DVIDS – News – Bounty Hunters seize prestigious U.S. Army Chemical Corps firm award

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Washington – The ninth Chemical, Organic, Radiological, Nuclear Firm (Technical Escort) “Bounty Hunters” captured first place within the Energetic Obligation class of the 2021 Maj. Gen. William L. Sibert Award.

The Chemical Corps Regimental Affiliation presents the annual award to acknowledge the very best Energetic Obligation, Reserve, Nationwide Guard and group or detachment CBRN items within the Army.

The 690th Chemical Corps from Centreville, Alabama, earned first place within the Nationwide Guard class, 415th Headquarters and Headquarters Firm Chemical Brigade from Greenville, South Carolina, took first place within the Reserve class and 82nd Chemical Reconnaissance Detachment on Fort Carson, Colorado, secured first place within the group class.

Stationed on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, the ninth CBRN Firm “Bounty Hunters” are a part of the a hundred and tenth Chemical Firm (Technical Escort), forty eighth Chemical Brigade and twentieth Chemical, Organic, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. army’s premier deployable and multifunctional all hazards command.

Troopers and civilians from the Aberdeen Proving Floor, Maryland-headquartered twentieth CBRNE Command deploy from 19 bases in 16 states to help of joint, interagency and allied operations.

Excessive specialised items, U.S. Army Technical Escort corporations present recommendation, evaluation, sampling, detection, verification, render protected capabilities, packaging and escort of chemical and organic hazards. In addition they conduct organic surveillance and restricted consequence administration help for army forces and civil authorities.

Capt. Benjamin C. McCoy, the commander of the ninth CBRN Firm, mentioned the corporate participated in a number of workouts in 2021.

Amongst them was an emergency deployment readiness train referred to as Operation Spartan Defender at Fort Knox, Kentucky, the place the Bounty Hunters teamed up with infantry Troopers from the a hundred and first Airborne Division (Air Assault) to take advantage of delicate websites in a cavernous underground facility.

In August 2021, they participated within the a hundred and tenth CBRN Battalion (Technical Escort) discipline coaching train on Kirtland Air Power Base, New Mexico, and skilled to tackle radiological hazards.

The “Bounty Hunters” additionally served on the Contingency Response Power, skilled for the Nationwide Technical Nuclear Forensics Floor Assortment Job Power and supported Explosive Ordnance Disposal missions.

In March 2022, the corporate skilled for Weapons of Mass Destruction technical escort missions on C-17 Globemaster III plane with the Air Power Reserve’s 446th Airlift Wing.

“We had some nice esprit-de-corps occasions as nicely within the type of foundational readiness days and folks first actions that basically helped us get to know one another and have been simply plain enjoyable,” mentioned McCoy, a local of Landstuhl, Germany, who has served within the U.S. Army for seven years and the previous two years as an organization commander.

McCoy mentioned his Troopers attempt for excellence, together with 1st Lt. Samantha Ok. Roberson who was the Technical Escort Course distinguished honor graduate, Workers Sgt. Isaac G. Bocanegra who was the Superior Leaders Course distinguished honor graduate, Workers Sgt. Trevor J. Wilson who graduated with honors from the Technical Escort Course and Sgt. Laura V. Hill who graduated on the Fundamental Leaders Course Commandant’s Record and served because the course first sergeant.

McCoy additionally acknowledged Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jose L. Salinas Jr. from the ninth CBRN Firm’s CBRNE Response Staff 2 for being named the distinguished honor graduate and sophistication management awardee on the CBRN Warrant Officer Superior Course. McCoy mentioned Salinas displayed experience within the army decision-making course of, CBRN employees capabilities, radiation fundamentals and CBRN reconnaissance and decontamination operations.

“Chief Warrant Officer 2 Salinas is a incredible warrant officer and one among a number of Troopers over the course of the yr who walked away from colleges with greater than only a certificates of completion,” mentioned McCoy.

Salinas attributed his success to being part of a CBRN Warrant Officer Superior Course cohort with greater than 100 years of mixed technical and tactical experience.

Initially from Palo Alto, California, Salinas has deployed to Iraq in help of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Daybreak.

An 18-year U.S. Army veteran, Salinas mentioned he determined to serve within the Chemical Corps as a result of he was intrigued with the technical capabilities that Chemical Corps Troopers carry to the struggle, which on the time included smoke, decontamination, reconnaissance and laboratory work.

Salinas mentioned the readiness and success of the Bounty Hunters comes from sturdy bonds cast via sturdy management.

“What makes ninth CBRN Firm particular to me is the belief Troopers share with one another, our group fosters constructive relationships by constructing compassion, consistency, communication and competency,” mentioned Salinas. “A powerful basis of belief has empowered our unit to fulfill and surpass objectives as a result of we consider that we are able to via the belief our group has in every particular person inside the unit.”

The Bounty Hunters firm commander echoed his sentiments. McCoy and the corporate’s senior enlisted chief, 1st Sgt. Kenneth L. Greene Jr., empower their Troopers to ship CBRNE experience on time and on track, McCoy mentioned, including that the success of the ninth CBRN Firm comes down to 1 key ingredient.

“Merely put we belief one another,” mentioned McCoy. “The majority of our success at each alternative and impediment goes out to our group stage management and their Troopers. We belief them and so they belief us. Operations are deliberate with a transparent process and goal.”