CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea – The U.S. military’s premier deployable and multifunctional Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) command participated in Exercise Freedom Shield 25 in the Republic of Korea, March 10 - 20.
American Soldiers and Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command trained with Eighth Army and Combined Forces Command units during the exercise.
Soldiers and Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command deploy to ROK from 19 bases in 16 states to maintain the Alliance’s readiness in support of joint, interagency and multinational operations.
Headquartered on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, in Northeast Maryland’s science, technology and security coordinator, the 20th CBRNE Command is home to 75 percent of the active-duty U.S. Army’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) specialists and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians, as well as the 1st Area Medical Laboratory, CBRNE Analytical and Remediation Activity, Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordination Teams and Nuclear Disablement Teams (Infrastructure).
Soldiers and Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command routinely deploy to ROK for exercises and send a Chemical Corps company to support rotational forces.
Maj. Steven M. Modugno, the public affairs director for the 20th CBRNE Command, said the 20th CBRNE Command routinely trains on the Korean Peninsula.
“Together with our ROK partners, we contribute to security on the Korean Peninsula and the stability in Northeast Asia. This alliance is the strongest in the world and this exercise makes our forces even more lethal,” said Modugno, a native of Santa Clarita, California, who previously served with the South Korea-based 2nd Infantry Division and will return to the storied formation as its public affairs director later this year.
“We are proud to put in the hard work with our ROK allies to ensure we always are ready to ensure both our nations’ security,” said Modugno.
Freedom Shield, a combined exercise, demonstrates the U.S.’ ironclad commitment to the defense of the ROK and broader regional security against a full spectrum of security threats.
Featuring live and constructive simulations, Exercise Freedom Shield covered everything from multidomain operations to countering Weapons of Mass Destruction operations.
This exercise reflected realistic threats across all domains and validated the alliance's ability to leverage land, sea, air, cyber and space assets.
“Freedom Shield 25 is a routine, annual, and defensive-in-nature exercise conducted to enhance the readiness and interoperability of the ROK-U.S. Alliance,” said Col. Ryan M. Donald, the public affairs director for United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and U.S. Forces Korea.
“We are committed to building readiness at every level - human, procedural, and technological - ensuring our combined forces are prepared to defend the ROK, protect its residents, and safeguard our homelands.”
Donald, the top American military public affairs officer in South Korea, is a former public affairs director for the 20th CBRNE Command. Donald said the multifunctional 20th CBRNE Command brings unique capabilities to the alliance that reinforce the combined defense posture.
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