Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army Capt. David Watkins (left), commander of the 55th EOD Company, talks with...... read more read more
Subscribe
FORT BELVOIR, Va. - When the war in Bosnia ended in 1995, it was one of the most heavily mined countries on Earth.
Almost 20 years later, Bosnian Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians are visiting U.S. Army EOD technicians in the United States.
"Bosnia has a unique EOD challenge," said Capt. David Watkins, commander of the Fort Belvoir-based 55th EOD Company. "The country is heavily mined with both anti-personnel and anti-tank landmines. Recently, heavy flooding has proposed an even more complex problem as minefields are shifting to unmarked areas."
Watkins said the Bosnian Army EOD visit is part of the State Partnership Program and an American team from the 32nd Civil Support Team went to Bosnia in April.
During their visit, the Bosnian EOD troops will observe Exercise Ravens Challenge, a joint and interagency exercise hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The 55th EOD company commander added that the Bosnian Army is preparing to conduct new missions.
"The Bosnian Army is looking to do a mission shift from strictly homeland defense to more of a civil support role for emergencies," said Watkins, an Atlanta native who served in Afghanistan.
"These (military to military) swaps give American and Bosnian Soldiers the chance to train together and refine best practices for ensuring the safety of the public," said Watkins.
Part of the 20th CBRNE Command (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives), the 55th EOD Company provides EOD support to the national capital region and the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
With specialized units serving on 19 military installations in 16 states, the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland-based 20th CBRNE Command is the U.S. Army's only formation tasked to combat chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats.
| Date Taken: | 06.26.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.26.2014 16:25 |
| Story ID: | 134558 |
| Location: | FORT BELVOIR, VA, US |
| Hometown: | ATLANTA, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 83 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, American Soldiers host Bosnian EOD technicians, by Walter Ham, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT