercise in Milwaukee, where evaluators from U.S. Army North assessed the unit's ability to respond to the myriad scenarios the CST could encounter. The Sept. 11 exercise required the 54th to enter a vacant office building in Brown Deer, where civilian investigators believed a terrorist had manufactured a bomb and nerve agents that had been deployed in a fictional sce- nario at a Milwaukee concert venue two days earlier. A survey team entered the building in full protective gear to assess the situation using sophis- ticated equipment to monitor the air for threats and hazards. As part of the exercise, one of the survey team members simulated an incapacitating injury that test- ed the team's aptitude at extract- ing an injured team member and decontaminating him before med- ical treatment. Every 18 months, the CST gets a full-scale evaluation from U.S. Army North, where it tests every- thing from the unit's ability to analyze hazardous materials, to providing medical treatment, decontamination, and even the unit's logistics and communica- tions operations. They get tested beginning with the initial alert to assembly, deployment, arriving on scene, conducting their mission and re- supplying, according to Jeff Taylor, one of the U.S. Army North evaluators on-site in Milwaukee. The unit must be able to sustain itself for up to 72 hours without resupplying. All 57 civil support teams in the nation are graded on the same criteria every 18 months in addi- tion to each unit's requirement to complete at least one collective training event every month. The 54th CST conducts an average of 20 to 24 collective training events each year, according to Lt. Col. David May, the unit's commander. That sort of vigilance and preparation is required for the unit to be on call 24 hours a day for 365 days a year. But the hard work has paid off. The 54th CST is considered one of the best in the nation, and its importance has only grown in the communities in which it serves. A part-time predecessor to the 54th existed in the 1990s, but in 2004, the unit became a full-time asset. Senior Master Sgt. Chris Brown, the unit's enlisted leader, has been with the unit since its inception and wanted to join the unit because of the mission and a desire to serve his community. And while Brown hopes the team never needs to be called into action, it gets called to several real-world missions each year in addition to stand-by missions at sporting events or other large- scale events. "It's always a hope for every- body that those things don't hap- pen," Brown said. "But you have to be ready to help if it does." The events of Sept. 11, 13 years earlier illustrated the importance of vigilance and preparedness, and the significance of that day's events were not lost on the unit, which observed a moment of silence in the midst of the exer- cise. "That was certainly a day that had an impact on all of our lives certainly and all Americans, so we thought it would be fitting to have a moment of silence and reflection on this 13th anniver- sary," May said. "I think that it's significant that we're all out here training." The Milwaukee exercise pro- vided Sgt. Ava Kielisch, the team's newest member, with an opportu- nity to get hands-on experience almost immediately. Kielisch returned from training just two weeks prior to the exercise and is now on the unit's survey team, which enters potentially contami- nated areas in hazmat suits. "This is a huge exercise to walk in on," she said. "And it real- ly has helped me to put it together and see everyone work." The unit acquitted itself well in its evaluation. Of the more than 600 individual tasks on which it was evaluated, the U.S. Army North evaluators rated it fully qualified in every single one. The 54th CST is made up of 18 soldiers and four airmen from the Wisconsin National Guard. The full-time unit's role is to support civil authorities when requested by providing an analytical capa- bility to determine unknown sub- stances using its mobile lab. The unit can rapidly deploy and pro- vide medical, communications and technical support to civilian agencies in the event of a terror- ist attack, emergency or other event that involves weapons of mass destruction, toxic industrial chemicals or natural disasters. Exercise on anniversary of 9/11 held in Brown Deer Wisconsin National Guard photo Sgt. Penny Marsh of the Wisconsin National Guard's 54th Civil Support Team pre- pares to enter a contaminated building as Staff Sgt. Ed Schmitt checks his equip- ment during a training exercise in Brown Deer on Sept. 11. The unit completed a multiple day exercise in which evaluators from U.S. Army North assessed the unit's readiness to respond to threats by hazardous materials, chemical, biological or radi- ological agents. National Guard Unit uses training in event of terrorist threat By ALISON FOX Conley News Service MILWAUKEE — U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, has introduced two bills — the Working Student Act and the CTE Opportunity Act — to address stu- dent debt and college affordability, accord- ing to a press release. The legislation targets students who work their way through school and stu- dents enrolled in career and technical education programs. Currently, students who work while attending school are often eligible for less financial aid due to their work income, the release said. Baldwin's Working Student Act will increase the amount these working students are able to earn without the income counting against them in accessing need-based federal financial aid. The legislation is co-sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and supported by the National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, Center for Law and Social Policy, The Institute of College Access and Success, DEMOS, the Wisconsin Technical College System, Wisconsin Education Association, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and One Wisconsin Now. "Working students are doing double duty when they hit the books and punch the clock," said David Socolow, director of CLASP. "The Working Student Act will ensure that hard-working students are not penalized for being diligent in earning money they need to further their educa- tions and careers. This act will allow low- income working students to keep more wages to support their families and still be eligible for the financial aid they need to meet the growing costs of college." Baldwin's CTE Opportunity Act will extend eligibility for federal student loads to short-term career and technical educa- tion programs. This extended eligibility will provide increased access to courses that provide students with the industry- recognized credentials that employers are looking for, according to the release. This legislation is also supported by the Association for Career and Technical Education and the Wisconsin Technical College System. Nearly 40 million Americans have out- standing student loans, the release said. According to new data from the Federal Reserve, student loan debt grew by $31 bil- lion from January to March of this year. Student loan debt now totals $1.2 trillion across the country, making it the fastest- growing household debt category, accord- ing to the release. "Student loan debt is holding back an entire generation and creating drag on economic growth for our country." Baldwin said. "Making college affordable is one of the most important steps we can take toward building a strong path to the middle class for all Americans. I'm proud to introduce legislation to help ensure that more students, in particular those who work while in school, have the oppor- tunity to earn an affordable higher educa- tion, attain important in-demand skills, and succeed in the workforce." Contact Alison Fox afox@conleynet.com Baldwin introduces 2 new education bills Goal is to address access to affordable higher education

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