Photo By Sarah Lobos | “Today, we are not merely closing a chapter; we are celebrating the conclusion of an...... read more read more
RICHMOND, Ky. (June 14, 2026) — With a final, crisp salute and the solemn furling of its flag, the Blue Grass Chemical Activity formally cased its colors Wednesday at the Armed Forces Reserve Center.
The occasion marked the official deactivation of BGCA and the historic conclusion of a multi-decade national security mission. The ceremony signifies the final completion and verification of an entire class of weapons from the United States' arsenal for the first time in global history. The final U.S. chemical munition was safely destroyed in July 2023, meeting the nation's commitments to the international Chemical Weapons Convention treaty overseen by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Following that destruction milestone, BGCA successfully spent the last three years transitioning its workforce and developing new and innovative ways to divest and reuse equipment, technology and assets — equating to over $36 million in specialized property back to the U.S. Army.
“Today, we are not merely closing a chapter; we are celebrating the conclusion of an inspiring story of unwavering commitment, technological innovation, and global partnership,” said Kelso Horne, Director of the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Activity. “This is the culmination of decades of disciplined work by people who never lost sight of the immense responsibility they carried. The margin for error was zero. The stakes were global, and this command delivered — flawlessly.”
Established as a critical tenant command at the 15,000-acre Blue Grass Army Depot, BGCA was charged with the high-stakes, uncompromising stewardship of 523 U.S. tons of lethal chemical weapons. Arriving gradually and covertly starting in 1944, the highly volatile deterrent stockpile grew to include 101,764 munitions, containing mustard agent, Sarin (GB), and VX nerve agents stored across 45 concrete, earth-covered igloos.
The Chemical Surety Program is the Army’s integrated system of policies, procedures, and controls that ensures the safe, secure, and compliant management of chemical agents across their storage, transport, use, and disposal. The team at BGCA worked in concert across multiple chemical agents and more than 100,000 rockets and projectiles to prevent accidents, protect personnel, and uphold all U.S. legal and treaty obligations. The surety program at BGCA combined safety protocols for handling and storage, security measures to prevent theft or unauthorized access, personnel reliability to ensure only qualified and trustworthy individuals work with agents, Inspection, and compliance systems to verify standards, and robust emergency response and incident reporting requirements.
“The operational history of BGCA will be remembered for its impeccable safety record, anchored by over 1,500 days of zero lost time due to injuries,” Horne said. “This standard was achieved with a workforce committed to the stringent Chemical Surety Program, with specialized expertise in miniature continuous air monitoring systems, and the implementation of real-time analytical mobile laboratories.
“The success was also deeply rooted in community transparency. Furthermore, the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program — a multi-agency partnership between the Army, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and 10 Kentucky counties — maintained a flawless annual training safety exercise for local residents,” Horne added.
While the casing of the colors marks the formal end of BGCA as a standalone entity under the Army Sustainment Command, the footprint it leaves behind continues to serve the military. BGAD will seamlessly continue its primary conventional munitions storage, maintenance, and industrial support missions for the DOW long into the future.
“The success at BGCA shows what is possible when the Army and the community stand shoulder to shoulder,” said Lt. Col. David Dellerman, BGCA’s final commanding officer. “This mission was bigger than any one organization, and we succeeded because we worked as one team. The global significance of this accomplishment cannot be overstated. We have permanently cemented a legacy of peace and security for future generations.”
| Date Taken: | 06.24.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.24.2026 15:48 |
| Story ID: | 568502 |
| Location: | RICHMOND, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 20 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Blue Grass Chemical Activity Cases Colors After Historic Zero-Fail Mission, by Sarah Lobos, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
