Officials confirm no public risk at Osan Air Base Published May 29, 2015 By 020515 OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Upon receiving notice early Wed. of a possible live Anthrax sample, trained response personnel from the 51st Fighter Wing immediately cordoned off the facility, destroyed the sample and sanitized the facility. They completed the sanitization process yesterday. On Wed., incident notifications were initiated immediately to inform the Korean Government about the event and the immediate response. There was no risk to the public. The investigation continues in coordination with the United States Center for Disease Control and other government agencies. Additionally, coordination efforts with the ROK Government and Korean Centers for Disease Control will continue through established bilateral notification processes. "We are thankful for the quick response by our team to destroy the materials as soon as they were discovered," said Lt. Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, Commander of the Seventh Air Force, the senior official at Osan Air Base. "We appreciate the Korean Government's close coordination as we have confirmed that this event poses no risk to the public." To destroy the sample, sanitize the facility and certify it as safe, the team followed protocols recommended by the U.S. National Response Team and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The sample was destroyed by complete immersion in bleach. The facility was then sanitized with the use of wipe down protocols on every surface inside the facility. Lastly, the sanitization results were certified using precise DNA detection and testing protocols in an alternate self-contained testing facility at Osan. The testing showed that the facility is completely clean from any anthrax, live or inert. The sample was used in a training laboratory environment by 22 personnel, including five active duty U.S. Air Force personnel, 10 active duty U.S. Army personnel, three civilian employees, and four American contract employees in the Joint United States Forces Korea (USFK) Portal and Integrated Threat Recognition Program on Osan Air Base. During the training, personnel used established laboratory protocols that are in line with normal procedures. All 22 U.S. personnel who may have been exposed were examined, given precautionary medication, and have no evidence of infection. The laboratory biological defense training, part of the Joint United States Forces Korea (USFK) Portal and Integrated Threat Recognition Program (JUPITR) at Osan Air Base, has been halted pending further review. The purpose of the training being conducted was undertaken in Korea with the expectation that the materials sent from the United States would be inert and harmless, to be used for identification and detection capabilities. This was the first time the training has been conducted. The training was meant to improve USFK and ROK-US Alliance capacity to protect Alliance forces and defend the Korean people by testing currently fielded equipment and new systems that could better identify toxins and pathogens in the environment. There remains no risk to the ROK public or members of the Osan Air Base community. More information will be released once it becomes available. Media representatives can contact U.S. Forces Korea Public Affairs at 011-822-7913-4661.