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September 5, 2025
By Walter Ham, 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Command

Premier Army CBRNE Command Supports Ulchi Freedom Shield in South Korea

The U.S. military's premier joint task force-capable chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosives formation participated in exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield 25 in South Korea, Aug. 18-28.

Soldiers and Army civilians assigned to the 20th CBRNE Command's early entry command post exercised with 8th Army and Combined Forces Command units on the Korean Peninsula and employed capabilities from their home station located at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

"It is always an honor to train together with our South Korean partners," said Army Brig. Gen. W Bochat, commanding general of the 20th CBRNE Command. "For more than seven decades, American soldiers have proudly defended liberty with our South Korean allies on freedom's frontier. This exercise is another chance to make one of the world's strongest alliances even stronger."

Ulchi Freedom Shield 25 is a defense-oriented exercise, featuring live-fire, constructive and field training exercises that engage allied forces and governmental agencies. The training is focused on conducting all-domain operations.

The annual exercise enhances the combined, joint, all-domain and interagency operating environment and the South Korea-U.S. alliance's response capabilities.

Soldiers and Army civilians assigned to 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.

Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground in northeast Maryland's science, technology and security corridor, the 20th CBRNE Command is home to the majority of the active-duty Army's CBRN specialists and explosive ordnance disposal technicians, as well as the 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory, CBRNE Analytical and Remediation Activity, weapons of mass destruction coordination teams and nuclear disablement teams.

Members routinely deploy to South Korea for exercises, and the command also deploys a chemical company to support rotational forces during deployments to the Korean Peninsula.

The Fort Hood, Texas-based 181st Chemical Company is serving in South Korea on a rotational deployment in support of the 23rd CBRN Battalion, 210th Fires Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division and 8th Army.

During their second deployment to South Korea in three years, the 181st Chemical Company is serving near the Korean Demilitarized Zone, the world's most heavily guarded border.

The 181st Chemical Company is part of the 2nd CBRN Battalion, 48th Chemical Brigade and 20th CBRNE Command.

Army hazardous response companies conduct CBRN reconnaissance, surveillance and decontamination operations in support of conventional and special operations forces around the world and provide support to civil authorities across the nation.