The U.S. Army’s 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory trained together with the Republic of Korea Chemical, Biological, Radiological Field Analysis and Support Team (CFAST) in South Korea, April 27 – May 2.
Previously called the 1st Area Medical Laboratory, the 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory “Lab Dragons” are part of the 44th Medical Brigade and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. Department of Defense’s premier multifunctional and deployable CBRN formation.
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. The command conducts lifesaving and mission-enabling missions around the world and across the nation.
The Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland-headquartered 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory performs surveillance, laboratory testing and health hazard assessments of environmental, occupational, endemic disease and CBRNE threats to support force protection and counter Weapons of Mass Destruction missions.
Activated in 1942, the U.S. Army mobile laboratory command has served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan.
Soldiers from the 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory deployed to help contain the Ebola outbreak in Liberia in 2014 – 2015.
The 1st GMFL also served in seven overseas locations to support the COVID-19 response, including U.S. military hospitals in Germany, South Korea and Japan.
Lt. Col. Richard Foucault, Ph.D, the chief of the Chemical Threat Assessment Section at the 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory, said the training event included a display of equipment and protective gear that personnel wear when collecting suspected Chemical, Biological, Radiological (CBR) samples.
Foucault said the allies compared methods of collecting and processing samples.
“At the end of the training exercise, the 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory team observed a scenario where the ROK CFAST Team had to collect and bring a suspected CBR agent to the laboratory,” said Foucault, who is originally from Fort Lee, New Jersey.
“The training was a success for both organizations because we learned about our strengths and weaknesses and identified areas that need improvement,” said Foucault, who has served in the U.S. Army for 19 years. He earned degrees in biochemistry, mathematics and physical chemistry from the City College of New York and City University of New York. He has served in France and South Korea.
Foucault said the 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory and CFAST train together every year in South Korea or on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
“The highlight of the training was the enduring collaborative relationship that exists between the ROK CFAST team and the 1st GFML to improve and develop more efficient products that can protect our warfighters and civilian population in the event of an incident,” he said.
Foucault said the ROK CFAST leaders thanked the 1st GFML Soldiers for their ongoing efforts to strengthen their partnership and increase the readiness of the Republic of Korea-U.S. Alliance.
