Melissa Buckley, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Sept. 29, 2025) — Soldiers with the military occupational specialty of 74D Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Specialist begin their Army careers at Fort Leonard Wood during advanced individual training with the 3rd Chemical Brigade.

According to goarmy.com, CBRN specialists protect the country against the threat of CBRN weapons of mass destruction and decontaminate hazardous material spills or accidents. They also coordinate defense systems against these weapons of mass destruction in support of joint and combined arms operations.

Staff Sgt. Zackery Thompson, a U.S. Army CBRN School instructor, said when Soldiers graduate from the nine-week AIT they will, “be experts in all Level 10 Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear tasks and be ready to advise commanders on CBRN threats on the battlefield.”

According to the U.S. Army CBRN School’s website, the 74D AIT covers detection, monitoring, identification, sampling, decontamination equipment operations and reconnaissance fundamentals. It also covers tactics, techniques and procedures for performing traditional CBRN defense operations at the company level and hazardous materials response operations at the HAZMAT awareness and operation levels with a mission specific competency covering personal protective equipment and mass decontamination operations.

Thompson said decontamination operations are his favorite skills to teach, “due to how important it is for us as CBRN Soldiers.”

“We teach the Soldiers how to decon themselves and their units in the event they are ever exposed to a CBRN threat,” he said.

And he “takes pride” in knowing the new generations of CBRN specialists will go on to play an important role in the Army’s future.

“Not only does CBRN directly support survivability, which is key in multi-domain operations, you also significantly decrease the vulnerability of any unit when properly advised,” Thompson said.

Pfc. Christia Abel, with Company C, 84th Chemical Battalion, said she joined the Army to assist in furthering her education and was excited to be at Fort Leonard Wood training to become a CBRN specialist because she has “always been fascinated by science.”

“The curriculum here is well put together. It’s been a good experience,” Abel said. “It helps that my drill sergeants and instructors are so knowledgeable.”

Thompson said he, “wouldn’t want to be in any other MOS.”

“The CBRN regiment has equipped me with knowledge I can use beyond my military career, that I wouldn’t have received anywhere else,” he said.

For more information about the 74 CBRN Specialist MOS, visit go.army.com.

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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 80 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains nearly 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

Melissa Buckley, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Sept. 26, 2025) — Daugherty Bowling Center’s new virtual reality gaming area, The Bunker, is open for business.

“The Daugherty Bowling Center team is excited about the new additions and tested out the virtual games from riding coasters to racing, it’s been a ton of fun and can’t wait for the community to come and try it out,” said Nia Dickerson, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation marketing manager.

Cassie Finch, Daugherty Bowling Center general business manager, agreed.

“We are super excited. Located in our billiard’s hall, now known as The Bunker, is six new arcade style virtual reality games that are sure to bring out your inner kid and add some joy in your life,” Finch said.

Those who are interested in playing the games can purchase a game card at the bowling center’s front desk for $10, $20 or $50, “depending on how many are in your party or how many rounds you’d like to play,” Dickerson said.

The Bunker is open to all ages, however, youth under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Finch pointed out another new addition to the entertainment facility, this one is to the bowling lanes.

“Our new state of the art scoring system brings an array of color, combined with several new and traditional style bowling games that you can either play solo, verse each other or play as a team,” Finch said.

The center is open 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays; 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Although the center is typically closed on Mondays, it is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on federal holidays that fall on Mondays.

For more information call 573.596.1498 or visit the Daugherty Bowling Center’s website, at https://leonardwood.armymwr.com/programs/daugherty-bowling-center.

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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 80 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains nearly 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

Melissa Buckley, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Sept. 25, 2025) — The Fort Leonard Wood ID Card Office, located in Room 2101 on the second floor of Bldg. 470, is changing its hours of service beginning Oct. 6.

The facility’s new operating hours will be: walk-ins from 8 to 10 a.m., Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; appointments from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays; Tuesdays will be reserved for trainees; and appointments on Thursdays will be from 8 a.m. to noon.

In addition to making ID cards, the office’s staff also maintains the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, commonly known as DEERS.

“We serve about 150 people each day. Last year, we served about 43,000 customers,” said Loyd Baker, ID Card Section primary site security manager.

According to Eyonda Williams, Directorate of Human Resources director, the ID Card Office is adjusting hours to better align with customer demand and staffing availability.

“The goal is to improve efficiency, reduce wait times, and make sure we’re open during the busiest times for our customers,” Williams said.

They plan to monitor the new schedule to see how it works, and if it proves effective for both customers and staff, it may become permanent, she added.

Baker said he is hopeful the new schedule will allow his team to focus on their primary mission of taking care of customers.

“When I first joined the military there were times when I was gone and my wife had to learn to navigate the system on her own. These service members come in here worried about their family members and I personally empathize with them and want to make sure they are taken care of,” Baker said. “When their families are taken care of, they can focus on the mission.”

One way customers can make the most of their time in the office, according to Baker, is to be prepared.

“Bringing the correct documentation is key. If customers go to the locater on the ID Card Office Online, select our office, then click on more site info, they can see a list of documents needed for each circumstance,” Baker said.

Williams agreed and said, “preparation makes the visit much smoother.”

“The best step is scheduling an appointment online and arriving a few minutes early,” Williams said. “Another helpful tip is to check your ID card’s expiration date well in advance so you can schedule ahead instead of waiting until the last minute.”

According to Williams, there have been changes to the Uniformed Services ID card for retirees, dependents and other eligible groups.

“The Department of War is now issuing the Next Generation Uniformed Services ID, or USID, card for retirees, dependents and other eligible groups. This new card replaces the older laminated version and offers stronger security features,” Williams said.

There’s also a new option for some customers to renew USID cards online through the ID Card Office Online system, at https://idco.dmdc.osd.mil/idco/.

“To qualify, your information in DEERS must be current, your photo must be less than 12 years old, you must have a valid U.S. mailing address on file and your sponsor’s status must be valid for at least 30 days. Once approved, the card will be mailed directly to you,” Williams said.

More details about renewing USID cards is available here, at https://www.cac.mil/Next-Generation-Uniformed-Services-ID-Card/Renewing-Online/ .

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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 80 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains nearly 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

Melissa Buckley, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Sept. 24, 2025) — The U.S. Army Military Police School began regimental week by announcing the winners of the 2025 Military Police Warfighter Competition during an awards ceremony Sept. 22 in Fort Leonard Wood’s Baker Theater.

The winners are 2nd Lt. Brock McDaid, Staff Sgt. Jacob Sammis, Spc. Jacob Kropp and Spc. Jordan Ross with the 94th MP Battalion from Camp Humphreys, South Korea.

“You represent the very best of our regiment,” said U.S. Army MP School Command Sgt. Maj. James Rutherford. “This awards ceremony celebrates the culmination of rigorous training, intense competition and unwavering dedication.”

According to Rutherford, the MP Warfighter Competition is not just about identifying the best MP team.

“It is about fostering a spirit of excellence, reinforcing our core competencies and validating our readiness,” Rutherford said.

The competition is designed to test the abilities of MPs in a variety of military occupational skill-specific tasks, as well as their mental and physical fitness.

“These Soldiers have been tested physically, mentally and tactically,” Rutherford said. “They have navigated complex scenarios, demonstrated proficiency in critical skills and embodied our Warrior Ethos.”

Some of the ways the 48 MPs, in 12 teams of four, were tested included weapons lanes, an expert physical fitness assessment, stress shoot, land navigation, situational training exercises, a written test, ruck march, and a Marine Corps swim qualification and combat fitness test.

Sammis said his team enjoyed their time in the Davidson Fitness Center pool being tested by Marines with Fort Leonard Wood’s Marine Corps Detachment.

“We had a lot of fun. We have been training with the water survival team at Camp Humphreys, so we’ve been getting practice at swimming in uniform, and with gear and weapons,” Sammis said. “We came prepared for swimming and we did really well in the pool.”

He said his team was very “sore and tired” by the last night and the Soldiers had to keep motivating each other to complete the night land navigation course.

“We were all feeling pain in some way, shape or form. We had to encourage each other quite a bit,” Sammis said.

Twelve teams started the competition on Sept. 18, but only nine finished on Sept. 20.

“Each competitor should be immensely proud of your performance,” Rutherford said. “Whether you won or lost, you pushed yourselves to the limit, learned from your experiences and contributed to the overall strength of our regiment.”

Of those nine teams, second place went to the team representing the 18th MP Brigade — 1st Lt. Carson Shaffer, Sgt. Kevin Schantz, Spc. Camren Kifer and Spc. Adam Hines.

Taking third place was the team with the 716th MP Bn. — 1st Lt. Philip Kelly, Staff Sgt. Andrew Knipp, Spc. Edward Arens and Pfc. Gabriel Donnelly.

“Your commitment to excellence is a testament to your character and a source of pride for us all,” Rutherford said.

More photos from the competition can be viewed in this Fort Leonard Wood Flickr album, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortleonardwood/albums/72177720329133837/

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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 80 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains nearly 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

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Sept. 5, 2025) — A Fort Leonard Wood Soldier suffered a fatal injury Friday, Sept. 5, while training on a rifle range.

The 18-year-old Soldier from California was assigned to the 1^st Battalion, 48^th Infantry Regiment.

The Soldier was pronounced deceased on site at 10:33 a.m. by General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital medical personnel, according to law enforcement officials.

No other Soldiers or cadre were injured.

The identification of the deceased is being withheld until next-of-kin notification is made.

Circumstances surrounding the incident are currently under investigation by Fort Leonard Wood law enforcement and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

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