Chemical Biological Incident Response Force

The Chemical Biological Incident Response Force, commonly known as CBIRF, is a specialized United States Marine Corps response unit established to help manage the consequences of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive incidents. It is not a commercial brand or a real-estate organization; rather, it is a military operational capability that can support civilian authorities, federal agencies, and military commanders during high-consequence emergencies. CBIRF was activated in April 1996 by General Charles C. Krulak, then Commandant of the Marine Corps. The unit is based at Naval Support Facility Indian Head in Indian Head, Maryland, and falls under United States Marine Corps Forces Command. Its role is designed around consequence management: once directed to respond to a credible CBRNE threat or incident, CBIRF can forward-deploy to assist with locating casualties, identifying hazards, extracting victims, decontaminating personnel, conducting technical rescue, and providing emergency medical care to contaminated casualties. The force's operational model combines detection, rescue, decontamination, medical stabilization, and coordination with other authorities. CBIRF personnel are trained to operate in hazardous environments where conventional emergency responders may require specialized support. The unit's capabilities include chemical and biological agent detection and identification, casualty search and extraction, technical rescue, personnel decontamination, and tactical emergency medical treatment. Marines and sailors assigned to the force are trained in both casualty extraction and decontamination, allowing the unit to integrate life-saving and hazard-control functions during a response. Training is centered in part on the CBIRF Basic Operations Course. Completion of this course prepares participating Marines and sailors to support the unit's mission and expands the available response capacity. CBIRF has also trained local agencies, reflecting its role within a broader emergency-management system rather than as a standalone replacement for municipal, state, federal, or host-nation responders. Since its creation, CBIRF has supported security and emergency-response preparations for major public events in the United States and abroad. Listed activities include presidential inaugurations and State of the Union addresses, national political conventions, NATO-related events, the Olympic Games, papal and presidential ceremonies, and other high-profile gatherings. The unit also participated in responses associated with the 2001 anthrax contamination incidents in congressional buildings, the 2004 ricin incident at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, and Operation Tomodachi following the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear emergency in Japan. More recent listed activities include support to major national ceremonies, the 2024 presidential campaign trail through a United States Secret Service HAMMER augmentation, hazardous-material cleanup following the 2024 Palisades Fire in California, and several 2025 national events. CBIRF's public identity is therefore based on readiness, specialized expertise, interoperability, and rapid consequence management. Its mission can involve domestic support, overseas assistance, event security, training, and emergency response, but the unit's deployment is dependent on direction from appropriate military and civil authorities. The available reference material does not identify a commercial ownership structure, revenue model, stock listing, or consumer product portfolio.

The Chemical Biological Incident Response Force was created by the United States Marine Corps in April 1996. Its activation occurred under General Charles C. Krulak, who was serving as Commandant of the Marine Corps. The unit was formed to address the consequences of incidents involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-yield explosive hazards, including incidents connected to terrorism. Its remit also includes urban search and rescue when such hazards are present. CBIRF is headquartered at Naval Support Facility Indian Head in Maryland and is associated with United States Marine Corps Forces Command. The unit's mission is not limited to battlefield operations. When directed, it can deploy forward or respond within the United States to assist local, state, or federal agencies and unified combatant commanders. This arrangement places CBIRF within a wider consequence-management framework in which military specialists augment, rather than replace, civilian emergency services and other government responders. The unit's operational capabilities cover the principal stages of a contaminated emergency. Personnel can detect and identify chemical or biological agents, search for and extract casualties, conduct technical rescue, decontaminate exposed people, and provide emergency medical treatment and stabilization to contaminated victims. CBIRF trains Marines and sailors to perform both casualty extraction and decontamination, supporting integrated operations in environments where rescue and contamination control must occur together. The CBIRF Basic Operations Course provides core preparation for the force and helps expand the pool of trained personnel able to support its mission. Throughout its history, CBIRF has trained local agencies and maintained a presence at numerous high-profile events. Early activities included security and emergency preparations for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, the 1997 Presidential Inaugural Ceremony, the 1997 Denver Summit of the Eight, the 1999 NATO Summit, and a 1999 papal visit to St. Louis. The unit also supported subsequent presidential inaugurations and recurring State of the Union addresses. CBIRF's incident-response record includes assistance during the 2001 anthrax contamination of the Longworth House Office Building and Hart Senate Building in Washington, D.C. It also supported the response to the 2004 ricin incident at the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Other listed assignments involved the 2004 dedication of the World War II Memorial, the lying in state of former President Ronald Reagan, national political conventions, and major presidential events. The force's overseas activity includes participation in Operation Tomodachi in 2011, following the earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear emergency in Japan. It also supported the 2012 NATO Summit. In later years, its listed activities included the 2016 State of the Union address, the 2016 Republican and Democratic national conventions, the 2017 Presidential Inauguration, State of the Union addresses from 2018 through 2020, and the 2020 national political conventions. The reference material records continued activity during the 2021 Presidential Inauguration and Presidential Address to Congress, the 2023 and 2024 State of the Union addresses, the 2024 Republican and Democratic national conventions, and several 2024 and 2025 national missions. These include a Secret Service HAMMER augmentation on the 2024 presidential campaign trail, hazardous-material cleanup after the Palisades Fire in California, January 2025 ballot certification, President Carter's funeral, the 2025 Presidential Inauguration, the 2025 Presidential Address to Congress, and the United States Army's 250th Birthday Parade. The same material also lists a 2026 State of the Union address, although detailed operational information about that activity is not provided. CBIRF is best understood as a military unit and public-service capability rather than a conventional brand. No consumer products, commercial sales, financial results, public listing, or independent corporate ownership are identified in the supplied references.

1. 2024National events and hazardous-material response

   Listed assignments included both major political conventions, presidential campaign-trail support, and Palisades Fire hazardous-material cleanup.

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2. 2011Operation Tomodachi

   The unit participated in the United States response and assistance operation in Japan after the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear emergency.

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3. 2004Ricin incident response

   CBIRF supported the response to a ricin incident at the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

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4. 2001Anthrax decontamination at congressional buildings

   The force helped address anthrax contamination at the Longworth House Office Building and Hart Senate Building.

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5. 1996Unit activated

   The Marine Corps activated CBIRF in April 1996 under Commandant General Charles C. Krulak.

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6. 1996Summer Olympic Games support

   CBIRF maintained a presence in connection with the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.

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A specialized Marine Corps consequence-management and emergency-response capability for hazardous CBRNE incidents, major public events, and selected domestic or international assistance missions.

• CBRNE consequence managementEmergency response capability1996

  CBIRF can forward-deploy or respond to credible chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-yield explosive incidents. Its role is to help government and military partners manage the consequences of an incident, including hazard assessment, rescue, decontamination, and medical stabilization.

• CBIRF Basic Operations CourseSpecialized training

  The CBIRF Basic Operations Course provides core instruction for Marines and sailors supporting the force. The training develops competencies associated with contaminated casualty extraction, decontamination, and other elements of CBRNE incident response.

• Technical rescue and medical stabilizationRescue and medical response1996

  The unit combines technical rescue with tactical emergency medical care. Personnel can search for and extract casualties in hazardous environments, decontaminate victims, and provide emergency treatment and stabilization while contamination risks remain present.

• 2024Presidential campaign trail HAMMER augmentation

  United States

  CBIRF augmented the United States Secret Service HAMMER capability during the 2024 presidential campaign trail.

  Outcome. Specific operational results are not stated in the reference material.

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• 2024Palisades Fire hazardous-material cleanup

  California, United States

  The force was listed as supporting hazardous-material cleanup associated with the Palisades Fire in California.

  Outcome. The reference confirms the assignment but gives no further operational details.

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• 2011Operation Tomodachi

  Japan

  CBIRF participated in the United States military assistance effort following the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima-related nuclear emergency in Japan.

  Outcome. The reference identifies CBIRF participation but does not provide a unit-specific outcome assessment.

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• 2024CBIRF supported 2024 national security and emergency missions

  Listed 2024 activities included support to the Republican and Democratic national conventions, the presidential campaign trail through a Secret Service HAMMER augmentation, and hazardous-material cleanup connected with the Palisades Fire in California.

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• 2011CBIRF participated in Operation Tomodachi

  The force participated in Operation Tomodachi, the United States military response and assistance effort following the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear emergency in Japan.

  Other
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• 2004CBIRF involved in Dirksen Senate Building ricin incident

  CBIRF provided support in connection with the ricin incident at the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

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• 2001CBIRF supported response to congressional anthrax contamination

  The unit helped clean anthrax contamination from the Longworth House Office Building and the Hart Senate Building in Washington, D.C., following the 2001 anthrax attacks.

  Other
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• 1996CBIRF activated by the Marine Corps

  The Chemical Biological Incident Response Force was established in April 1996 under the direction of Marine Corps Commandant General Charles C. Krulak.

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1. Chemical Biological Incident Response Force