The National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI) at the University of Nebraska (NU) with NU campuses hosted David Richardson, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD), 17 and 18 December 2020.
Richardson and his team are preparing for a February 2021 interagency exercise that will test responses to naturally occurring and malicious incidents within the CWMD health security and agricultural security mission areas.
Richardson, along with Deputy Assistant Secretary John Waters, toured several NU facilities and met with 20 researchers to gain insights to improve and refine the exercise.
"CWMD is the foundation of NSRI, and we are always proud to connect the capabilities, expertise and facilities of the University of Nebraska with the needs of a government agency whose mission is our national security," said Maj. Gen. USAF (Ret.) Rick Evans, NSRI deputy executive director. "We definitely succeeded in demonstrating to Asst. Sec. Richardson the scope of knowledge, niche expertise and long experience NU and NSRI have within several of the department's CWMD essential tasks."
