ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – The U.S. Army’s only global field medical laboratory welcomed a new commander during a change of command ceremony on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, Sept. 17, 2025.
Col. Dennison S. Segui assumed command of the 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory from Col. Dubray S. Kinney Sr. during the widely attended ceremony.
Headquartered on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the 1st GFML “Lab Dragons” are part of the 44th Medical Brigade and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. military’s premier Joint Task-capable CBRNE formation.
Soldiers from 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory deploy as a unit or in task-organized teams to perform surveillance, laboratory testing and health hazard assessments of environmental, occupational, endemic disease and CBRNE threats to support force protection and Weapons of Mass Destruction missions.
Activated in 1942 as the 1st Area Medical Laboratory, the 1st GMFL has served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan. Soldiers from 1st GFML deployed to help contain the Ebola outbreak in Liberia in 2014 – 2015.
The 1st GFML was also the first Army unit to deploy to U.S. military installations overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The deployable U.S. Army medical laboratory officially changed its name to the 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory to better reflect its global laboratory mission in October 2024.
Col. Caryn R. Vernon, the commander of the Fort Bragg, North Carolina-based 44th Medical Brigade, hosted the ceremony. Vernon thanked Kinney for his successful command tour.
“Command in the United States Army is not merely a position. It is a sacred trust. It represents the privilege of leading America’s sons and daughters and the responsibility to care for them, to train them and to prepare them to execute complex missions in defense of our nation,” said Vernon, a career Army Medical Service Corps Officer.
Vernon said Kinney prepared his Soldiers for real world missions through rigorous training.
“We recognize the exceptional leadership of Colonel Dubray Kinney who distinguished himself as a transformational leader who led the 1st GFML through a period of remarkable transformation, operational excellence and strategic relevance,” said Vernon. “Colonel Kinney understood that standing still means falling behind, especially in the world of biological and chemical warfare.”
Vernon said Segui brings a wealth of experience to the elite command.
Originally from Washington, D.C., Kinney previously served as an enlisted Army Combat Medic before becoming a Medical Service Corps Officer.
Kinney commanded the 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory from September 2023.
Kinney said it had been an honor to command the unique mobile laboratory command that provides theater validation of chemical, biological and radiological hazards on the battlefield and supports operations around the world.
“This unit pushed the envelope over the last two years, earning the ‘global’ in its name,” said Kinney. “This unit deployed equipment and personnel for training in Hungary, Slovakia, Canada and South Korea over these last two years. In additional to these training missions, the 1st GFML also touched the soil of Greece, Macedonia, Poland, Germany and Romania to build enduring relationships and partner capacity.”
Kinney said commanding the Soldiers of the 1st GFML has been the highlight of his career.
“At the core of this unit is the Soldier, outstanding Soldiers,” said Kinney. “I stand in awe of their competency, determination, professionalism and dedication.”
A native of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico, Segui was commissioned as an Army Physician Assistant in 2002.
Segui has served around the world, including tours in Egypt, Thailand and Iraq, and he has served in leadership roles in South Korea, Kuwait and the United States.
“It is a great honor to stand before you today as I assume command of this distinguished organization,” said Segui. “As I accept this great responsibility today, I place my commitment to building on the strong foundation of the 1st GFML. The 1st GFML is unique in its mission. The Soldiers of the 1st GFML, together, will train, deploy and excel as one team. I’m confident that the officers, NCOs and Soldiers of this formation will take the 1st GFML to new heights.”
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