EOD excellence: Teams compete for Army-wide title

Photo By Terrance Bell | Two Soldiers from the Army National Guard team help each other put on protective gear during an event of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team of the Year Competition Sept. 17 at Fort A.P. Hill.  

FORT A.P. HILL, VA, UNITED STATES

09.23.2015

Story by Terrance Bell  

Fort Gregg-Adams

FORT A.P. HILL, Va. - Soldiers who have figured prominently in the fight against terrorism were provided opportunities to showcase their technical and tactical skills during the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team of the Year Competition Sept. 14-18 at Fort A.P. Hill.

When the proverbial smoke cleared, the U.S. Army Pacific Command’s 74th Ordnance Company reigned as the most proficient, earning the top score over five other squads. Teams representing the 71st EOD Group, Yakima Proving Ground, Washington, and 702nd EOD Group, Grafenwoehn, Germany, finished in second and third place, respectively.

It was the second consecutive year a USAPAC team claimed the title of an event that aims to help develop EOD techs as well as encourage the esprit de corps of those in the career field.

“This was a great way for EOD technicians across the field to come together and represent their parent commands,” said Sgt. 1st Class Justin Talbert, noncommissioned officer in charge of Advanced Team Leaders Operations Course, EOD Training Division, located at A.P. Hill. “Soldiers in EOD spend a lot of time training for real-world missions, so hosting an event like this gives them the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and bask in the pride that accompanies all that hard work.”

The team-of-year meet features Soldiers holding the EOD specialist military occupational specialty or 89D. It not only tests EOD competencies through scenario-driven team events but also their abilities to perform common warrior tasks. The Ordnance School oversees the event.

The winning team was led by Staff Sgt. Dustin Bussard and included Spc. Matthew Hamilton and Cpl. Ryan Voss. Their unit is a subordinate element of the 303rd EOD Battalion, 45th Sustainment Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, located at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
The winners probably did well in many aspects of the competition, but was probably best at thinking on their feet, said Talbert.

“In my estimation, critical thinking and the ability to utilize the tools at your disposal to their greatest potential are the biggest factors in winning the event,” he said. Physical and mental toughness also were critical, he added. “There were long hours, and arduous physical tasks made easy undertakings way more difficult.”

Ordnance identification, a written test, fuse removal from a bomb, clearing a stuck artillery round and rendering safe an improvised explosive device were just a few of the events that challenged contestants during the competition. One of events – a 12-mile ruck march featuring numerous challenges on day 2 – was by far the toughest of them all, said Talbert.

“It took the greatest toll on the competitors,” he said. “Essentially, you took a 12-mile ruck and added events every few miles with absolutely no mental or physical breaks. At the end of that day, there was not a single team that looked no worse for the wear. In fact, a few days afterward, they looked like they were still suffering.”

Soldiers who endure the competition, said Talbert, gain much more than learning to work as a team. They can take back with them an experience that will make them better EOD Soldiers and torchbearers for EOD’s proud traditions.

“Just competing in the Army-wide EOD Team of the Year Competition and completing it would, at least, fill me with a sense of pride,” he said. “I imagine each contestant walked away knowing they tried their best and was recognized by the entire Army EOD community because of it.”

A team from the 706th Ordnance Company located at Schofield Barracks won last year’s competition. Next year’s winner, said Talbert, can expect some of the basic events as well as new ones.

“Teams should be prepared for anything within the scope of EOD operations,” he said. “The enemy never stops looking for ways around our capabilities, so our community has to adapt. We’ll never be able to see what next year’s competition holds, but I can assure you it won’t be any easier.”

The Army’s EOD community has been at the forefront of the nation’s war against terrorism, clearing more than 100,000 IEDs from Iraq and Afghanistan since hostilities began in Southwest Asia 13 years ago.

• Date Taken: 09.23.2015
• Date Posted: 09.23.2015 17:03
• Story ID: 177013
• Location: FORT A.P. HILL, VA, US