91st Civil Support Team Weapons of Mass Destruction (CST-WMD) is a fulltime, 22-member joint Army/Air National Guard unit. The team supports emergency preparedness programs statewide to assist civilian authorities in preparing for, or responding to, any emergency that involves the following:  1) the use or threatened use of WMD; 2) terrorist and threatened terrorists attacks; 3) intentional/unintentional releases of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) agents and substances, toxic industrial chemicals (TICs), or toxic industrial materials (TIMs); and 4) natural/man made disasters.  The 91st CST provides assessments and presumptive identification to analyze the release of CBRN, TICs and TIMs. The CST’s sophisticated detection, analytical, and protective equipment allows for operations to take place in environments hazardous to life safety. In the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, Congress expanded the operational incidents a WMD-CST could be used to include the intentional or unintentional release of CBRN and natural or man-made disasters in the United States that result, or could result, in the catastrophic loss of life or property.

The 91st CST is uniquely able to assess CBRN events by means of: 

• Computer-based modeling programs 
• Advanced medical training 
• Sample collection 
• Advanced analytical analysis and identification of CBRN agents and substances

The CST provides the ability to act as a CBRN reconnaissance force to provide first responders an enhanced view of the incident site.  The team supports local, state, and federal emergency and first responders via four mission categories: response, stand-by, assist, and training.  Between July 2016 and June 2017, the 91st CST supported missions with Prescott Area Regional Hazardous Material Team, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mesa Fire Department, Gilbert Fire Department, numerous greater Phoenix community events, and 30 multi-agency training events with the United States Army North, counterpart CSTs, and first responders from Southern California, Nevada, and throughout Arizona.   

Supported Events

• ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY HOME FOOTBALL GAMES
• UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA HOME FOOTBALL GAMES
• COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL GAMES
• 2017 COLLEGE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS AND FAN FEST
• PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY/NASCAR EVENTS
• WASTE MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL GOLF ASSOCIATION EVENT
• 9-11 TOWER MEMORIAL CHALLENGE
• PF CHANG’S ROCK-N-ROLL MARATHON
• PHOENIX MARATHON
• PAT TILLMAN RUN
• MULTI-AGENCY TRAINING EVENTS