Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Angel Martinez-Navedo | Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis R. Kirk Jr. (left), the senior enlisted leader for the 20th...... read more read more
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ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – A U.S. Army infantryman took responsibility of the U.S. military’s premier Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) formation, Aug. 6.
Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis R. Kirk Jr. assumed responsibility as the ninth command sergeant major for the 20th CBRNE Command during a ceremony on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
Kirk previously served as the command sergeant major of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division, on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, where he led the brigade through a rotational deployment to South Korea.
A native of Hopatcong, New Jersey, Kirk has served around the world, including assignments with the 25th Infantry Division, 10th Mountain Division, 3rd Infantry Division and 7th Infantry Division. He also served as the operations sergeant major for the 1st Battalion, and Command Sergeant Major of 4th Battalion, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment “The Old Guard.”
The new command sergeant is a former drill instructor, senior drill instructor and military science instructor. Kirk is also a graduate of the Ranger Course, Airborne School and Air Assault School, among many others. He has deployed seven times, including three combat deployments and four operational deployments.
Kirk earned his bachelor’s degree in management from American Military University and his master’s degree in management from Excelsior.
Headquartered on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, in Northeast Maryland’s science, technology and security corridor, the 20th CBRNE Command is home to the majority of the Active-Duty U.S. Army’s EOD and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) units, as well as the 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory, CBRNE Analytical and Remediation Activity, Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordination Teams and Nuclear Disablement Teams.
Soldiers and Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command deploy from 19 bases in 16 states to confront and defeat the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and multinational operations.
Brig. Gen. W Bochat, the commanding general of the 20th CBRNE Command, hosted the ceremony at the 20th CBRNE Command Headquarters.
“No other command in the U.S. military can do what we do every day, and we must remain ready to confront and defeat CBRNE hazards around the clock and around the world,” said Bochat. “Our unit takes an aggressive, proactive stands against those who threaten us with the use of CBRNE weapons.”
Bochat said Kirk is uniquely qualified to help the 20th CBRNE Command to focus on its primary mission of enabling combat forces to fight and win on the battlefield while protecting the American people from CBRNE threats.
“Command Sgt. Maj. Kirk is the right leader at the right time to lead this formation. His experiences in combat and life-threatening operations will help inform our way forward,” said Bochat. “Command Sgt. Maj. Kirk is the ninth Liberty 7 (command sergeant major) and only the second Infantry command sergeant major in the almost 21-year history of the 20th CBRNE Command. He was chosen because of his ability to fight, train formations and focus on the fundamentals.”
The ceremony was attended by many leaders, Soldiers and Army civilians from the CBRNE profession and past and present leaders from the 20th CBRNE Command.
Kirk’s wife Michele and his children Annabelle, Dennis III, Noah and Miles also attended the ceremony. His daughter Annabelle sang the National Anthem during the ceremony.
The new command sergeant major thanked Bochat for the opportunity to serve as the senior enlisted advisor for the multifunctional and deployable CBRNE formation.
“I look forward to working for and with you to take the 20th CBRNE Command to new heights,” said Kirk.
During the three weeks prior to the ceremony, Kirk traveled around the country with Bochat and visited 20th CBRNE Command units on Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and Fort Stewart, Georgia.
Kirk said he was impressed with the Soldiers he saw in action.
“I am extremely proud to be your command sergeant major,” said Kirk. “There is no doubt in my mind that if ever called upon to conduct large-scale combat operations for any type of mission you will be successful in destroying the enemies of our nation.”
| Date Taken: | 08.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2025 12:05 |
| Story ID: | 544929 |
| Location: | ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MARYLAND, US |
| Hometown: | HOPATCONG, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 109 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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