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ZARQA, Jordan – A team of seasoned U.S. Army civilian microbiologists and chemists trained together with Jordanian troops at the Joint Training Center near Zarqa, Jordan.
Army civilians from the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Analytical and Remediation Activity (CARA) shared their expertise with partner nation CBRNE troops during Exercise Eager Lion 2024.
An Army civilian activity, CARA is part of the 20th CBRNE Command, the U.S. Department of Defense’s premier multifunctional and deployable CBRNE formation.
In addition to the CBRNE Analytical and Remediation Activity, the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland-headquartered 20th CBRNE Command is home to 75 percent of the active-duty U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) specialists, as well as the 1st Area Medical Laboratory, Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordination Teams and Nuclear Disablement Teams (Infrastructure).
American Soldiers and U.S. Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command take on the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and multinational operations.
According to U.S. Central Command, Exercise Eager Lion is the most important exercise between the U.S. military and the Jordanian Armed Forces.
“Eager Lion demonstrates the value of working together to maintain a ready and responsive force that truly demonstrates we are prepared to respond together in times of crisis,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jason Benson, U.S. Central Command’s director for Exercise Eager Lion 2024. “Participating in Eager Lion demonstrates our shared commitment to improving interoperability with our partners. It also demonstrates that our coalition force can maintain a sufficient and sustainable presence in the region. It delivers a clear message that relationships matter.”
Richard A. Trombly II, the laboratory manager for CARA, said his Army civilian team successfully integrated with Jordanian troops during the multinational exercise.
“The highlight of the training was conducting joint CBRNE laboratory operations,” said Trombly, a native of Clearwater, Florida, who earned his bachelor’s degree in microbiology from the University of South Florida and his master’s degree in microbiology and chemistry from Johns Hopkins University.
“Operating both [U.S. and Jordanian] mobile laboratories concurrently displayed the ability of personnel from CARA and the Jordanian Armed Forces Chemical Support Unit to work together, overcome any obstacles and successfully execute,” said Trombly. “Working together with partner forces was a good opportunity to share experiences as well as tactics, techniques and procedures expanding the knowledge for both teams.”
CARA scientists brought a vast amount of experience to Eager Lion 2024. Many of the Army civilians at CARA have their doctorates in their respective professions and serve as microbiologists and chemists in the U.S. Army.
Kevin Wioland, a CARA chemist, served as a team lead and built training sites at numerous bases and trained troops on handheld chemical detectors used for exploitation missions.
Irv Swahn, a CARA chemist who previously served as an Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons inspector at the Hague in the Netherlands, presented a comprehensive briefing on the Chemical Weapons Convention during the exercise.
Dr. Clarisa Carrizales, a former Drug Enforcement Agency chemist who joined CARA in 2023, briefed the Jordanian Armed Forces on general chemistry and mass spectral interpretation.
Dr. Michelle “Mitch” LaFrance, a CARA microbiologist who previously deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve; Dr. Edward Keen, a CARA microbiologist who also serves as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve; and Dr. Samuel Pannoni, a CARA microbiologist and expert in bioinformatics, shared their expertise with Jordanian Armed Forces troops during Exercise Eager Lion.
Franz J. Amann, the director of CARA, said his CARA civilian scientists use their expertise to enable mission readiness and protect U.S. and partner service members.
“Our expeditionary laboratories are capable of deploying anywhere in the world to serve alongside our friends and allies,” said Amann, a retired U.S. Army Chemical Corps colonel from Spartanburg, South Carolina.
“Our Army civilian chemists and microbiologists use state-of-the-art equipment and operate under International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification 17025. This internationally recognized certification ensures all tests and controls follow strict established standards. As the supported command receives our theater validated data, the commander and his staff have the highest confidence in the data to make required operational decisions.”
| Date Taken: | 07.30.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.30.2024 11:39 |
| Story ID: | 477342 |
| Location: | ZARQA, JO |
| Hometown: | CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, US |
| Hometown: | SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 175 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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