If you believe weapons of mass destruction (WMD), chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives (CBRNE), exist and pose a threat to this country and our way of life, this paper will alternately elicit both fear and assurance. The reality of the threat will elicit a fear for yourself, your family and your country, while the recognition of this threat by the national security community and the creation of response units like the Army National Guard's (ARNG) Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams (WMD-CST) might give you assurance you are safe. Unfortunately, poor program management, ineffective equipment acquisition and unclear command and control structures have made the current version of the WMD-CST teams ineffective and inspire fear because our nation is at risk. This paper investigates the threat that drove the creation and evolution of the WMD-CST program. It then explores the specific mission of the WMD-CSTs to assess, advise and facilitate a response to a WMD event in the United States. This mission, and the ARNG's unique federal-state status, is critical to coordinating a synergistic state/local and federal response during and after a WMD event. The paper then focuses on the current program management and organizational problems affecting these teams. The paper concludes by offering suggestions on programmatic, doctrinal and organizational solutions to make these teams an effective part of a coordinated Homeland Security (HLS) response force. For without these teams to bridge the chasm between state/local and federal response units to a WMD event, the nation's reaction will be inefficient and lives will be lost.
