Leaders from the Japan Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) paid a visit to the 20th CBRNE Command (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives) here Feb. 27.

Brig. Gen. JB Burton, the commanding general of the 20th CBRNE Command, hosted the group at his headquarters on Aberdeen Proving Ground.

Burton visited the Japan Ground Self Defense Force Chemical School during a trip to the Asia Pacific region last August.

Headquartered in Maryland's science, technology and security corridor, the 20th CBRNE Command serves with joint, interagency and allied partners around the world. Soldiers and civilians from 20th CBRNE Command combat the full range of global CBRNE threats from improvised explosive devices to Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Led by Col. Masashi Yamamoto, the Japanese Army Attaché, the group met with the leaders of the U.S. Defense Department's only multifunctional formation that combats global CBRNE threats.

The group also attended briefings on the 20th CBRNE Command's specialized capabilities and its global mission.

Burton said the visit was an opportunity to highlight the unique mission of his one-of-a-kind command.

"I enjoyed visiting Japan last year and it was an honor to host our Japanese allies here at our headquarters," said Burton, a native of Tullahoma, Tennessee.