Medical CERFP detachment activated

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Todd Pendleton
  • 182nd Airlift Wing
Peoria, Ill. --  A Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high-yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package, or CERFP, detachment of the 182nd Medical Group, Illinois Air National Guard, here was activated during a regularly scheduled drill here March 3, 2016.

Though the 182nd Medical Group Detachment 1 was officially activated on Oct. 1, Lt. Col. Brian C. Gahan assumed the role of commander during an activation and assumption of command ceremony.

"First and foremost I want to say it is a priviledge and an honor to be working with you," Gahan said. "You can have my word that I will do my best in my position to see that we have a successful mission."

Col. William P. Robertson, the commander of the 182nd Airlift Wing, presided over the ceremony.

"I just want to pass along my thanks to all those who have made this a successful effort to stand up the Detachment 1 here at the 182nd," Robertson said. "It's been a long road in coming, pulling the three units into one, into a detachment here. My congratulations to [Lt.] Col. Gahan for being the person who will be gaining command of this unit."

A resident of Cary, Ill., Gahan previously served as the bioenvironmental officer at the 126th Air Refueling Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. In civilian life, Gahan is a petroleum engineer. He is married and has three children.

CERFP is an Army and Air National Guard joint-force unit consisting of search and extraction, decontamination, medical, fatalities search and rescue elements, and Joint Incident Site Communications Capability command and control. The medical detachment provides three capabilities to the CERFP.

The detachment's  role delivers a 47-person medical element capable of operating in a contaminated environment. The members triage victims, treat injuries and track patients - ultimately preparing casualties for a transfer to a medical facility. An Army National Guard component provides search and extraction for living causalities, while the 182nd Force Support Squadron provides an 11-person Fatality Search and Recovery Team with the ability to remove deceased victims.

(Information was used from a previous 182nd Airlift Wing news article.)