Mr. Garo (Charles) Baronian was born 13 May 1930, in Providence, Rhode Island. His major contributions have been involved with the chemical weapons disposal program for 42 years in various capacities as a Soldier and as a civilian.

In 1975, Mr. Baronian was named Deputy Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization and was responsible for the destruction of lethal chemical munitions limited to obsolete or unwanted chemical munitions from ocean dumping to incineration to alternative technologies. He was also involved in the conception and building of the Chemical Demilitarization Training Facility. The facility graduated its first class of operators in the first quarter of 1993. He started the first OCONUS full-scale incinerator started at Johnston Island.

Mr. Baronian retired in the summer of 1994 after 42 years of honorable and distinguished service and is now a consultant after working as a chemical engineer executive. Among his publications are the “History and Program Rationales of the Demilitarization Program” and the Chemical Weapons Convention Bulletin on the destruction of the U.S. Chemical Stockpile.

Mr. Baronian’s foresight has the allowed the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency to become successful in destroying currently over 85% of the U.S. chemical agent stockpile since Entry-Into-Force, when the U.S. ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty in April 1997.

Today, Mr. Baronian is regarded as a leading authority in the world on destruction technologies for hazardous chemical warfare weapons.