An explosion at a chemical weapons site wounded three soldiers and killed another.

Moments later, a seven-soldier chemical reconnaissance and decontamination team arrived in full chemical warfare gear, entered the blast area, and began to assess the threat and the casualties.

Satisfied with the results, first aid and decontamination procedures began.

"We're in the ‘crawl' phase of the ‘crawl walk, run' learning curve," said SSgt. Scott Renslow as he watched the soldiers triage the casualties.

A subject matter expert (SME) on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons, Renslow was also the architect behind the training scenario conducted last week at the Andersen Simulation Center (ASC).

Last week, approximately 20 soldiers assigned to the 17th Field Artillery Brigade and 110th Chemical Battalion (Technical Escort) engaged in the training at the center.

Since its inception in 2002, the 8,000-square-foot ASC located near the Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord has trained over 30,000 physicians, nurses, medics and deploying soldiers using realistic medical simulations.

"What do you need to do now?" queried Renslow, the 17th FA's CBRN subject matter expert, as the team entered the darkened site where the wounded lay.

"Get a good visual picture of what you are going to do before doing it."

On the floor in front was a mannequin with its right leg blown off at the knee.

Bright red blood pulsed slowly from the leg and pooled on the concrete floor.

To the rear and right of the new amputee lay two other soldiers suffering from blister and nerve agent exposure.

Their chests rose as they struggled to breath.

The soldiers receiving the training were at the intersection of simulation and reality.

"The point here is to enable our CBRN soldiers to recognize chemical agents, provide point of injury treatment as they triage, decontaminate, and evacuate the injured to a medial treatment facility," explained Capt. Travis Stearns, 17th FA's chemical officer.

"This is a great learning environment."

While one soldier applied a tourniquet to the one soldier, others tested for levels of decontamination and began initial treatment of the others.

Once the wounded were assessed for their injuries, they would be moved to a decontamination center and then to a medical treatment facility.

"Always communicate with each other," Renslow called out.

"Never assume you are done."

A to-the-point soldier, Renslow had put together the one-day training his fellow soldiers received.

A recent graduate of the five-day long Field Management of Chemical and Biological Casualties Course conducted by the Army's Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, Renslow brought his knowledge back to the 17th FA and worked to set up the training scenarios.

"I want my soldiers to be able to quickly recognize and then react to a CBRN threat," he commented before heading off to the decontamination site.

Soldiers who received the training were pleased.

"This has been good training," commented Sgt. Juan Castaneda, 110th Chemical Battalion.

"We don't know what we may face, and it's good to be ready."