ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – U.S. Army civilians removed a potential World War II era chemical round discovered in Delaware.
The Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Analytical and Remediation Activity (CARA) was called by U.S. Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians after the old round was discovered by a local clamming company.
Franz J. Amann, the director of CARA, said these chemical munition recoveries are not unusual during local dredging operations.
“The Delaware waterways are one of many locations along the East Coast that the War Department disposed of chemical warfare materiel after 1944,” said Amann. “Initially, disposals occurred at a minimum depth of 300 feet and ten miles offshore. In 1945, the War Department changed the minimum depth of disposal to 6,000 feet. After almost 80 years, many of these rounds have been moved away from their burial sites by the ocean currents and during hurricanes.”
Michael J. Rowan and Kerry M. Jones from CARA worked with Air Force EOD technicians from the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron EOD Flight on Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, and a local hazardous material unit to safely secure and remove the unexploded ordnance (UXO) round.
Rowan, an Ordnance Removal Manager at CARA, said the old UXO round was suspected to be a MK II 75mm shell.
CARA relied on already onsite emergency responders for medical, law enforcement and decontamination support and seamlessly integrated into the existing onsite Incident Command Post. After an hour and 15 minutes onsite, Rowan said his team had safely packaged, labeled and moved the round from the incident site to secure storage.
After a short transport to Dover Air Force Base, CARA was able to immediately conduct a more deliberate assessment of the round.
Rowan said the response was one of the fastest in more than two decades of responding to dozens of old munitions discovered offshore.
“Several personnel noted that this was the most timely and efficient response performed there to date,” said Rowan.
A one-of-a-kind U.S. Army unit, CARA provides a world-wide emergency response capability for Recovered Chemical Warfare Material, remediation support for combatant commanders, technical escort of chemical materials and mobile laboratories.
CARA is part of the 20th CBRNE Command, the U.S. military’s premier all hazards formation.
From 19 bases in 16 states, American Soldiers and U.S. Army civilians take on the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and allied operations.
In addition to CARA, the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland-based 20th CBRNE Command is home to 75 percent of the active-duty Army’s EOD technicians and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) specialists, as well as the 1st Area Medical Laboratory, five Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordination Teams and three Nuclear Disablement Teams.
U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Quentin S. Tubbs, the noncommissioned officer-in-charge for EOD operations with the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron EOD Flight on Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, said his EOD techs routinely respond to unexploded munitions.
“Dover Air Force Base’s chemical ordnance response mission is unique because of the quantity and consistency of unexploded ordnance recovered containing a live chemical agent,” said Tubbs. “Typically, Dover Air Force base responds to one or two chemical UXOs per year, with 2022 and 2023 doubling the number of munitions containing live agents.”
In 2022, Dover Air Force Base responded to 23 UXO rounds, three of which were chemical ordnance. This year, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight has responded to five UXOs and two of them contained chemical agents.
Tubbs said coordination with CARA and hazardous material response personnel is critical when old chemical munitions are discovered.
“Dover Air Force Base spends a lot of time coordinating with Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to make sure operations run smoothly and timely, so that chemical ordnance is removed safely and efficiently with the least amount of impact to the public,” said Tubbs.
When any UXO is discovered, the Delaware State Police Bomb Squad calls the Dover Air Force Base EOD Flight.
If the UXO is suspected to be chemical, the Delaware State Police Bomb Squad contacts the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and the Dover Air Force Base EOD Flight calls the 20th CBRNE Command and CARA.
“All entities start communications to arrive on scene as soon as possible and begin the recovery of the item,” said Tubbs.
The Delaware Air Force Base EOD Flight also covers base responses and exercises as well as missions in support of civil authorities from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in Virginia to the Bay Bridge in Maryland and across the Atlantic Seaboard.
Like their 20th CBRNE Command EOD counterparts, the Air Force EOD technicians also support the U.S. Secret Service during Very Important Persons Protection Support Activity missions.
A native of Early Branch, South Carolina, Tubbs was drawn to the technically challenging nature of the EOD profession.
“On day one of the EOD preliminary course, I realized just how technical it was going to be and spent the next year working through many problem-solving and learning opportunities at the Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal, affectionately referred to as the University of Bombs and Bullets,” said Tubbs.
Amann, the director of CARA, said joint, interagency and allied partnerships are critical to the missions that CARA civilians conduct around the world.
“We work together with a variety of civilian and military professionals who are committed to the safety of our citizens and the service members who defend them. This highly technical and important work requires great coordination and teamwork to safely execute," said Amann.
"Every day, dedicated Army civilians from CARA work together with partner organizations to safeguard our citizens and service members from the threat posed by Recovered Chemical Warfare Materiel (RCWM) and associated explosive hazards,” said Amann, who calls Spartanburg, South Carolina, home.
Amann immigrated to the U.S. from Switzerland and retired from the U.S. Army as a colonel before returning as an Army civilian.
“CARA’s team has some of the most seasoned professionals that consistently pack, transport and assess RCWM. CARA’s practical and real-world experience supports other organizations who only have a working knowledge of RCWM hazards. As CARA works with other sister organizations, we appreciate the opportunity to train and exchange our knowledge in working with RCWM,” said Amann. “The more we can educate others on the hazards that RCWM pose, the safer the suspect materiel will be handled.”
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