ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – The operations officer from the U.S. military’s premier all hazards formation was promoted to colonel on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, Oct. 28.
Col. Vance M. Brunner pinned on his eagles during a widely attended ceremony at the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command Headquarters.
A native of Kailua, Hawaii, and graduate of the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, Brunner is a career U.S. Army Chemical Corps officer who has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Brunner said the highlight of his two and a half decades in uniform has been commanding the U.S. Army Headquarters Battalion, the premier headquarters unit in the U.S. Army that has oversight over 8,500 Soldiers in the national capital region.
He also served as the plans officer-in-charge for the Counter-Weapons of Mass Destruction Combined Joint Interagency Coordination Group in South Korea and attended the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, California.
Brunner said serving around successful people in high caliber units has helped him to succeed.
The colonel said he welcomed the opportunity to serve as the operations officer (G3) for the 20th CBRNE Command and to help to combat all hazards around the world and across the nation in support of joint, interagency and allied operations.
“As the 20th operations officer, I get to interact with all of our subordinate units and see them in action during exercises,” said Brunner. “I enjoy getting out of the office and seeing our Soldiers getting after CBRNE training missions. Also, the G3 team has great civilians, NCOs and officers that I get to work with every day.”
American Soldiers and U.S. Army civilians from 20th CBRNE Command deploy from 19 bases in 16 states to combat the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of military operations and domestic authorities.
The command is home to 75 percent of the active-duty U.S. Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) 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.
“Successful units have successful leaders in their organization,” said Brunner. “I've always tried to be in units that have a reputation for being successful. That's one of the reasons why I really wanted to come to the 20th CBRNE Command because they have a reputation of being a successful and professional organization.”
Brunner said strong noncommissioned officers and battalion commanders have helped him to develop as a leader throughout his career.
He singled out retired Col. James F. Reckard Jr., retired Col. Eric B. Towns and retired Col. Sean G. Kirschner for modeling successful leadership through their actions and words.
Brunner also thanked and credited his wife, Emily Brunner, for supporting his military career through three deployments and 11 permanent change of station moves.
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