1st Area Mobile Lab (AML)
United States ArmyPhone
410-436-4857410-436-7143
Summary
The 1st and 9th Area Mobile Lab (AML) are highly specialized units which deploy worldwide in tailored teams to conduct field CBRNE threat detection, confirmation, and medical surveillance. AMLs could be employed forward when samples cannot be transported to a fixed facility in less than 24 hours or if there is a need for immediate hazard identification in high risk environments with chemical or biological agent contamination, epidemic disease or industrial contamination.
Analytical capabilities include: CBRNE Threats (field confirmation of biological, chemical and nuclear agents); Medical Surveillance (e.g. outbreak investigations, health risk assessments); and Zoonotic and Animal Disease (rabies detection and vector-borne diseases). The BW/Endemic Disease section mission provides confirmatory analysis of BW agents in environmental and clinical samples using multiple techniques; provides diagnostic capability to identify outbreaks of regionally specific endemic diseases; and serve as a resource of information for theater medical personnel. They currently employ PCR, ECL and Culture techniques for testing.
AMLs have a unique depth of technical expertise on their teams by employing a combination of scientists, clinicians, and certified techs to include the following positions and augments: Environmental Science Officer, Microbiologist, Biochemist, Med Lab Tech /NCO, Food Inspection NCO, Health Physics Specialist/NCO, PrevMed Physician, Infectious Disease Physician, Veterinary Pathologist, Veterinary Microbiologist, Nuclear Med Science Officer, Entomologist, Sanitary Engineer, and BioMed Information Management. The AML has tailored deployment team configurations (personnel, vehicles, and equipment pallets) based on the mission requirement.
The units are headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground. The Endemic Disease section of each AML is located at a field detachment on Ft. Detrick to allow for closer proximity to USAMRIID.