ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – The senior enlisted leader of the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command departed the command following a relinquishment of responsibility ceremony, June 26.
Command Sgt. Maj. David J. Silva completed his 27-month tour at the 20th CBRNE Command during the widely attended ceremony at Myer Auditorium.
Silva will soon report to Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, to serve as the senior enlisted leader of U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Task Force-Civil Support.
Joint Task Force-Civil Support conducts Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) response and all hazards Defense Support to Civil Authorities operations in support of the lead federal agency to save lives, mitigate human suffering and prevent further injury.
JTF-CS is the nations' only standing CBRN joint task force.
Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis R. Kirk from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division, on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, has been selected to serve as the next 20th CBRNE Command senior enlisted leader and will assume responsibility in August.
Brig. Gen. W Bochat, the commanding general of the 20th CBRNE Command, hosted the ceremony, which was attended by leaders from 20th CBRNE Command and other units on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
Bochat thanked Silva for his enduring contributions to the nation’s premier multifunctional CBRNE command.
“Thank you for giving the organization everything you had every single day you came to work,” said Bochat. “You can leave proud knowing that you have left a lasting mark not just for the command but the entire CBRNE community.”
A Master EOD technician, Silva has deployed seven times and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Silva has served on protection missions for presidents and the Pope.
He has also been to all 50 states and five of the seven continents.
Silva earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Excelsior College. He previously served as the command sergeant major for the 79th EOD Battalion and 71st EOD Group. Both units are part of the 20th CBRNE Command.
A native of Long Beach, California, Silva is the senior enlisted Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician in the U.S. military.
Silva thanked the Soldiers and Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command for their service to the nation. He said the 20th CBRNE Command supports military operations around the world and domestic authorities across the nation.
Headquartered on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, in Northeast Maryland’s science, technology and security corridor, the 20th CBRNE Command is home to the majority of the Active-Duty U.S. Army’s EOD and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) units, as well as the 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory, CBRNE Analytical and Remediation Activity, Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordination Teams and Nuclear Disablement Teams.
Soldiers and Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command deploy from 19 bases in 16 states to confront and defeat the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and multinational operations.
“Whether it’s a chemical attack or a radiological, biological or explosive hazard, our Soldiers and civilians are trained and ready to respond with precision, expertise and courage. It’s our ability to counter these dangers that ensures the safety of our forces, our homeland and our partners worldwide,” said Silva. “If our Soldiers are on the battlefield, something really bad just happened and everyone is looking to us to make it better.”
Silva said the Soldiers and Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command have to stay ready for their lifesaving and mission-enabling missions, whenever and wherever they are called to serve.
“I always ask our Soldiers, when does an incident start,” said Silva. “It started yesterday. It started at the combat training center, home station and Advanced Individual Training. It started when you raised your right hand and decided to become part of the 1 percent of Americans who do really hard things for the other 99 percent. Our enemies have been plotting and preparing their entire lives in many cases, when called, let’s give them the response they deserve. That means we train today so we are ready to go tomorrow.”
Silva said that the Soldiers and U.S. Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command routinely demonstrate their grit, bravery and proficiency when they “run toward the thing that everyone else is running away from.”
“Our Soldiers are not only technically proficient and capable of operating in austere conditions and under extreme pressure,” said Silva. “Every exercise, every mission, every moment you spend honing your craft, increases survivability, assures success and sends a clear message: the 20th CBRNE Command stands ready to protect, defend and prevail.”
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