Soldiers from the 637th Chemical Company gathered Jan. 12 in Kettering, Ohio, to display and demonstrate their newest weapon in the fight against terrorism-the Joint Biological Point Detection System (JBPDS).

The JBPDS is the world's mostadvanced biological threat detection and identification system, officials said, and January marked its inception into the National Guard.

"We were chosen because of our strong readiness and our performance at Vigilant Guard [a 2007 training exercise]," said Brig. Gen. Jack Lee, commander of the Ohio Army Guard's 73rd Troop Command, the 637th's higher headquarters.

The completely automated and fully mobile system can detect and identify up to 10 agents at once and a broad catalog of other threats, officials said.

It features an on board generator, sealed rear passenger compartment and global positioning systems that can communicate with other JBPDS units.

The Guard is also fielding the equipment to 12 other units in nine states.

The 637th is the agent identification and decontamination piece of Ohio's Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high-yield Explosives (CBRNE) Enhanced Response Force Package.

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