Brian Hill
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (June 9, 2021) — Brig. Gen. Daryl Hood relinquished command of the U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School to Col. Sean Crockett during a change-of-commandant ceremony June 4 in Lincoln Hall Auditorium.
Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood Commanding General Maj. Gen. James Bonner spoke on the “enormous” responsibilities of leading the Chemical Corps, adding that Hood was “more than up to the challenge.”
“The Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School, and its commandant, provide inspirational leadership and care to every member and family of the Chemical Corps,” he said. “The responsibilities are enormous — training and developing 21,000 Soldiers; driving capabilities to ready us for an ever-changing operational environment; and synchronizing with our joint, special operations and community partners. These examples barely scratch the surface of the great work the school does every day.”
“He really made it look easy,” Bonner added. “Daryl and his team were tremendously successful at both developing leaders and driving change.”
Hood next heads to Washington, D.C., where he will be assigned as the deputy director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“It’s a phenomenal assignment — and a hard assignment — but one that will showcase your talent,” Bonner said.
After relinquishing command of the regiment, Hood reflected on the role CBRN plays for the nation.
“Whenever I think about the Chemical Corps — task and purpose; what we do — we protect the joint forces and our homeland against weapons of mass destruction; CBRN threats and hazards — that’s what we do,” he said. “What we stand for is being America’s CBRN defense. Michele and I are truly honored to have served and continue to serve with you.”
Bonner said Crockett is well-qualified to take Hood’s place.
“Your full military experience and proven leadership make you a perfect fit to continue the momentum,” he said.
Previously having served here as the USACBRNS assistant commandant, as well as 3rd Chemical Brigade commander, Crockett called his return to Fort Leonard Wood as the 32nd USACBRNS commandant “a return home.”
“It’s not just home for the regiment, but it’s home for the Crocketts,” he said. “We’re really glad to be part of this again.”
Crockett said as the USACBRNS commandant, he stands “on the shoulders of giants.”
“Through the leadership and mentorship of these giants, I learned the following: that unit cohesion, built on a foundation of trust, is critical to success; that your audio must always match your video, as a leader; that disciplined units do routine things routinely; that caring for people is the most important thing that we do; and finally, that humility is an essential part of wisdom,” he said.
Crockett arrives here from an assignment as the chief of the Full Dimension Protection Division in the Army G-8 at the Pentagon.
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About Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood is a thriving and prosperous installation that has evolved from a small basic training post more than 75 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains more than 80,000 military and civilians each year.
Fort Leonard Wood is home to the U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and three U.S. Army schools: the U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School; and the U.S. Army Military Police School. In addition to training engineer, CBRN and military police specialties for the Army, Fort Leonard Wood also provides gender-integrated in-processing and Basic Combat Training for new Soldiers.
Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.
More information about Fort Leonard Wood is at: https://home.army.mil/wood/index.php/about/mission