Photo By MATTHEW SHARMAN | This commemorative series highlights the stories of the Blue Grass Chemical Activity...... read more read more
This commemorative series highlights the stories of the Blue Grass Chemical Activity workforce with personal accounts, reflections, and experiences with the sunsetting organization and its contribution to destroying the chemical weapons stockpile. In this Force Behind the Work entry, we speak with Paul “Dee” Thomas, a fixture on Blue Grass Chemical Activity and a third-generation employee at the Blue Grass Army Depot. From his humble beginnings in civil service to one of the department heads and highest-ranking civilians within the organization, Mr. Thomas is happy to have been a lifelong Kentuckian, spending 16 years at BGCA.
The Blue Grass Chemical Activity supported the delivery of chemical munitions to the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant for destruction. It was also responsible for safely and securely storing the chemical weapons stockpile at Blue Grass Army Depot. BGCAPP destroyed the last chemical weapon in storage at BGCA on July 7, 2023. On August 9, 2023, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons verified that no chemical munitions remain in storage at BGCA.
Name: Mr. Paul “Dee” Thomas
Current Duty Title: Chemical Surety Officer
Time at BGCA: On the Blue Grass Army Depot since 2002. 16 years at BGCA.
Job Duties: Surety is safety. In the simplest form, safety is about protecting people. The main priority is protecting people and providing security. Security is about the equipment and property the government owns. The primary mission of surety is to connect those two things and relate them to reliability, compliance, oversight, and trustworthiness. As the surety officer, I oversee and manage all surety operations conducted. We focus on chemical safety, security, incident and mishap response, inventory management, and personal reliability, serving as the eyes and ears for the commander for all such related matters. Our office ensures all employees are safely and securely following all policies and procedures till the completion of the surety mission. The surety mission will be complete when all drained, agent-contaminated rocket warheads are destroyed.
Growing up with BGCA: I am from here; I was born and raised in Rockcastle County. I fondly remember being a little kid fishing on Lake Vega at the depot. I have seen the growth and everything. Right where the demilitarization facilities used to be quite a swamp, which I saw when I was a little kid. Even the outward appearance I have seen change, like the main gate, roads, buildings, and access points. In the 1980s, the depot was much different and larger, complete with lots of amenities like a traditional military installation. One of my earliest memories was when I was about four years old, and I would go to the drive-in movie theater with my mom and aunt right across from the depot gates.
Third Generation BGCA: My father worked with the decontamination teams, and my grandfather worked here in the 50s and 60s and helped build some of the earth-covered magazines.
Experience and Background: I grew up in Rockcastle County, one county just south of BGCA. When I graduated high school, I enlisted in the Air Force and started with security police. I worked in a location with nuclear capabilities; that's how I first got my surety experience. I was overseas all four years, which was a great experience, and I finished out my tour in Iceland. I got out of the service because I missed home and went to school for just a blink of an eye, and then I got a job with BGAD as a security guard. I was a guard for about two years and then transitioned to a non-destructive testing operator. I did ultrasound on 120mm rounds to verify the reliability of the munitions. I did a little over 4000 hours of testing all these rounds over three years.
I then worked on a crew at the wash out and the demolition ground, which was hard work, but it was fun. Then, a position opened within BGCA. I became a toxic material handler for a year before another opportunity came to move to the personal protective equipment (PPE) division. I did M40 gas mask testing in PPE and ensured other equipment was in working order. I enjoyed my time as a PPE mechanic because you could go out and work on equipment you test, like the Self-Contained Toxic Environment Protective Outfit (STEPO) Suits the TMHs used and all the BGCA workforce products. I did that for about four years, and it was a truly enjoyable time. We were a small but good team with a great leader and supervisor. I looked forward to every day coming into work during that period.
Sometime in 2009, we were preparing for the Department of Army Inspector General (DAIG) Chemical Surety Inspection (CSI) chemical surety inspection conducted by the Department of the Army Inspector General. I wanted to get involved, and I had let some folks know I had experience from my Air Force days, specifically preparing for inspections. I was able to assist successfully enough that I was eventually detailed as a surety specialist for some time to do some paperwork and get things lined up. Then, a position opened as a chemical personnel reliability program coordinator, and I moved into that role. The chemical personnel reliability program is essential to our operations at BGCA. Personnel who work around surety material, meaning they can touch it, manipulate it, or have access to it, then you must be enrolled in this program. The program aims to ensure that people are trustworthy and reliable and that only the best are working in and around that sort of material to protect the workforce and the public. I was in this job until about 2019, and when the surety officer position became available, I knew I had to apply because I really found something that I truly enjoyed; I felt like I found my calling, so I applied and was detailed into it then was hired and I've been the surety officer ever since. I am happy with how things turned out as it has been a well-rounded career in both the field, with boots on the ground, and administrative and office roles. I used to always joke that I was the Jack of all trades and master of none, but I have really been able to become very knowledgeable in all surety matters. My experience has helped in meetings and decision-making processes because I understand what it takes to keep our organization going, as I have done it in various ways.
What I Enjoy Most about BGCA: I love the people here. I've been blessed that I have found something that I enjoy doing. When I found surety and compliance and essentially being the eyes and ears for the commander, I knew it was for me. To be an effective surety compliance specialist, you must not only know the regulations but also understand them and how the checklists and compliance oversight can be implemented. That’s what I mean by people, too, because it's not just me- I have a team of knowledgeable and great people who allow us to succeed.
BGCA in the Early Days: When I was a guard in the early 2000s, there were all these old timers that had been here for decades. I would hear many “ghost stories,” and these tales had been embellished or, as I learned, were just straight-up false. Much of that was due to the perception and the degree of secrecy of the organization and depot from generations ago. The other aspect was fear around lack of knowledge and of the unknown. Back in the day, the public did not know what happened here because you weren't allowed to tell people what you did. You don't talk about the chemicals, your employer, or anything that lets anyone know you work here. In fact, once upon a time, the only way you knew people worked for BGCA was through the old vehicle stickers. There used to be a sticker all employees would get on their car to help with the gate procedures, and if you didn’t know what to look for, you’d never know. There were examples of hearing about someone who worked at the depot, and neighbors didn’t even know he worked there until his obituary. So, that mystique from the 70s and 80s is barely present now, and is quickly disappearing and has been since I have been here and in the last two decades. Informing the public, being transparent with our mission, and building relationships with the community have been a priority for years and is a win-win.
Biggest Achievement: I've just been so grateful to be a part of all this. Starting as a guard and ending up as the surety officer is something I would have never seen coming twenty years ago. I would have never thought I'd be where I am now as the surety officer who helped the United States safely and securely destroy the last of our stockpile of chemical munitions. I'm pretty proud of that, but I couldn’t have done it without some crucial mentorship over the years. Of course, Mr. Jamie Hall, BGCA deputy commander, comes to mind as one of my key mentors. He has been instrumental in my personal and professional growth. When I was younger, I might have been a little too sure of myself, and I didn't deal with people as well as I could have. He helped coach me through some of those weaknesses to be a better leader and teammate. I can't thank him enough for his mentorship. Before him, the previous deputy commander, Ms. Sheila Johnson, was also a great mentor and someone who took a chance on me and chose me for the first surety opportunity.
View of BGCA’s Mission: For so long, our mission was the same- safe and secure storage of the chemical weapons stockpile. However, when movements started to happen for destruction, and then on July 7th, 2023, the last chemical weapons stored on the installation were destroyed. This marked the elimination of all chemical weapons in the US stockpile, and I've been blessed to have been able to play such a significant role in history. The job isn’t completely done yet, though- our current mission is to support BGCAPP with the safe storage and delivery of agent contaminated secondary waste to protect the public and workforce. Being the very last site is special, too. There might be a documentary someday, and I will be an 80-year-old telling my grandkids, “I was there! It was a big deal!” It was really something when I saw the now-destroyed munitions for the first time in person after I heard so much about them. My jaw dropped when I was out there and finally saw them up close.
Favorite Memory: I really enjoyed going to work with PPE during that late 2000s-time frame. We had a family down there with Eddie Chasteen as a supervisor and Denver Begley was a great leader. We were all professionals, but we had a lot of fun with little pranks and stuff. Jana Carroll, Lisa Firmature, Derek Tompkins, Travis Clem, and Tom Riley, to name some of the folks that made it such a memorable time. It was like lightning in a bottle where we worked hard in a small core group; everybody knew what their job was, and we had a lot of confidence in one another. It was a well-oiled machine that stayed that way for a while. I have one singular memory that was impactful, especially how I began at BGCA. When I first arrived, Lt. Col. Tom Closs was the commander who hired me and gave me the opportunity to come over to the “chemical side” because, up until that point, I was solely at the Blue Grass Army Depot. He approached me at the first town hall and said, “Hey, I thought I recognized you! We were doing a storyboard of some of the ultrasound work going on, and you were in one of the pictures. Here, take it.” That might seem small, but it meant a lot to me because here's a commander with a lot going on, but he took that one moment to recognize, welcome, and talk to one of the new guys he had just hired. I hadn't been here a week and barely knew anyone, but the commander welcomed me, and that really set the tone for a family and a close-knit working environment from then on.
Plans for the Future: I've been in government for 25 years and don't plan to retire. Hopefully, opportunities arise where I can stay in the surety world because I have a lot of knowledge, background, and training to make a difference somewhere. I was raised to have goals, whether they were for two years, five years, or ten and beyond. It’s okay to adjust them, but you must have goals to keep you looking forward. When I first started, my plan was to stay in the government as long as I was happy, and maybe, if I'm lucky, I'd retire with the government. I have been beyond blessed as my goal has been accomplished so far; if I can get a position doing something with compliance somewhere else, that would be great. However, I'm not just twiddling my thumbs waiting for somebody else to figure it out; I'll have the right attitude, be proactive, and be willing to make it work.
| Date Taken: | 02.20.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.20.2024 14:37 |
| Story ID: | 464294 |
| Location: | RICHMOND, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 204 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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