ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - The 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) Command held a redesignation and ninth anniversary celebration at its headquarters, Oct.16.
On Sept 6, Army Chief of Staff Raymond T. Odierno signed Permanent Order 249-5 that redesignated the 20th Support Command (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High Yield Explosives) to the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Command, effective Oct. 16.
Command Sgt. Maj. David Puig said the name change reflects a command that is ready, reliable and globally responsive to CBRNE forces. The unit is the Army's only globally responsible force capable of leading and executing CBRNE related operations and activities, anytime, anywhere.
Puig said the change of "high yield explosives" to "explosives" denotes that the command is an all hazards force.
"We have a force that is not just dedicated to combating weapons of mass destruction, but all of those five hazards." he said. "It's all explosives; it doesn't matter if it is a hand grenade or a 2,000 pound bomb."
Puig added that the name "20th Support Command (CBRNE)" led some people to assume that the command was a logistical support formation.
"The name '20th CBRNE Command' really captures what this command does," said Puig.
The celebration included a ceremonial ribbon cutting in front a new 20th CBRNE Command sign led by Burton and Puig.
Brig. Gen. JB Burton, commander of the 20th CBRNE, said the command is embarking on a transformation campaign. He said he wants the command to be known as the "go-to" U.S. Army unit to be used against existing and emerging CBRNE threats.
"It is essential to have a name that conveys what we are and what we do," Burton said. "We are reliable, experts in what we do."
The celebration concluded with a cake cutting ceremony by Burton, Puig, Lt. Col. Michael Williams, the unit's oldest Soldier, and Pfc. Nicklaus Schmeckpeper, the unit's youngest Soldier.
About the 20th CBRNE Command
The 20th CBRNE is the Army's premier command charged with combating chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats facing the nation. The 20th CBRNE Command is comprised of more than 4,900 Soldiers and 225 DoD civilians distributed across 16 states, on 19 installations. The command and control of these highly-trained and specialized forces is headquartered on APG South (Edgewood). The 20th CBRNE Command gives the Army and the nation a scalable CBRNE response capability with the flexibility to operate in a variety of environments.
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