No Result
View All Result
Reserve & National Guard
SUBSCRIBE FREE
No Result
View All Result
Reserve & National Guard
SUBSCRIBE FREE
Reserve & National Guard

Army Reserve’s 340th Chemical Company makes history with Japan deployment

By Leslie Stone

AmeriForce Exclusive
by AmeriForce Exclusive
October 4, 2021
340th Chemical Company

CAMP ZAMA, Japan -- The 340th Chemical Company responded to a suspected contaminated package in U.S. Army Japan headquarters building Aug. 3. The reconnaissance and surveillance team conducted sensitive site assessments and exploitation of a simulated mailroom where they encountered unconscious personnel that required immediate extraction and decontamination. After the team removed the Soldiers for decontamination they conducted CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) analysis of the area. This will be one of the final exercises for the 340th as they begin preparations for redeployment after supporting the U.S.-Japan alliance and increasing chemical readiness capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region since December 2020.

The 340th Chemical Company recently returned from an historic nine-month deployment to Japan, marking the first time since World War II that a reserve chemical company reported for duty in the country.

“Our time in Japan was very rewarding,” said Capt. Scott Severance, company commander. “I would say that we played a part in the healing process of [the] former conflict with that country in that we were building trust and instilling confidence in our abilities to be a formidable ally.”

Assigned to U.S. Army Aviation Battalion-Japan, operating out of Naval Air Facility Atsugi, the 340th’s primary mission was to enhance the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force’s chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological units’ response capabilities in support of Orient Shield. They also helped strengthen alliances with bilateral partners.

Severance said Japan faces “real near-peer threats” and the 340th Chemical Company was “part of the deterrence package.” However, Japanese forces, he said, are “more than capable” of defending their country.

“But as much as we rely on them to be a ‘first responder’ to any threat in the region, we want them to rely on us to do the same,” Severance said. “It’s a symbiotic relationship coupled with professional and highly-trained individuals on both sides who were able to enmesh as a team and provide even better capabilities to fill each other’s gaps.”

Overcoming obstacles

Although the 340th is based out of Houston, the mission’s 150-plus citizen soldiers heralded from across the country and around the world.

The 340th had to overcome unprecedented obstacles during deployment — from a once-in-a-century pandemic and numerous government quarantine policies to infrastructure challenges — but worked tirelessly to accomplish the mission, according to Severance.

“On top of dealing with COVID-19, about three-fourths of the company were essentially brand-new soldiers who were never deployed before and now heading to conduct a mission in an environment they’d never experienced,” he said. “We trained heavily when the military itself was kind of shut down — compacting roughly two years of training into nine months — and quite a few things had to be done virtually to get ready for this deployment.” 

A large amount of equipment and vehicles also were shipped overseas, and their barracks in Japan had to be renovated.

“Lines of communication and transportation had not been set up, so we had to do all of that while we were all there,” Severance said.

340th Chemical Company
Lt. Col. Michael S. Omodt, USAAB-J commander, and CSM Dexter Clemons, USAAB-J senior enlisted advisor, attach the Maj. Gen. William L. Sibert Award for Excellence streamer on the 340th Chemical Company guidon during an award ceremony, Sept. 3 in Japan. The 340th won the 2021 award for its support to U.S. Army Japan during its deployment. The annual Sibert award program is designed to provide deserving recognition for excellence in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps, while instilling pride and reinforcing the essential elements of mission readiness, leadership, discipline, unit training, safety, reenlistment, maintenance and organizational excellence.

Because of the 340th’s dedication to the mission — together with support and guidance from leaders of U.S. Army Aviation Battalion Japan and United States Army, Japan — the company received the Maj. Gen. William L. Sibert Award for Excellence, making them the best chemical company in the Army Reserve in 2021. 

Severance said he sees the 340th as becoming an exemplary unit that can train other units.

“We did more than 10 high-profile missions that were created at the company level, which had never really been done before on the chemical side,” he said. “During that time, we had the ability to essentially increase interoperability with sister services, as well as host nation forces. What that means is that we can essentially prepare other units to become proficient in future deployments.”

More information about the 340th Chemical Company can be found on the U.S. Army Center of Military History website. 

Read comments
Tags: 340th Chemical CompanyArmy ReservedeploymentfeaturedJapanTrainingU.S. Army Aviation Battalion-JapanWorld War IIWWII
AmeriForce Exclusive

AmeriForce Exclusive

Related Posts

Operation Deep Freeze serves as bucket-list item for Wyoming flight nurse

by Allison Churchill
1 day ago
0
Operation Deep Freeze

Last fall Capt. Daniel Porter, Wyoming Air National Guardsman, finally got the call that he would be part of Operation...

Read more

Southwest border mission spurs ‘mixed feelings’ among guardsmen

by Will Martin
3 days ago
0
Border mission

The Southwest border mission is a prolonged federal effort and, more recently, a highly politicized mission at the state level.

Read more

‘Retrograde’ documentary captures humanity behind withdrawal from Afghanistan

by Will Martin
5 days ago
0
Retrograde

National Geographic's "Retrograde" captures the humanity behind America’s abrupt Afghanistan exit and its impact on those who remained.

Read more

Guardsmen train with Coast Guard in Alaska

by AmeriForce Exclusive
1 week ago
0
Coast Guard

Undulating waves pitched the 2,000-ton U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Cypress like a bath toy, which was nothing unusual for the...

Read more

AFRC warns of fake social media accounts

by AmeriForce Exclusive
1 week ago
0
Social media

Air Force Reserve Command's social media manager warns of fake social media accounts and urges people to take precautions.

Read more

TRICARE, modernization atop list of legislative priorities

by Joseph LaFave
2 weeks ago
0
TRICARE

TRICARE, modernized equipment and parity with active-duty service components remain at the top of several military lobbyist’s to-do lists.

Read more

Ads

Let's get social

The RNG Drill

News delivered directly to your inbox

Let's connect!

ABOUT US

  • OUR STORY
  • OUR TEAM
  • OUR WRITERS

MAGAZINE

  • GET PRINT
  • GET DIGITAL
  • GET THE NEWSLETTER

GET RESOURCES

  • VETERANS TOOLKIT

ADVERTISE

  • GET OUR MEDIA KIT
  • PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT

SUBMISSIONS

  • PITCH US
  • SUBMIT YOUR STORY

Never miss out on the latest stories.

© 2021 Reserve & National Guard by AmeriForce. Privacy Policy | Terms | Site by Swiss Commerce

Thank you for your interest in The Reserve & National Guard Magazine!

Thank you for your interest in The Reserve & National Guard Magazine!

No Result
View All Result
  • NEWS
  • YOUR CAREER
    • UNIT TRAINING
    • DEPLOYMENT
    • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
    • RECRUITING & RETENTION
    • ENTREPRENEUR
    • TRANSITION
  • EDUCATION
  • MILITARY LIFE
    • MILITARY SPOUSES
    • MILITARY KIDS
    • PARENTING
  • OFF DUTY
    • ENTERTAINMENT
    • TRAVEL
  • HEALTH
    • FITNESS
    • MEDICINE
    • MENTAL HEALTH
  • OPINION
  • HISTORY
  • MONEY
    • PERSONAL FINANCE
    • BENEFITS
  • GET THE MAGAZINE
    • PRINT MAGAZINES
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINES
    • GET THE NEWSLETTER
  • RESOURCES
    • VETERANS TOOLKIT
  • ABOUT US
    • MEET OUR TEAM
    • OUR AUTHORS
    • ADVERTISE WITH US
    • SUBMIT YOUR STORY
    • PITCH US
    • CONTACT

© 2022 Reserve & National Guard by AmeriForce. Site by SCBW