Photo By Lance Cpl. Amy Espinoza | U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Robert Ford (right), and Cpl. Frederik Arminger, both chemical,...... read more read more
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FORT BELVOIR, Va. – Scientists supported by the Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO) cut the response time for a simulated biological threat to less than 24 hours during a drill that happened alongside Exercise Arctic Edge in Alaska and Greenland in February 2026. This rapid turnaround of scientific expertise provided Joint Force leaders with immediate medical and tactical guidance, a process that typically takes months to coordinate between stateside labs and deployed warfighters.
JSTO is the science and technology engine of the Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP). It anticipates threats and advances the development of processes, equipment, and expertise that enable warfighters to survive and operate in CB contested environments. This drill during Arctic Edge was another example of how well prepared they are to fulfill their mission.
The drill began with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Technical Support Group , which provides specialized, rapidly deployable, military-led teams that offer low-visibility search, detection, and identification of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, in support of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), urgently requested the U.S. Army Medical Institute for Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) provide guidance on handling possible saxitoxin exposure. In real-time, ground operators needed fast, clear recommendations on protective equipment, countermeasures, and decontamination to secure the area and protect personnel.
USAMRIID’s Special Pathogens Laboratory (SPL) quickly activated its JSTO-funded Threat Area Panel (TAP) Program. The TAP serves as a rapid response team, leveraging pre-identified USAMRIID experts to address unusual biological phenomena and agents augmenting the SPL operational mission. They provide data, advisement, and overall support to commanders leading the field efforts.
"During a threat, time matters most," said Dr. Giselle Roman Hernandez, chief of JSTO’s Threat Agent Science Branch managing the TAP program. "This exercise proved how JSTO investments in robust threat agent science and rapid response at USAMRIID support the warfighter."
"This demonstrates how our enterprise can move instantly from the laboratory to the front lines," said Richard Schoske, Ph.D., division director, Enabling Science and Technology Division, JSTO. "When we deliver actionable science to a commander in hours, not weeks, we change how the military operates, and we increase their overall readiness. Our warfighters don’t have to guess when facing unknown hazards."
Roman Hernandez emphasized that readiness is key to the military's strategy. “By supporting a pre-positioned group of USAMRIID experts in predesignated areas, JSTO ensures the military has answers during a crisis,” said Roman Hernandez. “Department of War Scientists are already part of the operational chain of command. This means they are integrated directly into decision-making and provide decisive defense against future challenges.”
Ultimately, Arctic Edge's success defines a new standard for modern biodefense and CBDP. By shrinking the response timeline from months to hours and integrating elite USAMRIID scientific minds directly into the decision-making process, JSTO transformed high-level research into a decisive battlefield advantage. This seamless link between the lab and the field ensures that when a hazard emerges, the response will be fast, informed, and ready to protect the warfighters who stand in harm's way.
| Date Taken: | 05.01.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.01.2026 11:13 |
| Story ID: | 564117 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Supporting the Front Lines: JSTO Redefines Biodefense Preparedness during Arctic Edge 2026, by Jack Bunja, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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