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Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)
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      Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)


      Mission: The safe elimination of chemical weapons at Pueblo and Blue Grass by Sept. 30, 2023

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      Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP)

      BGCAPP is safely destroying the chemical weapons stockpile currently in storage at the Blue Grass Army Depot near Richmond, Kentucky.

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      Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP)

      PCAPP is safely destroying the chemical weapons stockpile currently in storage at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado.

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Coast Guard Rescuer Trains Staff with Life-Saving Skills

Published: August 13, 2015 | Category: PCAPP News
Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Emergency Preparedness Intern Cody Jensen.

Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Emergency Preparedness Intern Cody Jensen.

From the frigid waters of Alaska to Colorado’s arid desert, Cody Jensen has devoted his young life to saving lives. The Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP) intern, and trained rescuer, is teaching project employees a vital lesson in vigilance and safety.

Jensen interns in the Emergency Preparedness department with systems contractor, the Bechtel Pueblo Team. He creates drills, leads training sessions and writes policies.

“The idea of saving as many people as I can with policy or procedure changes is a big driving point for me,” he said. However, his journey before PCAPP began serendipitously, unlike the frigid waters he used to dive into.

“I joined the military [Coast Guard] in 2006 when I was 19 and was stationed in Kodiak, Alaska. I went down many different paths because I didn’t know what I wanted to do yet,” said Jensen. He began his Coast Guard career as a mechanical technician working on boats before becoming a rescue swimmer.

During this time, Jensen says he saved countless lives, while having a handful of near-death experiences of his own, one of which he said he recalls vividly.

“It was 2 a.m. in the dead of night. I was thrown off a boat into freezing water, with 70 pounds of gear dragging me down, and all-black clothing on. I barely managed to ditch my gear and get back to the surface.”

It wasn’t until Jensen moved to Boston two years later that his passion for learning began. Jensen earned his master’s degree while actively working with an anti-terrorism group. With a focus on emergency management and anti-terrorism, his career and education seamlessly aligned.

“Everything I did in school was immediately applicable to the field. I researched chemical attacks, terrorism response and preparation, and how to mitigate threats. If you look at history, a lot of events that happened tend to repeat themselves. The only difference now is that we can examine those events to see what could have been done differently, and stop those things from happening again.”

Those analytical skills are highlighted through one of his current projects at PCAPP: active shooter training. Jensen instructs a 40-minute course on active shooter preparedness and prevention.

“The goal is to teach every single person at PCAPP awareness, signs to look for, and how to mitigate problems,” Jensen explains. Every Tuesday night, Jensen also assists with Emergency Response Team (ERT) training. However, he said his favorite training to teach is an intensive two-day long, hands-on ERT course that employees must take to receive their ERT certification.

Jensen holds a master’s degree in health care and emergency management. He said his goal is become an officer in the military and obtain a Ph.D.

“I want to learn something new every day, and I believe I can achieve that by doing things for other people and not for myself.”

More PCAPP People Articles

  • Colleen Brisnehan, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment hazardous waste program manager, is the newest appointed member of the Colorado Chemical Demilitarization Citizens' Advisory Commission.

    Colorado Commission Welcomes New Member

    Published: May 4, 2022
  • Todd Ailes is the new Bechtel Pueblo Team project manager at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant.

    New Bechtel Pueblo Team Manager Takes Helm

    Published: November 18, 2021
  • Redevelopment CEO Appointed to Colorado Advisory Commission

    Redevelopment CEO Appointed to Colorado Advisory Commission

    Published: October 28, 2021
  • Drew Norton, ordnance technician, left, and Jeff Mecomber, instruments and control technician, pose for a photograph after making a toxic area entry together at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant.

    Mentorship Critical to Pueblo Plant Maintenance

    Published: August 30, 2021
  • Belts equipped with a bag of practice hoses are used by beginning Demilitarization Protective Ensemble entrants to simulate the hose change process.

    Worker’s Innovation Streamlines Toxic Area Entry Training

    Published: July 29, 2021
  • Mark Honnen, an Air Force veteran and deputy chief of staff to Colorado Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera, is the newest member of the Colorado Chemical Demilitarization Citizens' Advisory Commission.

    Colorado Governor Appoints New Advisory Commission Member

    Published: April 8, 2021
  • Toxic Material Handlers from the Pueblo Chemical Depot load a pallet of munitions onto a Modified Ammunition Vehicle, or MAV.

    Toxic Material Handlers Keep Up with Demand

    Published: April 6, 2021
  • Colorado Congress Members Tour Pueblo Plant

    Colorado Congress Members Tour Pueblo Plant

    Published: February 12, 2021
  • Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Automation Specialist Wendell Savage teaches the Training Facility robot about the new Drained Munition Weight Station. Later, the lessons were applied to the plant’s Munitions Washout System.

    Pueblo Plant Worker Instrumental in Campaign Success

    Published: February 2, 2021
  • From left, Ken Harrawood, project manager, Bechtel Pueblo Team, Walton Levi, site project manager, Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant, and Col. Michael Cobb, military commander, Pueblo Chemical Depot, give the Pueblo City Council a briefing Oct. 15, 2019, on the status of the destruction of the stockpile of mustard agent-filled munitions.

    Plant, Depot Officials Keep Local Governments Briefed on Stockpile

    Published: November 20, 2019
PCAPP Interns

Related Content

  • Interns Expand Knowledge Base by Shadowing Peers

    Interns Expand Knowledge Base by Shadowing Peers

    July 29, 2016
  • Student Completes Degree with Help from Pueblo Plant Laboratory

    Student Completes Degree with Help from Pueblo Plant Laboratory

    June 14, 2016
  • PCAPP Interns Thrive Under Autonomous Supervision

    PCAPP Interns Thrive Under Autonomous Supervision

    July 14, 2015

Recent PCAPP News

  • Static Detonation Chamber Trial Testing Concludes

    Static Detonation Chamber Trial Testing Concludes

    May 13, 2022
  • Backup Systems Allow for Safe Repairs

    Backup Systems Allow for Safe Repairs

    March 28, 2022
  • Color Coding Boosts Chemical Weapon Destruction

    Color Coding Boosts Chemical Weapon Destruction

    March 23, 2022
  • Plant Closely Monitors Permit Requirements

    Plant Closely Monitors Permit Requirements

    February 24, 2022
  • First Agent Destroyed in Static Detonation Chamber

    First Agent Destroyed in Static Detonation Chamber

    February 22, 2022

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Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)