RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL— Thirty-five New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen spent a week in Rio De Janeiro learning how to help secure a major soccer tournament from a chemical, biological, or radiological attack from Brazilian Soldiers.
The members of the New York National Guard’s 2nd and 24th Civil Support Teams, who specialize in identifying, chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons, spent July 8-12 practicing their craft at Rio’s Maracanã Stadium.
The New Yorkers worked with members of the Brazilian Army’s 1º Batalhão de Defesa Química, Biológica, Radiológica e Nuclear, which translates into English as the 1st Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Battalion.
These Soldiers provided support for security missions when Brazil hosted soccer’s World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympic in 2016.
The exercise simulated a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attack – known as CBRN--during a soccer match at the stadium, which is home to the Brazilian soccer club Flamengo F.C.
![NY National Guard civil support teams learn from Brazilian counterparts]()
