Wisconsin and Nebraska Civil Support Teams Certified
February 08, 2006

The Department of Defense notified Congress today that Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams (WMD-CST) of the Wisconsin and Nebraska National Guard are now certified. These teams are fully ready to assist civil authorities in responding to a domestic weapon of mass destruction incident, and possess the requisite skills, training and equipment to be proficient in all mission requirements.

The teams are the 54th WMD-CST, stationed in Madison, Wis., and the 72nd WMD-CST, stationed in Lincoln, Neb.

The teams certified today are two of the 12 teams authorized in the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2004. This brings the total number of certified teams to 36.

Congress has authorized 55 WMD-CSTs. Twelve teams were authorized in fiscal 2004 and are nearing completion of the certification process. Eleven teams were authorized in fiscal 2005, completing the Congressional mandate to field at least one team in every state, territory, and the District of Columbia. These final teams will be certified by March 2007.