Navy EOD, divers promote science, technology with local students

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Randy Savarese | Explosive Ordnance Disposal 3rd Class Dennis Blair, left, from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 6, shows a student how to use the remote control and camera headpiece for a PackBot transportable robotic system at the Portsmouth Public Schools Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Day event held at Woodrow Wilson High School. Sailors from EODMU 6 and Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2 supported the community outreach by providing an opportunity for students and their families to view and interact with Navy EOD and Navy Dive equipment and robots at the event. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Randy Savarese/Released)  

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, UNITED STATES

03.23.2013

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Randy Savarese 

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group Two

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - Sailors from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 6 and Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2 participated in the Portsmouth Public Schools' Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) day held at Woodrow Wilson High School, March 23.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal 3rd Class John Ludden from EODMU 6 and Navy Diver 1st Class Frank Horn from MDSU 2 encouraged students and teachers to pursue an interest in the science and technology fields and provided a hands-on experience of their equipment to demonstrate real-world applications of STEM fields.

"It's important for the Navy to show everyone what we are all about. It helps make people aware of us, and they learn a little about our community and what we do," said Horn. "I like getting the chance to show our appreciation by taking the time to show them who we are."

In addition to the MK II Talon robot and the PackBot transportable robotic system, Navy EOD technicians and Navy Divers also brought night vision goggles and Navy dive equipment including the SEABOTIX underwater reconnaissance vehicle during this year's demonstration.

STEM education offers the students and teachers of Portsmouth Public Schools opportunities to apply Virginia's Standards of Learning for Science and Mathematics using current technologies often with an engineering focus.

"The STEM Pathways Program begins in grade 4 and continues through our high school courses," said Laura Nelson, director of science education for Portsmouth Public Schools. "The coursework was developed to reflect the workforce in these areas: allied health and biotechnology, environmental science, and modeling and simulation with geographical information systems and robotics."

While the demand for science and technology jobs is increasing, the supply of qualified candidates is not. Programs like STEM day aim to stimulate interest in science and technology jobs, which is vital to American competitiveness in an increasingly knowledge-based economy.

"I believe that Portsmouth Public Schools realizes this disparity and for the last 10 plus years has worked to make our motto, 'Dreams plus Action = Reality', a true reality for our students," said Nelson. "We are sending young men and women into the world who are able to critically think and problem solve, are creative, know how to collaborate and can communicate to a variety of stakeholders."

Navy sailors provided Portsmouth Public Schools expertise in the STEM fields bringing practical examples for many teachers.

However, it's the children who benefited most who observed STEM fields is not just theories and concepts but has practical uses.

"I am thankful to have the U.S. Navy involved," said Nelson. "It brings a sense of reality to the STEM Pathways Program."

MDSU 2 is an expeditionary mobile diving unit homeported at Joint Expeditionary Base, Little Creek-Ft. Story in Virginia Beach, Va., and has successfully conducted salvage operations to support TWA Flight 800, Swiss Air Flight 111, the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia and the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor.

EODMU 2 provides operational explosive ordnance disposal capability for the location, identification, rendering safe, recovery, field evaluation and disposal of all explosive ordnance, including chemical and nuclear weapons.

U.S. Navy EOD is the world's premier combat force for countering explosive hazards and conducting expeditionary diving and salvage.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil , www.facebook.com/usnavy , or www.twitter.com/usnavy .

For more news from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2, visit www.navy.mil/local/eod2/ .

• Date Taken: 03.23.2013
• Date Posted: 03.26.2013 11:51
• Story ID: 104110
• Location: VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, US