American Soldiers train with Romanian troops at biological research facility in Bucharest

Courtesy Photo | American Soldiers from the 1st Area Medical Laboratory trained with Romanian Army troops at a biological research facility in Bucharest, Romania. The 1st Area Medical Laboratory team conducted the training using the Romanian’s equipment at the Cantacuzino Institute. Courtesy photo.  

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA

08.31.2023

Story by Walter Ham 

20th CBRNE Command

BUCHAREST, Romania – American Soldiers from the 1st Area Medical Laboratory trained with Romanian Army troops at a biological research facility in Bucharest, Romania.

Maj. Joshua M. Carmen, the chief of the 1st AML Biological Threat Assessment Section, said the training included an introduction to the one-of-a-kind U.S. Army mobile laboratory as well as the history of biological threats and threat agents as defined by the CDC.

“The Defense Threat Reduction Agency requested 1st AML’s assistance to conduct field identification of biological agents training,” said Carmen. “Our goal was to demonstrate procedures adapted for field environments that produce accurate identification of potential threats or terrorism agents.”

Five members from the 1st Area Medical Laboratory’s Biological Threat Assessment Section, including Maj. Mathanraj Packiam, PhD, who also runs the Genetic Sequencing Laboratory at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease, participated in the training.

Maj. Christine E. Hulseberg, PhD, a former 1st Area Medical Laboratory member and the senior science officer from U.S. Army Medical Research Directorate-Georgia in Tbilisi, Georgia, also took part of the allied training event.

“These members of the team were key to our success and added the diverse perspectives of their respective organizations to this event,” said Carmen, a Phoenix native and Arizona State University graduate.

Carmen said NATO’s laboratory capabilities are focused on fixed facilities, with only a few NATO partners capable of fielding mobile laboratories.

“Our training helped to bolster confidence in our Romanian partners that they are capable of successfully developing and fielding an incident response laboratory,” said Carmen. “This type of event also strengthens the ability of CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear) Soldiers to confidently collect samples and understand what the laboratory is looking for and what techniques a laboratory uses to process their samples.”

The 1st Area Medical Laboratory team conducted the training using the Romanian’s equipment at the Cantacuzino Institute.

The first week was dedicated to training Romanian soldiers from two of their CBRN Battalions on basic laboratory techniques.

“We built on that foundation by teaching them to perform polymerase chain reaction (PCR),” said Carmen. “PCR is considered an advanced molecular biology technique and is an extremely valuable tool for identification of biological agents.”

Carmen said the Romanian CBRN troops used the advanced PCR technique to successfully identify the samples.

“The week culminated with a practical exercise in which teams of three received an unknown sample and performed the steps to identify it. We had a 100 percent success rate, and I could not be more impressed with how expertly they were able to perform the testing,” said Carmen.

The second week shifted focus to an engagement with scientists and medical doctors from the Cantacuzino Institute and the Matei Bals Institute that was focused on specific biological threat agents and distinguishing natural and manmade events as well as the equipment and technique differences in mobile laboratory operations verses fixed facilities.

Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Florin Oancea, the director general of the Cantacuzino Institute, was the host for the two-week training event.

Carmen said the highlight of the training event was touring the Matei Bals Institute, an infectious disease research facility run by the Romanian Ministry of Health.

“They introduced us to many more scientists, and we spent several hours discussing procedures and techniques specific to their equipment,” said Carmen. “I think it demonstrates the mutual respect that can be rapidly built during good training events, and I believe that mutual respect is the most important factor in strengthening partnerships.”

The 1st Area Medical Laboratory is part of the 44th Medical Brigade and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. Department of Defense’s premier CBRNE formation. From 16 bases and 19 states, 20th CBRNE Command Soldiers and civilians take on the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and allied partners.

American Soldiers from 1st Area Medical Laboratory deploy as a unit or in task-organized teams to perform surveillance, laboratory testing and health hazard assessments of environmental, occupational, endemic disease and CBRNE threats to support force protection and Weapons of Mass Destruction missions. The 1st Area Medical Laboratory has strengthened partnerships with allies during recent visits to South Korea, Poland, Australia, Canada and Germany.

Col. Matthew J. Grieser, the commander of the 1st Area Medical Laboratory, said the training bolstered the partnership between the U.S. Army and the Romanian Armed Forces.

“Training events like this make us stronger together,” said Grieser, a seasoned leader from Mulino, Oregon, who has multiple deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq and other contingency operations. “Our 1st Area Medical Laboratory Soldier scientists serve as a force multiplier by conducting medical diplomacy missions that build theater security through the exchange of best practices among our allies and partners.”

• Date Taken: 08.31.2023
• Date Posted: 08.31.2023 15:11
• Story ID: 452587
• Location: BUCHAREST, RO
• Hometown: MULINO, OR, US
• Hometown: PHOENIX, AZ, US