C. Institutionalizing a Gender Perspective in the Development of International
Partner Capacity to Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction (Lesson #2601)
Observation.
DOD COUNTERING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION (WMD) POLICY (DODD
2060.02, January 27, 2017) states that DOD will “Increase barriers to WMD acquisition, proliferation,
and use, in concert with other elements of U.S. national power” by, inter alia, “working with other
USG departments and agencies and with international organizations and partners to secure and limit
the availability of WMD-related capabilities through tailored risk-reduction programs.” These
programs include combatant command (COCOM) initiatives to train partner nations’ contingency
response teams to operate within a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN)
environment, exercise CBRN response plans, and integrate civilian and military assets. Proactively
seeking to achieve a gender balance of appropriately skilled and capable men and women when
building USG trainers teams will likely enhance CBRN counter WMD training by including a gender
perspective when providing instruction on CBRN consequence management topics. DOD should also
seek to increase host nation’s women participation in such training events.
Discussion.
(1) The 2009 USCENTCOM executed the Cooperative Defense Program (CDP) aiming to increase
Bahrain’s indigenous WMD consequence management and CBRN Passive Defense (CBRN PD)
capability through the conduct of targeted workshops and situational training exercises designed to
evaluate existing plans, and validate military and civilian capabilities. Training was conducted on the
Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF) Al Dhila Base in Manama. The training audience consisted of about
45 members of the BDF and Ministry of Interior Civil Defense Directorate. There were no women
trainees and only one of the five DOD trainers was a woman.
(2) Upon conclusion of the 2010 Southern Caucasus Workshop on Public Health, Security, and Law
Enforcement Partnership in Bio-Incident Pre-Planning and Response (which included the
Bioterrorism Tabletop Exercise Southern Caucasus BioShield 2010), one Azeri participant expressed
his admiration for the organizational and technical skills of the two (US and Georgian) organizers
(both female): “you were so good like you were men”. The interpreter emphasized to US participant
that that was a compliment.
(3) The 2017 USEUCOM Diablo Shield training event in Georgia was conducted in collaboration with
FBI WMD Directorate, as part of USEUCOM’s Diablo Pathways series of engagements supporting
the development of WMD detection, border surveillance interdiction, and other counterproliferation
capabilities in SE Europe and Black Sea region. Diablo Pathways series supports USEUCOM
countering WMD objectives: (i) Use or proliferation of WMD or WMD-related materials, technology,
and expertise into, out of, and through the USEUCOM AOR is deterred, disrupted, or defeated; and
(ii) Loss of control of WMD and associated materials, technology, and expertise is prevented. The
Diablo Shield training event involved FBI-trained Georgian instructors from the Department of
Emergency Management of Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA) who imparted their knowledge and
expertise via classroom and hands-on training to other MoIA contingency response teams, primarily
Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and HazMat response units. A locally employed security staff
team from US Embassy also participated as trainees and three Azeri observed the training. There were
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