The 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command selected Retired Col. Raymond Van Pelt, a U.S. Army Chemical Corps officer, as the 2024 Defender of Liberty.
The Defender of Liberty award, established in 2019, is given annually to leaders who have made a significant impact on the command.
Retired Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Richard Cody was the first recipient of the award in 2019 for authoring the memo that led to the creation of the 20th CBRNE Command while serving as the deputy chief of staff of the Army for operations and plans.
Retired Maj. Gen. John C. Doesburg was the 2020 Defender of Liberty and the 2021 Defender of Liberty was retired Maj. Gen. Keith R. Wendel. Retired Lt. Gen....