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Archive for the ‘EOD’ Category

1st Annual EOD Technology & Bombing Prevention Summit

Tuesday, October 8th, 2024

The 1st Annual EOD Technology & Bombing Prevention Summit will be held December 3-5, 2024 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at the National Harbor near Washington, DC.

This premiere event is for professionals in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Public Safety Bomb Technicians, and Bombing Prevention communities. The EOD Technology and Bombing Prevention Summit offers an unparalleled opportunity to network, gain knowledge with breakout sessions, and explore state-of-the-art technologies in the exhibit hall.

To learn more and register, visit eodtechsummit.com.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Techs Pioneer Innovative Method to Clear Stuck Artillery Round

Wednesday, March 20th, 2024

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

Recovery of Air Bases Denied by Ordnance (RADBO) Showcases Abilities at COPE NORTH 24

Friday, March 15th, 2024

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The Recovery of Airbase Denied by Ordnance (RADBO), a variant of the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) family, was utilized operationally for the first-time during Exercise Cope North 24 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in late January.

Cope North 24 is a multinational, U.S. Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, field training exercise  focused on airborne integration for large-force employment and agile combat employment.

“Exercise Cope North is an annual exercise where EOD Technicians from across the Air Force, as well as the joint service, practice the EOD portion of the Rapid Airfield Damage Recovery  mission,” said John Stewart, Air Force Civil Engineer Center EOD Modernization Program analyst and RADBO User Representative. “As a premier RADR exercise, fielding RADBO to the Andersen’s Red Horse Training Squadron provided exposure to the larger Air Force EOD enterprise who will start seeing RADBOs delivered to air bases and training locations globally.”

The intent of the vehicle is to utilize directed energy, or lasers, to safely neutralize and clear unexploded ordnance – such as bombs, grenades, improvised munitions, or other explosive devices – on airfields in deployed or austere locations.

“From a program office point of view, the performance was excellent,” said Tony Miranda, RADBO program manager with the Agile Combat Support Directorate’s Support Equipment and Vehicles Division. “There was a learning curve due to the atmospheric interference not encountered before, but the field service reps from the original equipment manufacturer made adjustments and resolved the focus issue.”

Miranda highlighted that the Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams were excited to have the RADBO asset in hand and praised the vehicle’s performance.  RADBO is a crucial part of the Air Force Civil Engineering Center’s Rapid Explosive Hazard Mitigation and Rapid Airfield Damage Recovery concept.

“The role of RADBO is to rapidly neutralize any unexploded ordnance after an airfield attack so the airfield is safe for civil engineering to repair runway damage, allowing the air mission to continue and get the aircraft back in the fight,” said Miranda.

The key features of the RADBO allow for EOD operators to neutralize unexploded ordnances from the safety of the armored vehicle.

“The host chassis is a MRAP CAT 1A1 Cougar in which the Zeus III Laser System is integrated on,” said Miranda. “The Zeus III Laser System is a 3KW fiber optic laser that can fire continuously, provided there is diesel in the tanks for the Cougar to produce power.”

The Zeus III Laser System is effective at ranges from 50-300 meters. The requirement for a RADBO was identified in 2012 by Gen. Goldfein, then Combined Forces Air Component Commander.

“Gen. Goldfein signed an urgent operational need to rapidly neutralize multiple UXOs, repair the damaged runway, and return the airfield to service quickly,” explained Miranda. “Directed energy was somewhat of a new technology for the Air Force, so it has taken a very long time to get to where we are now.”

Currently the program office has fielded 13 RADBOs.  Two prototypes are being upgraded to a production configuration, for a fleet of 15.

“The program office is also working on a contract modification to produce 14 additional RADBOs,” said Miranda. “Moreover, there is a lot of interest from our global allies in the RADBO system, so the program office foresees different variants of RADBO around the world in the next 10 years.”

Story by SSgt Mikaley Kline, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Public Affairs

Photos by SrA Jasmine M. Barnes

Soldiers Train to Enable Arctic Dominance

Wednesday, January 24th, 2024

FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska — Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians who routinely defeat dangerous devices had to overcome a different kind of hazard during training in Alaska.

To enable the U.S. Army’s focus on regaining Arctic dominance, EOD techs from the Fort Drum, New York-based 760th Ordnance Company (EOD) recently traveled to an even colder climate to train together with 65th Ordnance Company (EOD) on Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

EOD technicians from the 760th EOD Company attended the Cold Weather Indoctrination Course in December where they learned to construct improvised shelters and fighting positions, to ruck in snowshoes and to cook in subzero temperatures.

Capt. John D. Velasquez from Bethesda, Maryland; 1st Lt. Jude A. McDowell from Downingtown, Pennsylvania; Sgt. 1st Class Justin E. Liller from Philadelphia; and Sgt. Andrew G. McCoy from Tallahassee, Florida, from the 760th EOD Company attended the training.

Velasquez, the commander of the 760th EOD Company, said the EOD techs also trained with explosives in colder temperatures.

“We spent two days on the demolition range comparing the impact of the cold on the explosive effects of demolition material,” said Velasquez, a graduate of American Military University with a sociology degree who has deployed to Afghanistan twice during his 14 years in the Army. “Tests were run with explosives that were both at ambient room temperature and exposed to the cold and comparisons were made between the two.”

Velasquez said the EOD technicians also tested different methods for dislodging stuck rounds from an M777 Howitzer barrel during freezing temperatures.

The 760th EOD Company enables military operations around the world and supports civil authorities at home. The company most recently deployed to Kuwait in 2021 and covers domestic response missions across the northeastern United States.

The 760th EOD Company is part of the 192nd EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. military’s premier deployable and multifunctional CBRNE formation.

Soldiers and Army civilians from 20th CBRNE Command deploy from 19 bases in 16 states to take on the world’s most dangerous hazards.

On Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely, Alaska, the 65th EOD Company supports the 11th Airborne Division and organizations requiring EOD support while using the 870,000 acres of training land available in Alaska.

Capt. Stephen S. Goetz, the commander of the Fort Wainwright, Alaska-based 65th EOD Company, said this area includes Donnelly Training Area, Yukon Training Areas and Tanana Flats Training Areas. He added the 65th EOD Company also supports civilian and federal law enforcement across the northern half of Alaska.

“The 65th Ordnance Company (EOD) represents a very small portion of the Army garrisoned in Alaska but together we all face the same challenges presented by this harsh and austere environment,” said Goetz. “We are still working to source innovative solutions to the challenges presented and identifying ways to regain Arctic dominance.”

A native of El Paso, Texas, Goetz graduated from Texas A&M Corpus Christi with a biochemistry degree. He has deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq during his 13 years in the Army.

To add teeth to the U.S. Army effort to regain Arctic dominance, the 11th Airborne Division was reactivated in June 2022.

The Alaska-based airborne division conducts expeditionary and multi-domain operations in the Indo-Pacific theater and stays ready decisively defeat any adversary in extreme cold weather on mountainous, high-latitude and high-altitude terrain during large-scale combat operations.

Goetz said the 11th Airborne Division has been spearheading many new ideas and the 65th EOD Company is focused on explosive effects, render safe techniques and survival in small teams.

Many new challenges come with the harsh and remote operational environment, said Goetz.

“Batteries do not hold a charge rendering some equipment useless, ordinary drinking water freezes and puts you at risk of dehydration, unique rations must be used, weapons require different lubrication, rubber and seals in vehicles become brittle leading to non-mission capable vehicles, limited daylight affects operations and the physical wellbeing of personnel and EOD tactics, techniques and procedures must be modified based on the extreme cold,” said Goetz. “Everything takes longer and you must have a backup plan for everything that you do.”

Training with other EOD units helps to strengthen everyone involved, said Goetz.

“Working with another organization is always better,” said Goetz. “You can share ideas, build camaraderie, and realize other organizations share the same problem sets.”

“Compared to any installation in the lower 48, Fort Wainwright is not easily accessible,” said Goetz. “The highlight of the training with the 760th Ordnance Company (EOD) was working hand-in-hand with EOD brothers and sisters, shivering together, training to build skillsets and doing things that no one else gets to experience.”

By Walter T. Ham IV

US Army Hosts Joint Counter-IED Exercise at Premier Pacific Northwest Training Center

Thursday, December 7th, 2023

YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER, Wash. — U.S. military explosive ordnance disposal technicians and civilian law enforcement bomb squad personnel trained to combat advanced improvised explosive devices at the premier U.S. Army Pacific Northwest training venue.

The U.S. Army 53rd Ordnance Company (EOD) hosted the joint, multicomponent and interagency training with the Washington National Guard 319th EOD Company, Oregon National Guard 142nd Flight Wing Civil Engineer Squadron, U.S. Air Force 92nd Civilian Engineer Squadron and U.S. Navy EOD Mobile Unit 11 Detachment Northwest on Yakima Training Center.

FBI Special Agent Bomb Technicians and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also participated in the training.

The counter-IED training event provided valuable experience using alternative shaped charge and water-based tools in addition to disruption tools.

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Quinton R. Reese, a platoon leader with the 53rd Ordnance Company (EOD), said the joint EOD techs discussed tactics, techniques and procedures with service-specific gear that usually only gets employed during joint advanced IED training.

“This was a great event with a much wider audience showcasing each tool that we as a total EOD force use to defeat an IED,” said Reese. “This training allowed some of our most junior team members the opportunity to see what their tools can actually do when used properly — so the first time they see one in action it’s not on a live device.”

While Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps EOD techs leverage their capabilities for different missions, they also have overlapping capabilities that complement each other. Reese said experiences are also different among EOD team leaders in the same service.

“The role of Army EOD teams varies from mounted patrols through an urban environment to dismounted Special Operations Forces support,” said Reese. “The experiences of one team leader to the next could be vastly different based on the mission sets.”

“By getting the various experiences and viewpoints of both junior and senior EOD technicians from all services and components as well as civilian counterparts, we can help bridge the gap and provide a forum for increasing the tool set both literally and in the problem-solving process for all EOD technicians, regardless of service,” said Reese.

Reese started his uniformed service as an enlisted Army geospatial imagery intelligence analyst before graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and becoming an EOD officer.

A native of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Reese said he was inspired to serve as an EOD officer by a mentor from the 53rd EOD Company, the same company he serves in now.

“His stories of the complex problem solving and the highly technical aspects of the work appealed to me,” said Reese. “As a prior enlisted Soldier, knowing that I would go through the same training as the Soldiers I would lead was a unique opportunity I could not pass up.”

Reese said he has also witnessed the importance of noncommissioned officer leadership during a downed aircraft response on Yakima Training Center.

“Thankfully, the crew walked away from the wreck that night,” said Reese. “Getting to see the difference that we as EOD can make as well as seeing my platoon sergeant effectively take control of a scene as a team leader was awe-inspiring and made me proud to be a part of this highly specialized field.”

The 53rd EOD Company, “Fighting 53rd,” is part of the 3rd EOD Battalion, 71st EOD Group and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. military’s premier CBRNE formation.

American Soldiers and U.S. Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command deploy from 19 bases in 16 states to confront and defeat the world’s most dangerous hazards.

Capt. Logan T. Morris, the commander of the 53rd EOD Company, said the training event gave the joint EOD and civilian bomb squad techs the opportunity to share their knowledge about functions, capabilities and branch-specific explosive tools and techniques.

Originally from Redmond, Oregon, Morris became an EOD officer after being mentored by his ROTC commander at Oregon State University, then Lt. Col. Eric Larsen, who was an EOD officer.

Morris said the Yakima Training Center is the ideal location for large-scale training events. The 327,000-acre training center can accommodate brigade-sized units for maneuver exercises.

The Eastern Washington State training center is more than two and a half hours away from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

“Yakima Training Center boasts nearly limitless opportunities for training to scale with the demands of units requirements,” said Morris. “YTC frequently hosts Canadian, Singaporean, Japanese, Korean and other Pacific Theater aligned joint and national training events and it is a bastion for brigade-level and below training with nearly no limitations.”

By Walter T. Ham IV

Rheinmetall and WilNor Governmental Services, Together with Experienced Norwegian and German Companies, Will Collaborate to Remove Unexploded Ordnance in German Waters

Friday, September 1st, 2023

By combining maritime and technical expertise, the partners will answer the request for quote issued by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, for ordnance removal. 

With reference to an earlier statement by German Naval Yards, Rheinmetall bring together partners to answer the request for quote (RFQ) issued by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV). Complimenting experience and infrastructure make for a strong constellation between Rheinmetall, WilNor Governmental Services, and an extended group of companies. Together, the constellation brings extensive experience and technology to remove unexploded ordnance safely and responsibly.

Rheinmetall has extensive and long-standing expertise in this domain, having planned and implemented concepts and facilities for ammunition disposal for many years.¬
WilNor Governmental Services, a subsidiary company of the Wilhelmsen group, brings the logistics and maritime operations element. The Wilhelmsen group, based in Norway, is the world’s largest maritime network, with activities concentrated on providing products and services to the maritime industry, offshore logistics and technology, renewable energy, ship management, and complex logistical solutions for operating under difficult offshore conditions.

The partners plan to jointly develop and operate an innovative offshore platform for ammunition disposal. Contaminated sites will be cleaned up in a safe and responsible manner, with ammunition disposal taking place offshore at the innovative offshore platform, minimising the danger to marine life and the natural environment.

Future ocean plans
Plans for future offshore wind turbine parks in the same waters, demands a safe seabed. Enabling that reality requires responsible and safe removal of millions of tons of unexploded ordnance first. “We want to assure a cleaner and healthier marine environment. Unexploded ordnance and substances can be unstable and dangerous, and we will avoid the risk of transporting these. It is therefore important that we can safely and responsibly recover unexploded ordnance and render it harmless on the spot. We also aim to minimise the impact on the underwater world and its inhabitants, and prevent future hazards,” says Dr. Deniz Akitürk, managing director of Rheinmetall Project Solutions GmbH. “Time is of the essence because the condition of the ammunition is deteriorating. Effects on the environment are already visible.” 

The constellation of companies is ready to build a reliable unexploded ordnance value chain and look for quick implementation to start surveys and preparations early in 2024. Once all preparation and necessary regulatory processes are completed, the constellation is ready to construct the innovative offshore platform. 
The constellation companies are able to expand from pilot to a full-scale industrial level value chain that can handle more efficient multiple platforms in several operational areas simultaneously.

Parry Labs Receives $38 Million Award for Electronic Warfare System

Tuesday, July 11th, 2023

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10, 2023 — ADS Inc. has been awarded a delivery order by DLA Troop Support on behalf of the U.S Army for production of a system to support the safety and security of our troops against modern improvised explosions and electromagnetic threats. The hardware to fulfill the $38 million delivery order will be produced by ADS’s sub-contractor, Parry Labs LLC in Columbia, Maryland.

The expeditionary ultra broadband, man-portable jammer is designed specifically for utilization by certified bomb technicians and enhances soldier lethality through protection and sustainment of operations. This next-generation electronic countermeasures capability “jams” radio frequencies thereby reducing the vulnerability of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) soldiers to the latest Remote Controlled IED (RCIED) threats, which often result in critical injury or death. Development, transition, and fielding of this system will enhance the warfighter’s ability to safely conduct operations and help ensure US forces remain dominant on the battlefield of the future.

“Parry is proud to support the Army and the wider EOD community with this next generation electronic warfare system,” said CEO John Parkes. “Our solution provides capabilities needed by EOD teams to maintain freedom of maneuver and secure lines of communications.”

First delivery of the electronic warfare devices is planned for the early part of FY2024.

High Risk, High Reward

Monday, May 1st, 2023

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