Maj. Nicholas A. Magno (right) from the U.S. Army's 1st Area Medical Laboratory performs hands-on training in the Republic of Korea Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Defense Command field analytical biology laboratory. Soldiers from the 1st Area Medical Laboratory trained with South Korean troops from the Republic of Korea CBRN Defense Command at their headquarters outside of the South Korean capital of Seoul. Courtesy photo. ()
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – The U.S. Department of Defense’s premier Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) formation continues to support the Republic of Korea-United States Alliance as it marks its 70th anniversary this month.
American Soldiers and U.S. Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command routinely deploy to South Korea for exercises and send a Chemical Corps company to support rotational forces.
The 181st Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Company (Hazardous Response) “Double Dragons” returned to Fort Cavazos, Texas, in July.
The “Double Dragons” were replaced by the Fort Drum, New York-based 59th CBRN Company (Hazardous Response) “Mountain Dragons” in South Korea.
Soldiers from the 59th CBRN Company serve near the Korean Demilitarized Zone, the world’s most heavily guarded border, in support of the 23rd CBRN Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division and Eighth Army.
The command’s 1st Area Medical Laboratory and Nuclear Disablement Teams have also forged partnerships with units in South Korea this year.
The 1st Area Medical Laboratory met with counterparts in the ROK CBRN Defense Command and ROK Armed Forces Medical Command.
Around the same time, the Nuclear Disablement Teams trained with their counterparts in the ROK Nuclear Characterization Teams on the Korean Peninsula.
Headquartered on Aberdeen Proving Ground, the 20th CBRNE Command is home to 75 percent of the active-duty U.S. Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) specialists, as well as the 1st Area Medical Laboratory, CBRNE Analytical and Remediation Activity, five Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordination Teams and three Nuclear Disablement Teams.
From 19 bases in 16 states, American Soldiers and U.S. Army civilians take on the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of military operations and domestic authorities.
Forged in the fire of war, the ROK-U.S. Alliance was officially established by the Mutual Defense Treaty that was signed on October 1, 1953.
The ROK-U.S. Alliance has provided the security and stability that enabled one of the greatest success stories of the 20th century – the meteoric rise of South Korea from the ashes of war to become one of the world’s leading economic and cultural powers.
Maj. Steven M. Modugno, the public affairs director of the 20th CBRNE Command, said the multifunctional command contributes to security on the Korean Peninsula and stability in Northeast Asia.
“The 20th CBRNE Command supports many allied, interagency and joint partners during operations around the world, but few partnerships are as strong as the ROK-U.S. Alliance,” said Modugno, a native of Santa Clarita, California, who previously served as a Chemical Corps officer in South Korea. “Working with the ROK creates opportunities to train and deepen the expertise of all Soldiers involved. We are proud to uphold our nation’s legacy of service on Freedom’s Frontier.”
