One team, one regiment: Army Chemical Corps celebrates 108 years

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Members of the U.S. Army Chemical Corps joined together at Fort Leonard Wood June 1-4, 2026, to embrace this year’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regimental Week theme of “One Team, One Regiment” while celebrating 108 years of service. During remarks at the State of the CBRN Regiment address, Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general, emphasized the importance of the Army’s Chemical Corps in the current strategic landscape. “All four letters of CBRN are more applicable to the entire Army in a large-scale combat operations fight than they ever have been before,” Beck said. “Each one of them is a reality in our current operating environment.” U.S. Army CBRN School Commandant Col. Fredrick Parker opened his address by sharing his profound pride and gratitude in representing the chemical corps. “Thank you for the privilege of speaking on behalf of Dragon Soldiers across all three components, who stand as part of the most lethal force on the planet — our mighty Army,” Parker said. “Today, we honor those who quietly and expertly shape the success of our Army. Professionals who protect the force, safeguard our nation and carry forth a legacy built on courage, innovation and unwavering dedication.” According to U.S. Army CBRN School historians, the tradition of referring to CBRN Soldiers as dragons dates back to World War I, when the dragon was chosen as the symbol of sovereignty for the Chemical Warfare Service. “The success of this regiment is driven by competence, professionalism, and relentless dedication of its people at every echelon and in every mission,” Parker said. “The demand on our Soldiers will only grow. So, we must prepare them with intention and urgency. My focus remains clear — drive transformative change in how we train, educate and develop the next greater generation of Dragon Soldiers.” Prior to regimental week, the Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah W. Johnson Best CBRN Warrior Competition took place May 29 to 31, with written tests, land navigation, CBRN-specific challenges, such as decontamination operations, site characterization and sampling techniques, Army warrior tasks and battle drills, physical fitness assessments and weapons qualifications. The winners of the competition, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Robert Sherwood and Staff Sgt. Luke Litwaitis with the 368th Training Squadron, were announced June 1 during an award ceremony in Baker theater. Two teams tied for second place, they were Sgt. 1st Class Bobby Poling and Sgt. Isaiah Taylor with the 83rd Chemical Battalion, and Staff Sgts. Darshan Manhas and Alec Phyfer with the 91st Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team. Representing the Air Force within Fort Leonard Wood's joint-service training environment, Sherwood and Litwaitis brought home-field pride, as they both teach Emergency Management Technical Training at the installation’s Air Force detachment. The duo placed third in this competition last year, and Sherwood said he was “shocked” to hear their names called as the winners and honored to be able to compete again. “It was overwhelming. I was completely shocked about winning. There were so many incredible competitors out there,” Sherwood said. “I learned so much from the first competition and wanted to represent the 368th Training Squadron, the emergency management career field and the Air Force the best I could.” Litwaitis attributed this year’s victory to his team’s “continuous hunger for getting better at the job we do.” “The mission for the Army and Air Force is different, but looking at the tactics, techniques, and procedures, the foundational skills of the U.S. Armed Forces is roughly the same. Translating the information and understanding the differences is what helped us determine the best course of action when being challenged during the competition,” Litwaitis said. Both winners described competing alongside service members from the U.S., Croatia, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom as an unforgettable experience that perfectly illustrated the one team concept. “We all fight the same fight in the mission we are set to complete it,” Litwaitis said. “We need to trust the capabilities of our fellow warriors, so when the worst happens, we can rely on each other to complete our part to win.” Sherwood agreed, adding that he would proudly stand shoulder-to-shoulder in combat with any of the competitors they faced. “All those men and women out there worked so hard and are the best in the world. I would be honored to work with any of them again,” Sherwood said. The true reward of victory was not the trophy, the crowd, or the Meritorious Service Medal — for Sherwood, it was the privilege of meeting the father of Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah W. Johnson, the fallen soldier for whom the competition is named. “Being called up to the stage was an amazing feeling but the most impactful part was meeting Mr. Jeremiah Johnson Sr. I was able to talk with the man that raised the hero who this competition is named after,” Sherwood said. “He gave me some advice about cherishing the time with my kids and I will carry that with me for the rest of my life, that experience with him meant more to me than anything else.” June 2, regimental week events continued with a Sunrise Service to honor fallen CBRN service members in Memorial Grove. In his remarks, guest speaker Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jesse Deberry spoke of the privilege of honoring the memory of fallen Dragon Soldiers. “Let us reflect and never forget their names, contributions or their impact,” he said. “This service serves as our unwavering dedication and way of remembering the legacy of those who dedicated a lifetime of service and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the preservations of our freedoms.” The solemn service included a ceremony of remembrance, wreath laying, firing of volleys, sounding of taps, before concluding with bagpiper Dan Zacher playing “Amazing Grace.” Additional regimental week events included a Warfighter Forum; Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership and Education, Personnel, Facilities — Policy, known as DOTMLPF-P, Modernization Panel discussion; regimental run; Green Dragon Ball; and an honors ceremony. At the honors ceremony they recognized outstanding achievements with the presentation of Combat Action Badges; Order of the Dragon; Ancient Order of the Dragon; Honorable Order of the Dragon; Order of the Dragon Legionnaire; Distinguished Member of the Corps honors; and those being added to the CBRN Hall of Fame. This year’s Siebert Award winners:

• Active component — 63rd Chemical Company, Fort Campbell, Kentucky
• National Guard — 482nd Chemical Company, Fort Allen Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico
• Reserve — 411th Chemical Company, Jersey City, New Jersey
• Team/detachment — 10th Civil Support (Weapons of Mass Destruction), Camp Murray, Washington

While closing his address, Parker said the chemical corps has the will, discipline and readiness to prevail in the most unforgiving conditions. “The chemical corps will remain a lethal, indispensable course for the Army, for our mighty Nation we serve. The regiment is ready. Our Dragon Soldiers are ready and together we will win any fight. One team, one regiment.” More photos from the Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah W. Johnson Best CBRN Warrior Competition may be viewed in this https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCVi6c. More photos from CBRN Regimental Week may be viewed in this https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCVyYe.