CBRN Weapon Threats

This research topic explores the threat of terrorism through the use of weapons of mass destruction facing the United States, as well as the United States military, and it's ability to deal with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear hazards. CBRN weapons have been manufactured and utilized in almost every major conflict involving the U.S. since World War 1, and have caused serious injury or death to hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people, combatants and civilians alike (Gosden and Gardner 2012). Attacks of this sort have often been the decisive factors at the end of many disputes, lending considerable advantage and turning the tide for the belligerents that possessed them. During WWI, Germany employed the first lethal chemical

The Vietnam War saw the development of Agent Orange, a mixture of herbicides which was used to destroy any foliage which would provide cover and concealment to enemy forces. Its use led to the mental illnesses and physical disabilities of millions on both sides of the conflict (Dwyer and Flesch-Janys 2014, 1858). These are just a handful of the many examples that stipulate the dangers of CBRN weapons in war, especially when paired with the advanced delivery systems of hegemonic superpowers. More recently, attacks involving CBRN weapons have primarily been carried out by non-state actors and terrorist militants. The last decade alone has witnessed a myriad of hazards from all across the CBRN spectrum: discoveries of large quantities of chemical munitions, terrorist plots involving "dirty" bombs, and even brand new delivery systems (Forest 2012, 52-53). As such, this proposal aims to examine U.S. military preparedness with regard to these

military CBRN defense, and will current CBRN readiness allow the U.S. military to contain the threat of WMD terrorism? That is the question that this research aims to answer by studying doctrine related to CBRN defense that is presently widely accepted by the U.S. military, and its development over the years (as an independent variable). This will be juxtaposed with an evaluation of doctrinal efficiency, when the methods and policies related to CBRN training and defense are actually put into practice by unit commanders. Important dependent variables that this research will examine are 1) brigade combat team readiness (BCT’s are the smallest deployable combat elements of a military formation in the United States, and generally the standard by which the U.S. military assesses its own readiness. As such, this echelon the appropriate sample for this study, since it can be used as an accurate representation of the larger force), as well as 2) non-state actors and their willingness to use CBRN weapons to achieve their goals (which has a direct effect on the military, and serves as an indicator of how important it is for the independent variable to be effective). Both of these are measurable to a degree, data from the former variable can be collected through the “mission essential task list” (which units are required to complete quarterly, in accordance with Army Regulation 220-1, section 9. These keep track of all training that