NCO Common Core Competency (NCO C3) of Operations and Training Management

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
(Es Number)
March 24, 2023
(U) WHAT INSIGHTS ARE DERIVED FROM THE HAMPTON RAIL LINE CRISIS IN REGARD TO THE NCO COMMON CORE COMPENTENCY (NCO C3) OF OPERATIONS AND TRAINING MANAGEMENT?
The NCO Corps is crucial to the U.S. Army, and the NCO C3 system is essential for effective military operations. NCOs are responsible for defense support to civil authorities (DSCA), providing command, control, and coordination support. Additionally, the NCO Corps provide leading and training management at various levels, which is essential for military or civilian responses. In the Hampton Rail Line crisis case study, the explosion on a rail car transporting chlorine to an industrial facility caused significant damage and impacted many people. The explosion released a significant amount of chlorine gas, affecting over 100,000 people up to 25 miles away. Downwind populations were required to evacuate ahead of the plume or shelter in place. The community impact was severe, with dozens of fatalities, hundreds of severe injuries, and thousands of hospitalizations. Infrastructure damage was also significant, including rail lines, nearby highways, and metal corrosion in areas of heavy exposure. The economic impact was estimated to be in the millions of dollars, and the recovery timeline was expected to be weeks. In response to the disaster, soldiers from the 22nd Engineer Clearance Company were dispatched to the site to provide technical search and rescue operations. These soldiers were trained in technical emergency search and rescue and had completed a 72-day course at the Florida State Fire College to be Pro Board certified in fire services and related fields. Accordingly, the training management – in compliance with the NCO guidelines for training management, which is to implement and enforce policies and standards on training (p.2-6) – proved beneficial for the effective and timely res...