Department of Defense Chemical and Biological Defense Program - Comprehensive Reports on Military Efforts to Protect Against NBC, WMD, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Threats

Two reports from the DOD Joint Chemical and Biological Defense Program provide an up-to-date status of the military's efforts to protect against nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and terror threats. The annual reports to Congress for 2010 and 2011 include unique information about threats and protective measures, reviewing current programs that provide Warfighters with superior chemical and biological defense training, equipment, education, and preparedness.

As chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats continue to evolve, so must the nation's defense programs. DoD's ability to manage and integrate CBRN defense (CBRND) relies heavily on the coordination of its activities among other government agencies (OGA) and partner nations. Collaboration between DoD and OGAs fosters the exchange of knowledge, laboratories, test capabilities, and other resources while reducing duplicative efforts. The DoD actively seeks interagency opportunities and currently has formal coordination agreements with several organizations, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Environmental Protection Agency.

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2010, DoD continued to improve CBRND readiness to counter known and emerging CBRN threats. Increased resources and efforts were directed to address defense capabilities against the evolving threats posed by biological weapons. The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs initiated efforts to field viable Non-Traditional Agent (NTA) chemical weapon (CW) defense solutions to the Joint Force. The Joint Requirements Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense (JRO-CBRND), in collaboration with the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense (JPEO-CBD) and the Joint Science and Technology Office for Chemical and Biological Defense (JSTO-CBD), began an NTA defense technology demonstration and fielding program to equip Warfighters rapidly with improved NTA defense equipment.

A multitude of doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, and facilities solutions were enacted throughout the Joint community, Services, and supporting organizations. This ongoing transformation ensures that currently available technologies are produced, procured, and swiftly provided to the Warfighter and that cutting-edge technologies are harnessed to provide improved capabilities in the near, mid, and far term.