Ozona native is safety officer for US Army

FORT CAVAZOS, Texas—An Army civilian safety officer helps to keep the U.S. Army’s only operational active-duty Chemical Brigade ready for missions around the world.

Rodney Munoz, the safety officer for the 48th Chemical Brigade, directly contributes to the health and safety of Soldiers and Army civilians in the one-of-a-kind formation.

The Fort Cavazos, Texas-headquartered 48th Chemical Brigade “Spartans” are part of the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. military’s premier CBRNE headquarters.

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.

Munoz was recently selected as the 20th CBRNE Command Civilian of the Quarter for January through March 2024.

Managing the safety program is no easy task since the 48th Chemical Brigade commands four battalions and 15 companies with units stationed on nine installations in eight states.

“Safety has a major impact on this command’s readiness,” Munoz said. “Safety is not just #1 but always safety.”

Leveraging a wide variety of training aids, Munoz presents technical safety training to supervisors, Soldiers and Army civilians in the 48th Chemical Brigade. He also provides advice on appropriate safety measures.

Originally from Ozona, Texas, Munoz is a graduate of the University of Phoenix. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a non-destructive inspector for the F-18 program. During his 21 years in the Marine Corps, he deployed to Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea and Europe.

As an Army civilian, he has deployed for Afghanistan for a year. He also served as a Navy civilian in Southern California before moving back home to Texas. He was an Army civilian with the 1st Armored Division on Fort Bliss, Texas, before coming to the 48th Chemical Brigade in June 2022.

“The highlight of serving at 48th Chemical Brigade is the daily interaction I have with the awesome Soldiers,” said Munoz, adding that he also welcomes the opportunity to travel around the brigade’s global footprint.

SOURCE U.S. Army