COCKEYSVILLE, Md. – A U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant general praised the American troops who confront and defeat the world’s most dangerous hazards during the second Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Forum, June 28.
Lt. Gen. Brian W. Cavanaugh, the commanding general of Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic; commander of Marine Forces Command; and commander of Marine Forces Northern Command, was the guest speaker at the Joint CBRNE Forum in Cockeysville, Maryland.
Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) specialists and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians attended the forum that coincided with the 106th anniversary of the U.S. Army Chemical Corps.
Hosted by Maj. Gen. Daryl O. Hood, the commanding general of the U.S. Army 20th CBRNE Command, the event brought members of the joint force together to recognize the shared service and sacrifices of the U.S. service members who take on CBRNE hazards in support of combatant commanders and domestic authorities.
Hood and Cavanaugh recently served together in the National Command Center.
“It is an honor to be in the company of such an esteemed group of professionals this evening,” said Cavanaugh, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who is originally from Baltimore. “I am humbled by the important contributions that each of you, including your incredible family members – makes to our national security and I commend the dedication to excellence embodied by the CBRN defense and EOD communities as a whole.”
As the Marine Forces commander, Cavanaugh is the senior commander for the U.S. Marine Corps Chemical Biological Incident Response Force, or CBIRF, the CBRNE response and consequence management force based on Naval Support Facility Indian Head, Maryland.
“Through this lens, my staff and I are acutely aware of the many unique challenges associated with manning, training, equipping and employing CBRN and EOD forces,” said Cavanaugh. “The dynamic and essential natures of your mission sets are second to none.”
Cavanaugh is a seasoned career U.S. Marine Corps aviator with 3,000 flight hours, primarily in the CH-53D/E Sea Stallion heavy-lift transport helicopter.
From the halls of the Pentagon to hot spots around the world, Cavanaugh has served in the Marine Corps for almost three and a half decades.
“Excellence in daily operations and training has an assurance and deterrence value all its own,” said Cavanaugh. “Through deliberate choices to conceal and reveal our CBRNE capabilities, the joint force can assure allies, partners and domestic audiences while simultaneously deterring malign actors.”
To succeed in large-scale combat operations against a near-peer adversary, Cavanaugh said the joint force relied on CBRNE personnel to stay ready to fight and win in a CBRN-contaminated environment.
“Whether providing domestic support to government agencies during a national security special event; deploying in support of combatant commander requirements; or forging relationships that bolster ally and partner capacity, including NATO and the Republic of Korea, to name a few, the highly trained Soldiers and civilians of the Joint CBRNE partners here tonight routinely execute tactical and operational actions of strategic significance,” he said.
“Today’s deliberate planning and demanding training are necessary to ensure that we meet the standard set forth in our National Defense Strategy: that tomorrow’s joint force is capable of achieving its warfighting aims in a CBRN-contaminated environment,” said Cavanaugh.
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