Prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, our government and military leaders realized the need for a special force with the capabilities necessary to respond to major incidents. this would typically involve weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Currently, almost every state and territory in the United States has a rapid response force against WMD known as a Civil Support Team (CST). These teams are comprised of highly trained, multi-component individuals, ready to respond at a moment's notice to any imaginable attack that may arise. The history of CSE is brief compared to other units and entities in the Army's vast history, but that history and necessity are very significant. CSE began in 1998 as a program to create a reactionary force to any WMD incidents occurring in the United States (Besosa, 2001). There were two critical events that made the creation of the CSE necessary: ​​the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 and the bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995. two incidents, one of international terrorism and the other of domestic terrorism, shook our country and showed how vulnerable we truly were. For this reason, leaders began developing a plan to reduce the impact of a terrorism-related event in the future. After these two attacks, leaders began developing ways to deal with future weapons of mass destruction attacks, but they struggled to determine the best course of action. During the initial development of the CST, government leaders had to determine who would lead this charge against enemy threats. The Ministry of Defense has become the logical choice because of its experience and structure, but the Ministry of Defense has many limitations, for example, how to mobilize middle of paper ...... to avoid a crisis more serious than what could happen in the event of a WMD attack. Works CitedBesosa, M.A. (2001). THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL GUARD IN RESPONSE TO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION (WMD) ATTACKS IN THE UNITED STATES: WHERE ARE WE? Maxwell AFB, AL: Air Univ. Bradford, ZB, Brown, FJ, & Sullivan, GR (2008). The American army: a model of interinstitutional effectiveness. Westport, CT: Praeger Security International. INSPECTOR GENERAL DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. (2001). Management of National Guard Civil Support and Weapons of Mass Destruction teams. Arlington, VA: Department of Defense. Mabis, CM (2013). 2020 Army National Guard Division Headquarters. Fort Leavenwoth: U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Walker, L. S. (2001). Weapons of Mass Destruction Civilian Support Teams (WMD-CST): a necessary failure. Maxwell AFB, AL: AIR COMMAND AND STAFF COLLECTION.