The official date of formation of the radiation, chemical and biological protection troops is 13 November 1918 when the first bodies and units of chemical protection in the active Red Army were formed by the order No. 220 of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic. Chemical troops, which were later renamed into the radiation, chemical and biological protection troops, performed their tasks during the Civil War and the Great Patriotic War with dignity and honour. Twenty separate heavy flamethrower units, twelve separate battalions and ten separate companies of portable flamethrowers were awarded combat orders, as well as forty flamethrower units received honorary titles for exemplary performance of the command’s tasks during the Great Patriotic War. More than 70% of officers and generals and more than half of enlisted personnel of the chemical troops were honoured with government awards. Twenty-two of the most courageous military awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
As part of the limited contingent of Soviet troops, chemical military personnel fought in Afghanistan about ten years. There were such effective chemical support tasks as the use of flame-throwing incendiary munition weapons and aerosols. Many servicemen of chemical troops –veterans were awarded combat orders and medals.
During the rectification of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, they were entrusted with the most responsible, dangerous and difficult work taking into account the professional training and technical equipment of chemical troops. The great contribution of chemical troops to the rectification of the consequences of the accident was highly appreciated by the government. Many generals, officers, warrant officers, sergeants and servicemen were honoured with prestigious government awards for their courage and selfless labour.
The department of chemical troops was established on 1 June 1992 on the basis of the disbanded directorate of the Belarusian military district and was included in the Main Staff of the Armed Forces.
On 21 December 2001, in connection with the establishment of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, the chemical troops department of the Main Staff of the Armed Forces was reformed and included on its structure as the NBC protection and Ecology Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. The renaming was an objective necessity caused by changes in both the scope of tasks performed and the quantitative and qualitative composition of the troops.