FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The U.S. Army Chemical Corps is planning to celebrate 108 years of service by holding its annual Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regimental Week celebration June 1-4, 2026, at Fort Leonard Wood.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “One Team, One Regiment.”
According to U.S. Army CBRN School historians, the tradition of referring to CBRN Soldiers as dragons dates back to World War I, when the dragon was chosen as the symbol of sovereignty for the Chemical Warfare Service.
Col. Zachary Brainard, USACBRNS assistant commandant, said that was merely the opening chapter of a "long and storied history."
“Since then, our chemical Soldiers have been at the forefront of every major conflict, ensuring that every Soldier in the Army is ready to fight and win on a CBRN-contaminated battlefield,” Brainard said. “Across the globe, we are seeing a resurgence of CBRN threats from our adversaries, and the chemical corps stands at the forefront of modernizing the force to counter these threats.”
Prior to regimental week, the Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah W. Johnson Best CBRN Warrior Competition is scheduled for May 28 to 31, with written tests, land navigation, CBRN-specific challenges, physical fitness assessments and weapons qualifications.
The public is invited to watch competitors complete a non-standard physical fitness test at 9 a.m., May 30 in Waynesville’s Roubidoux Park.
Winners are set to be announced during an award ceremony at 10 a.m., June 1, at Baker Theater.
The State of the CBRN Regiment address is scheduled to take place prior to the award ceremony, at 9 a.m., June 1 in Baker Theater.
“(USACBRNS leaders) will kick off the State of the Regiment and set the stage for modernization and transformation efforts from the USACBRNS perspective,” Brainard said. “The Army has changed a lot over the last year so audience members can expect the regimental leadership team to explain how the chemical corps is modernizing to best deliver the capabilities of assessment, protect, and mitigation to the warfighter.”
He said attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in professional development sessions with subject matter experts.
“I am excited about all our guest speakers who will be covering a lot of important topics,” Brainard added.
A Regimental Honors ceremony is set to take place at 1:30 p.m., June 1 at Lincoln Hall Auditorium.
During the ceremony, they plan to recognize outstanding achievements with the presentation of: Combat Action Badges; Order of the Dragon; Ancient Order of the Dragon; Honorable Order of the Dragon; Order of the Dragon Legionnaire; the Siebert Award; Distinguished Member of the Corps honors; and those being added to the CBRN Hall of Fame.
A Sunrise Service to honor fallen CBRN service members is planned for 6 a.m., June 2 in Memorial Grove. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony may be moved indoors to Soldier Memorial Chapel.
The service will be followed by a Warfighter Forum and Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership and Education, Personnel, Facilities — Policy, known as DOTMLPF-P, Modernization Panel discussion.
“I am looking forward to our Warfighter Forum and DOTMLPF-P panel this year. It is our opportunity as an institution to share our modernization and transformation efforts with leaders from across the regiment,” Brainard said. “I am excited for the candid dialogue that will be a part of these events and most importantly help us deliver the best product to the warfighter.”
Fort Leonard Wood residents can expect increased foot traffic June 3 as Dragon Soldiers conduct the regimental run beginning at 6 a.m. on Gammon Field.
Military and civilian spouses interested in learning more about CBRN career fields and training performed at Fort Leonard Wood can participate in a spouse event at 10 a.m., June 4 beginning with a tour at the John B. Mahaffey Museum Complex.
Celebrations conclude June 4 at Nutter Field House with the Green Dragon Ball. Social hour starts at 5 p.m., and the ball begins at 6 p.m.