Chemical Soldiers compete for top honors

By Kevin Goode
Paraglide

August 11, 2011

	Photo by Amy Newcomb/Special to the Paraglide Spc. Brandon Shissler of the 51st Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Company, left, talks to Spc. Jason Meffley of the 101st CBRN Company during the Chemical Warrior Competition.

Armed with lofty goals and a personal distain for obstacles impeding his progress, Spc. Jason Meffley, Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Soldier of the Year of the 101st Chemical Company is already making the most out of his military career.

“I didn’t really pick chemical Soldier, chemical kind of picked me,” said Meffley. When I joined I went to pick my job and there weren’t many choices left so I had a choice of doing water purification and something else. They showed us the videos and I thought chemical looked kind of cool.”

Since choosing his career path, Meffley has not looked back. and has chosen to be the best in his field. With just over two years active-duty service, Meffley has already claimed three Army Achievement Medals and has won Chemical Soldier of the year, in his second attempt.

The Chemical Warrior Competition pairs the best of best CRBN Soldiers nationally in two-man teams and puts them through a rigorous week of challenges designed to push them mentally and physically.

The competitors are tested and graded on how well the team member’s work individually, as well as members of a team to complete the necessary goals to finish the task.

“I had to compete against everyone in my battalion to earn my slot to compete against everyone in the nation,” said Meffley. “It is suppose to be the best Soldier in our military occupational specialty.”

On the first day of the competition, each team had to complete a full physical fitness test in full army combat uniform. After completing the PT test, teams were then run through an obstacle course, explained Meffley.

During the second day teams were tested in the Chemical Defense Training Facility, which is set up to look like a mock Afghan living quarters. Inside the room there is physical evidence of improvised explosive device making materials, a white powdered substance and an unsecured casualty.

Using the intelligence available, teams were given the task of going inside the room in full level A suits wearing air tanks, to secure the casualty and take samples as accurately as possible.

To make the scenario more realistic, the room was flooded with noise pollution to hinder communications. To make things a little more interesting, there was an active nerve agent that teams had to navigate while completing their task.

“They put you in that chamber like that so you have that real effect that, ‘hey there is some real agent in here,’” said Meffley. “This isn’t just training. When they tell you that there is a real agent inside, it changes your whole mentality. We did really well in that event because were smart maintaining arm signals to communicate through the noise and that helped us conserve air too,” explained Meffley.

Day three challenges had teams dealing with an overturned tanker situation with potential hazardous fluids.

Day four saw new challenges arise for team members that included navigating terrain with potential biological hazards so all teams had to don their level A suits. While proceeding, they had to cover one another from potential enemy combatants. and were also required to drag a 200-pound dummy causality to a safe zone.

On the final day of the competition, members were timed on how long it took them to turn the tables in a mock ambush.

Since winning the competition, life has not changed , said Meffley. He has been offered several duty stations of his choice, but he has his heart set on joining Air Assault School and then going to Ranger School.

“Something I’ve always wanted to do was do Special Forces and be a part of that community, but even then, I’ve still got to maintain my job and doing what I think I’m best at,” said Meffley. “I’m best at dealing with chemicals, biological, radiological and nuclear warfare.”

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