Home Adjutant General Public Affairs Careers Family Programs Indiana National Guard Relief Fund Indiana Units 53rd Civil Support Team (CST) 38th Infantry Division 76th Infantry Brigade Indiana Air National Guard Camp Atterbury Training & Mobilization Center Indiana National Guard Education Indiana Military Academy (IMA) Muscatatuck Urban Training Center (MUTC) Mission Statement Indiana Guard History Fallen Hoosier Heroes Tribute AKO - Army Knowledge Online Indiana Guard Reserve Indiana Military Apprenticeship Program GKO - Guard Knowledge Online ESGR for Indiana RCAS Email Login Army Publishing Directorate My Pay

The mission of our Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) - 53rd Civil Support Teams (CST) is to support  local and state authorities at domestic WMD/NBC incident sites by identifying agents and substances, assessing current and projected consequences, advising on response measures, and assisting with requests for additional military support. They will ensure that our strategic national interests are protected against any enemy; foreign or domestic, attempting to employ chemical, biological, or radiological weapons - regardless the level of WMD/NBC threat. They will maintain the capability to mitigate the consequences of any WMD/NBC event, whether natural or man-made. They are experts in WMD effects and NBC defense operations. Indiana’s 53rd Civil Support Team consists of 22 highly skilled, full-time members of the Army and Air National Guard. Team members spend 800-1,200 hours learning the standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA), the National Fire Academy, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); they also train extensively with civilian subject-matter experts. A high level of proficiency in each individual's military specialty must be maintained. In addition to individual training requirements, collective training is of utmost importance. Fifteen months of rigorous initial unit training is required before operational certification. Training and coursework are also provided by the Army Chemical School, the Defense Nuclear Weapons School, the Army Medical Department, the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases and the Department of Justice's Center for Domestic Preparedness. The teams are divided into six sections - command and control, operations, survey and reconnaissance, logistics and administration, communications, and medical. All have been given state-of-the- art equipment that can make them a tremendous asset to on-scene commanders. The units have two major pieces of equipment: a mobile analytical lab and a mobile communications vehicle. The first allows the teams to identify and assess particular chemical and biological agents in the field. The second allows the team to coordinate communications among the first responders and all other areas.