FORT SILL, Okla. – U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians demonstrated flexibility, ingenuity and resourcefulness during a recent response to a lodged round in a M109A6 Paladin howitzer on Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Army EOD Soldiers, from the 761st Ordnance Company (EOD) safely cleared the projectile that jammed during howitzer training.

Staff Sgt. Cody A. Dodd, an EOD team leader from the 761st EOD Company, coordinated with the Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division (NAVEODTECHDIV) to implement a new strategy to clear the lodged round.

The U.S. Navy is designated as the joint service Executive Agent for EOD Technology and Training. Part of the Naval Sea Systems Command, the Naval Explosive Disposal Technology Division is used by all EOD technicians for joint EOD requirements.

“This response was unique because it is rare to receive such an incident,” said Dodd. “Being at Fort Sill, home of the artillery, you would think this is a common occurrence. However, that is not the case. I’ve been stationed here for two years and this is the first incident like this.”

After the usual stuck round procedures were unsuccessful, Dodd and the field artillery battalion commander determined that the safest course of action was for the disposition of the gun barrel and ordnance inside.

Dodd led the team that disposed of the round while it was still lodged by moving the barrel to the demolition range and assisting in the download of the 4,500-pound tube. EOD team was able to safely destroy the stuck round and the Paladin will be operational again after repair parts are installed.

“This is important to the supporting artillery units because a stuck round causes the gun to be completely inoperable,” said Dodd, a native of Wellsburg, West Virginia, who has deployed to Afghanistan and Syria during his almost nine years in the Army. “It is our job to make all efforts to attempt to enable the gun to be at a firing status again.”

Dodd said the response will serve as a lesson learned for future joint service EOD operations involving stuck rounds.

“The highlight of this response would be the demolition procedure conducted on the gun tube and ordnance,” said Dodd. “With guidance from NAVEODTECHDIV, we were able to contribute to the overall EOD force for future incidents involving this ordnance.”

The Fort Sill, Oklahoma-based 761st EOD Company is part of the 79th EOD Battalion, 71st EOD Group and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. Department of Defense’s premier CBRNE formation.

From 19 bases in 16 states, Soldiers and Army civilians from 20th CBRNE Command take on the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and multinational operations.

As the U.S. Army’s explosive experts, EOD technicians take on everything from hand grenades to nuclear weapons. After defeating more than 50,000 Improvised Explosive Devices in Iraq and Afghanistan, Army EOD techs are training to support ground maneuver forces during large-scale combat operations.

Army EOD technicians from the 761st EOD Company conduct target insertion, range clearance and fire break clearance missions for U.S. Army field artillery and air defense artillery units.

EOD technicians from the 761st EOD Company also enable military operations around the world and respond when military munitions are found on and off base in Oklahoma, Arkansas and across 60 counties in Texas.

Based on Fort Sill, Oklahoma, the 1-78th Field Artillery Battalion trains and educates Soldiers in fire support core competencies to support operational Army forces.

Lt. Col. Brian J. Dermody, the commander of the 1-78th Field Artillery Battalion, presented coins to the Soldiers involved in the response.

“Our fires mission is an absolutely critical part of the U.S. Army’s shift to preparing for large-scale combat operations against a near-peer adversary,” said Dermody, a native of West Chester, Pennsylvania, who has commanded the artillery battalion since July of 2023. “EOD technicians like Staff Sgt. Dodd take on the dangerous and demanding role of helping to keep us mission ready.”

By Walter T. Ham IV

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo — The people of Kosovo have been working for over 20 years to continue removing unexploded ordnance from conflicts that occurred in the region. The torch has now been passed to the 720th Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Company during Kosovo Force Regional Command-East’s 31st rotation.

“Normally whenever we get one of the 9-lines they’re coming from local civilians,” said Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Baldwin, an EOD Technician with the 720th EOD Company from Baumholder, Germany. “They’ll encounter ordnance either on their own property or when traveling for commerce up in the mountains.”

The team typically receives two to three calls a week during the winter months, and up to five calls during the summer months. This increase is due to individuals going into areas that are usually inaccessible during the winter, like up in the mountains for example, Baldwin said.

“We’ve been finding a wide range of stuff, all the way from World War I up to the war in Kosovo back in the ‘90s,” said 1st Lt. Naomi Dawood, commander of Task Force EOD from the 720th EOD Company, Baumholder, Germany. “I would say hand grenades are probably the most common things we find here though.”

The EOD team at Camp Bondsteel is on call 24/7 and has an average response time of 30 minutes upon receiving a 9-line request. After normal business hours, or if there are multiple calls at once, it may take an hour or more before they are able to leave the base.

However, it’s not just the Soldiers from 720th EOD Company that gets to have all of the fun. Their team works closely with other NATO partners and allies, as well as the Kosovo Security Forces, or KSF, to work together on clearing the region and keeping communities safe.

“Working with other EOD units has really been an honor,” Baldwin said. “It’s very interesting to see some of their practices, they’re very different from what we typically do on response missions, but that’s because we haven’t had a lot of interoperability training with them before coming into theater.”

The KSF also has an advantage when it comes to locating these unexploded ordinances, known as UXO, according to Dawood.

“They’ve been super cooperative and eager to work with us,” Dawood said. “They obviously live here, so they’re a little bit more knowledgeable about the land than we are, which is nice when we get lost sometimes trying to find a UXO.”

The road to becoming an EOD technician is no small feat. The job comes with a rigorous interview process, followed by 9 months of advanced individual training. Another unique part about this military occupational specialty is that enlisted Soldiers and officers alike work side-by-side as classmates throughout the entire course.

1st Lt. Dawood originally wanted to become a doctor when she was commissioning through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program, but decided she wanted something a little more adventurous.

“Wanting to become an EOD tech is probably the best thing I’ve done in the Army,” Dawood said. “It’s very exciting and it’s always a challenge, which I really like.”

The excitement and challenges seem to be a large interest in those Soldiers who are interested in taking the career path of an EOD technician. As one of the noncommissioned officers in Task Force EOD, Baldwin said he also enjoys the high intensity moments that come with the job.

“As an EOD tech, I think my favorite part of my job is wherever I’m working with my team members, essentially by ourselves. There is a huge degree of responsibility we inherit whenever we are on mission,” Baldwin said. “We have support from local law enforcement and usually a medic, but other than that, it’s myself and two of my team members working on UXO calls in very high risk situations.”

Operations such as these are vital to the region in ensuring a safe and secure environment for all people of Kosovo. The collaboration between Kosovo Force and local law enforcement is essential for continuing effective communication and dialogue.

“The KFOR mission really is important because it is one of the examples of NATO coming together, supporting a conflict resolution and trying to bring stability to a region,” Baldwin said.

Task Force EOD is committed to their mission here in Kosovo. Their team members are dedicated to the history of the region and the people who live there today.

“This is something that I’ve heard about for a very long time, even before I became an EOD tech, so it’s awesome for me to actually be here and have an impact on the community and learn about the ordnance that’s here,” said Dawood.

By CPL Skyler Schendt