Army Chemical Review presents professional information about Chemical Corps functions related to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, smoke, flame, and civil support operations.
Issue link: https://chemical.epubxp.com/i/141522
Chief of Chemical and Commandant, U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School Greetings Dragon Soldiers! As Regimental Command Sergeant Major Gabriel Arnold and I have traveled around the world during the past 7 months, we have met a number of leaders and Soldiers who inspire and amaze us. We are grateful for all that you do. You make us proud to be chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) professionals! In January 2012, the Department of Defense (DOD) issued Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense—strategic guidance that identifes 10 primary missions of the armed forces; among these is "counter weapons of mass destruction."1 In the same month, General Raymond T. Odierno issued guidance to the force via Marching Orders, 38th Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, in which he directed fve priorities for the Army.2 One of those priorities was to develop the force of the future, Army 2020, as part of Joint Force 2020, ensuring a versatile mix of capabilities, formations, and equipment.3 Based on this recent guidance, we have been busily preparing the CBRN Regiment 2016–2020 Strategy (see inside back cover). The CBRN Regiment 2016–2020 Strategy will serve as the foundation upon which to build the Regiment to meet future requirements. The strategy nests with Army and joint doctrine and the soon-to-be-published National Defense Strategy to Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction. Certifed subject matter experts (CBRN advisors, teams, or units) will be placed at the point of need, where they will conduct autonomous operations or support designated commanders, countering weapons of mass destruction across the full range of military operations. Brigadier General Peggy C. Combs As the Army and Joint Force continue to prepare for 2020, the CBRN Regiment has begun a number of parallel initiatives, including the CBRN Force Design Update and a revision of the CBRN Warrant Offcer Program. As currently structured, about 73 percent of the total fscal year 2015 CBRN force is dedicated to decontamination and biological detection. The intent of this appropriation was to deter and mitigate the nuclear, biological, and chemical threats that originated from 1980 to 2000, during the Cold War era. This appropriation resulted in a large decontamination- and biological detection-resourced force. While the CBRN force has reinvested in its niche capability in support of the DOD, it must now evolve into a 2020 force that plans, assesses, characterizes, advises, and mitigates all hazmat throughout the range of military operations. As a result, the CBRN Force Design Update— y Creates a standard operational CBRN battalion throughout Components 1–3 (with the exception of strategic reserve assets) consisting of three hazard response companies and one technical escort company; it eliminates the stand-alone design of the technical escort battalion. The CBRN battalion will be capable of conducting mission command, sustainment, and combating weapons of mass destruction (CWMD) mission planning and synchronization to enable a division to conduct CWMD operations and to better address homeland defense CBRN response force mission requirements. These CBRN battalions will have a consolidated maintenance responsibility for assigned companies, creating a feld service and support element— an imperative addition that will enable the electronic maintenance of the nuclear, biological, and chemical reconnaissance vehicle sensor suite. y Restructures 45 current maneuver support CBRN companies (15 per component) to hazardous response companies, consisting of two hazardous response platoons and one mounted reconnaissance platoon. These multifunctional companies will be capable of performing personnel and equipment decontamination in addition to mounted and dismounted hazmat assessment, characterization, and reconnaissance. They will be able to support the defense support of civil authorities mission set (U.S. Northern Command Concept of Operations 3500) and all battlefeld CWMD mission sets—especially CWMD elimination operations. These smaller, scalable companies are to be allocated one per brigade combat team, which will triple the current brigade combat team capacity to conduct hazard assessments and site exploitations. This will place technical expertise at the point of decision on the battlefeld and eliminate the constant need to call technical forces forward. This restructure will increase the Army's ability to conduct hazard assessments by 600 percent, with no increase in overall force structure. y Retains some large-area heavy decontamination and large-area Biological Integrated Detection System capabilities within the strategic reserves. These capabilities remain necessary to support large-scale CWMD mission sets. 2 Army Chemical Review