Army civilians from 20th CBRNE Command’s CBRNE Analytical and Remediation Activity, also known as CARA, recently received awards for their role in supporting aerostat operations at Aberdeen Proving Ground and for CBRNE training at Fort Irwin, California.
The personnel were recognized by the Baltimore Federal Executive Board during its Annual Excellence in Federal Career Awards Ceremony.
Ten CARA Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) technicians cleared the launch site for the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor (JLENS), the aerostat that defends the mid-Atlantic region from airborne threats.
From January to December 2014, CARA UXO technicians from Remediation Response Section-East cleared more than 44 acres of explosive and chemical hazards around the aerostat mooring site.
William C. Bodenhamer, David J. Budzinski, Christopher L. Crecelius, Wayne A. Danjou, Thomas C. Kutscher, Shannon J. Platt, Adam K. Pulliam, Michael J. Rowan, David H. West and Ricky G. Whitten received the silver award for clearing the aerostat site.
Another Army civilian from CARA, Chemist Irvine Swahn, received the silver award for his role in constructing a simulated clandestine chemical weapons laboratory and creating training scenarios at the National Training Center on Fort Irwin, California.
In 2014, the 20th CBRNE Command began integrating with ground maneuver forces during decisive action rotations at Fort Irwin, California, and Fort Polk, Louisiana. To make the training more realistic and challenging, CARA constructed CBRNE sites at Fort Irwin’s National Training Center.
The CARA director expressed his appreciation for the recognition his civilians received from the Baltimore Federal Executive Board.
“It always great to take the time and effort to recognize the dedicated civilians of CARA especially in such a prestigious forum,” said CARA Director Christopher K. Chesney, a retired U.S. Army officer from Chicago.
“Day in and day out, they epitomize the values embedded in the Army Civilian Corps’ Creed while executing CBRNE related operations, anytime and anywhere,” said Chesney.
Source: Adapted from original by Walter Ham, 20th CBRNE Command.