FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas — A U.S. Army officer has completed specialized training to operate one of the military’s most advanced portable chemical detection systems, bolstering tactical force protection and medical hazard response capabilities.
2LT Cole Roman, the Deputy Chief of Operations for Public Health Command-Pacific (PHC-P), alongside Mr. Harbison (PHC-P), a civilian public health specialist from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), successfully graduated from the Molecular Analytics-Chemical (MAC) Analyzer Operator Training Course held from June 22–25, 2026.
The rigorous certification program took place at the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE) located at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. The training equips operators with the critical technical skills and scientific knowledge required to deploy the military's premier chemical analyzer system in field environments.
At the center of the training is the HAPSITE-ER, a person-portable Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS). The highly sophisticated device is engineered to deliver laboratory-grade qualitative and quantitative chemical identification in less than 10 minutes, even under austere field conditions.
According to military technical specifications, the HAPSITE-ER is capable of detecting and identifying a wide spectrum of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs), and Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs) down to parts-per-billion levels.
By utilizing this technology, certified operators can provide commanders with immediate, geographically tagged scientific data. This real-time intelligence is critical for guiding rapid tactical force protection measures and making informed medical hazard mitigation decisions on the battlefield.
With this new certification, PHC-P enhances its readiness posture, ensuring rapid and precise chemical analysis can be performed at the tactical edge to protect joint forces across the Pacific theater.