ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – The first command chief warrant officer to serve at the U.S. military’s premier all hazards formation was promoted to chief warrant officer 4.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jesse S. Deberry was promoted to his current rank during a ceremony at the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command Headquarters on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, June 2.
In addition to being the first command chief warrant officer for the 20th CBRNE Command, Deberry was one of the first Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Technician warrant officers in the U.S. Army in 2011 after the program was established a year earlier.
Deberry is now one of 11 serving as a CBRN chief warrant officer 4 in the U.S. Army.
As executive level professionals, CBRN warrant officers provide the U.S. Army with the technical and tactical expertise to combat the world’s most dangerous hazards.
Deberry has served as the command chief warrant officer at the 20th CBRNE Command since July 2021. The multifunctional and deployable CBRNE command is home to 75 percent of the active-duty U.S. Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians and 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 from 20th CBRNE Command take on chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive hazards in support of joint, interagency and allied operations around the world.
Brig. Gen. Daryl O. Hood, the commanding general of the 20th CBRNE Command, hosted the promotion ceremony.
Hood said that CBRN chief warrants officers like Deberry provide technical expertise that helps to keep the Army ready to enable maneuver forces to succeed on the battlefield.
Growing up in an Army family, Deberry graduated from the SHAPE American High School in Belgium.
Originally from Columbia, South Carolina, Deberry enlisted as a Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) specialist in the U.S. Army in 1998.
“I initially joined the Army for the discipline, education and to travel the world,” said Deberry. “After 9/11, my reasons for serving transitioned into playing my part in defending the constitution and protecting our nation.”
From Germany to South Korea, Deberry has served around the world during his 24 years in uniform. He has also deployed to Bahrain, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
Deberry said the highlights of his career were molding future Soldiers as a drill instructor, meeting President Barrack Obama in Afghanistan in 2010 and becoming one of the first CBRN warrant officers in the U.S. Army.
Deberry said he has been successful because of his faith and family. He added that it is important to be adaptable, self-disciplined and resilient.
In addition to his military education, Deberry earned his bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security from University of Maryland and his master’s degree in Acquisition and Procurement Management with a certification in Government Contracting from Webster University.
“I attribute my success in the Army to having great leaders and mentors who invested time and effort into my well-being, training, military and civilian education and career management,” said Deberry.
He was selected for master sergeant and warrant officer on the same day.
“At that point in my career, I aspired to become the regimental command sergeant major of the Chemical Corps,” said Deberry. “The CBRN Warrant Officer Program introduced a new set of challenges and new opportunities that influenced my decision to cross over. I recommend becoming a warrant officer to any noncommissioned officers who wants to serve in the Army in a more technical capacity.”
As a warrant officer, Deberry has served as a CBRN technician at the 1st Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, on Fort Cavazos, Texas; and the 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, on Fort Liberty, North Carolina. He also served as the regimental chief warrant officer for the U.S. Army CBRN School on Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; and the command chief warrant officer for the 48th Chemical Brigade on Fort Cavazos, Texas.
“The best part of serving as the first command chief warrant officer for the 20th CBRNE Command is serving with the Soldiers and civilians at the command, coaching junior warrant officers and shaping the position for a future chief warrant officer 5 to fill,” said Deberry.
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