Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD — The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC), in co-sponsorship with the Non-Conventional Threat Consultants (NCT), hosted the NCT USA conference from September 5-7, 2023, at the Chemical Demilitarization Training Facility in Edgewood, Maryland, on Aberdeen Proving Ground.

The conference enabled collaboration among some of the highest-level decision makers and experts in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNe) from across the globe. This forum provides a world-class networking and knowledge exchange platform for government and military senior leaders, local and federal first responders, academia, as well as industry leaders in the field including groups from the Counter Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED) and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) communities.

Over the three-day-long conference, NCT USA featured an exhibition, a Dragon’s Pitch, and the NCT PRO eXperience. The NCT PRO eXperience served as a training and demo component of the NCT USA conference. The component has been successful in previous years, providing a unified front among responders and introducing teams of operators to the latest CBRNe, C-IED, and EOD technologies. This year, civil and military first responders were provided training to respond to CBRNe, C-IED, and EOD demining scenarios with the aim of promoting interoperability, multinational, and multi-agency cooperation, with each scenario engaging two different types of teams in training together. Each training session arranged scenarios that were tailored to the training needs of the participating teams and sponsors.

In addition to the PRO trainings, more than 500 registered attendees participated in exhibition networking events and panel discussions. The NCT USA Conference kicked off with opening remarks from CBRNE community leaders. Among the many distinguished speakers were Dr. Eric Moore, DEVCOM Deputy to the Commanding General, who spoke on integration and how the community can prepare for future readiness. DEVCOM CBC Director, Mr. Michael Bailey, followed explaining the importance of partnerships and collaboration within the industry.

“No matter where you sit in this enterprise, the mission and vision are largely the same. CBC is here to help make this event worth your investment,” Bailey said. “We have the ability to partner with and work with nearly everybody. CBC is an organization of doers. If you can think it, CBC can help you do it.”

As the Center’s vision is to provide innovative CBRNe solutions to protect warfighters and the Nation, co-sponsoring NCT USA offers a collaborative effort to ensure preparedness against future threats.