FORT EUSTIS - NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Our December Squadron of the Month's mission started in 1999, when President Bill Clinton asked if the country was ready to respond to a biological attack. The answer, at the time, was no.
And Joint Task Force - Civil Support (JTF-CS) was created with a mission centered around CBRN; responding to a potential chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack on American soil.
Since 2011, JTF-CS has been based at Fort Eustis in Newport News and, in recent years, began responding to natural disasters, including Hurricane Helene in North Carolina in 2024 and California wildfires a few months later.
Their work centers around coordinating and assisting the boots on the ground in disaster to make sure the people in need of help are getting it as quickly as possible.
"It requires us to be ready on very short notice to respond to a very bad incident with the right assets," said Brigadier General Tanya McGonegal. "(To) primarily save lives, mitigate suffering."
JTF-CS is made up of more than 130 people, including service members from every military branch and civilians.
Their motto? Ever vigilant, always ready.
News 3 sat in on a weekly planning meeting during a recent visit to the base. There, the unit discussed one of its current missions.
"We're working on a plan right now that, if something were to happen that would impact our ability to operate out of this area or this building, to be able to relocate to a different area or building and still be able to provide our mission-essential functions," said Lt. Col. Carl Kurbikoff.
For more recent disasters, the help has been critical.
"Over 22,000 meals delivered, 11,000 gallons of water, 1,300 land parcels cleared of hazardous waste from the post-Hurricane Helene cleanup and the Los Angeles wildfire hazmat response effort," said Kevin Castro, one of the civilians working for JTF-CS.
Congratulations to Joint Task Force - Civil Support, News 3's December 2025 Squadron of the Month!
