CRD's conduct chemical reconnaissance in
permissive, semi-permissive, and denied areas for special
operations force commanders and theater CINC's. These
detachments, housed under the US Army Special Operations
Command (USASOC), are the only CRDs with this mission in the
US Army.
Unit Profile: USAR 704th Chemical Co. (Recon)
Note: The 704th is not a SOF unit, but merits
inclusion here due to its specialized WMD recon mission.
As a result of increased attention to the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction and there possible use by
terrorists within the United States, the Dept. of Defense has
created a new mission for a variety of Reserve and National
Guard units. These units are being tasked to provide
expertise, assistance, and manpower to work with the usual
civilian responders in the event of a WMD terrorist attack on
U.S. soil. The Army Reserve's 704th Chemical Co. (Recon), out
of Arden Hills, Mn, is tasked to provide chemical
reconnaisance, detection, and decontamination support during
and after an attack.
The unit is equipped with HMMWV's (armored humvee's),
M60 and M240 general purpose machine guns, M16A2 and M203
weapons systems, and M9 9mm pistols. WMD detection equipment
includes AN/VDR-2 radiac meters (for radiation detection),
improved chemical agent monitors, M8A1 chemical agent alarm
systems, and M256A1 chemical agent detector kits. Each HMMWV
is equipped with its own chemical decontamination system.
There is an ongoing process of reviewing different
weapons systems, detection equipment, and training
opportunities as the 704th's mission continues to be defined.
For more information on Chemical Weapons, check here.
