Ready or not, here we come…
JB: The DoD sets the priorities with NATO, and we exercise regularly with our NATO partners. We have not been scheduled to participate in an exercise at this time.
GW: The FNC has another couple of years to run before it goes ‘live’, but in terms of being able to promise troops for it… is that still the plan? Will the US still put its stake down as providing a CBRN company for the FNC? JB: The DoD sets the priorities and decides the way forward for that.
GW: Traditionally the 20th has close ties with Jordan and the Republic of Korea. I was wondering whether, because of what has been happening in North Korea, you had seen a rekindled interest in CBRN from US Forces Korea due to all the recent sabre rattling? JB: I don’t speak to the impact of recent events or specific exercises. I report to the FORSCOM commander, and my job is to provide COCOMs with army CBRN and EOD units that are properly manned, equipped, and trained to meet missions across multiple types of threats and locations.
GW: Regarding your previous posting at Fort Leonard Wood (FLW), what did you take from your time there? Are there things you half started there that you are looking to bring through into the 20th? JB: The main point for me as 29th commandant of the CBRN school was it showed me the importance of the 20th CBRNE Command and how we must work closely with the training and doctrine command centres of excellence. Although I was posted at the CBRN school that is only for the CBRN forces, the ordnance school has proponency for EOD forces. For me, in this position, I have been able to work closely with multiple centres of excellence as we look to improve our doctrine, organisation, training, materiel, leadership, personnel, and facilities across the DOTMLPF solutions to best train and equip the forces.
GW: In terms of equipping forces for the future mission, something that BGs King and Burton were interested in was the sensitive site exploitation (SSE) piece. How that can be developed in missions abroad and how does that then move into CBRN forensics? Are
you keen to develop that? Will you work on TTPs just for CBRN forces, or do you look at building a joint task force with military police? JB: It is one of our core tasks and we train on it regularly, here at home station and at combat training centres throughout the year. Both CBRN and EOD soldiers need to be proficient at conducting SSE. Our CBRNE response teams are made up of CBRN and EOD personnel, and are tasked with conducting SSE and collection, mission analysis and escorting the CBRNE agents.
GW: As you look out to the end of your tenure here which major challenges do you think you’ll have faced? How will you have orientated the force to face them? JB: Clearly, it is an unpredictable world, so my focus is to continue to provide units that are manned, trained, and equipped in order to respond across the different geographic commands. We see our training and validation exercises as a means of ensuring that we are ready to support the joint force to defend our country and allies as the joint task force headquarters for WMD elimination when called upon.
CBRNe Convergence, Orlando, USA, 6-8 November 2018
www.cbrneworld.com/convergence2018 BG Bonner wants all his troops properly equipped ©DoD
12 CBRNe WORLD February 2018
www.cbrneworld.com
CBRNeWORLD
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