Fort Leonard Wood EOD team partners with Moldovan armed forces, prepares for Kosovo deployment

Photo By Master Sgt. Thomas Duval | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Ratajczak, a team leader assigned to the 763rd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, shouts “fire in the hole” to warn innocent bystanders of an impending explosion during an exercise at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, Feb. 23. (U.S. Army Photo By: Staff Sgt. Thomas Duval, 40th Public Affairs Detachment)  

HOHENFELS, GERMANY

02.23.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Thomas Duval  

40th Public Affairs Detachment

HOHENFELS, Germany - As the loose and muddy soil shifts beneath his feet, Moldovan Capt. Alexandr Procopciuc, an explosive ordnance disposal team member with Engineer Battalion, makes sure each step is slow and deliberate. He understands that a misstep could be his last.

Following close behind, U.S. Army Spc. Jessica Weiss trusts her Moldovan counterpart to lead the way as the two enter an open field along a small stretch of tree line.

For a curious onlooker standing on the outskirts of a nearby town, the scene seems harmless, but unfortunately, Procopciuc and Weiss know otherwise. The ground they stand on is an active mine field.

To make matters worse, they must methodically clear a path using a metal detector, inching their way toward a wrecked vehicle and the cries of its injured driver.

After surveying the path with various tools, their fears are confirmed as they discover a mine just a few feet from the vehicle.

As the team begins to uncover the unexploded ordnance, a stern voice from a trained EOD observer questions their process. His voice brings to light the true scenario as the active mine field is in reality a lifeless training site.

For Weiss and Procuopciuc, the mission is one of many realistic scenarios executed by the multinational team as part of a situational training exercise held at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, Feb. 20-23.

During the exercise, Weiss and her team of Soldiers from the 763rd EOD Company partnered with the Moldovan armed forces to prepare for an upcoming deployment to Kosovo.

Weiss said the training offered her and members of her team an opportunity to train alongside and learn from other countries.

“It’s different to see how they operate with limited equipment compared to what we have and to see how their train of thought is as far as techniques,” said Weiss. “We have been able to identify when we get to Kosovo, there will be a language barrier but I think now we have a better understanding of how to work through it.”

Breaking through these barriers is vital as the team joins various multinational partners in support of Kosovo Force 21 later this month.

During their deployment, the 763rd EOD team’s main mission will be to provide on base response to any explosive hazards and help advise and assist Kosovo Security Forces.

Although the training helped Weiss, she wasn’t the only one to benefit from it.

“I enjoyed the experience with the U.S. Soldiers,” said Procopciuc. “I learned from them over the past few days to work together as a team and it was great.”

The U.S. EOD team hopes to build upon the relationships they started at JMRC. Weiss said the partnerships they build will only better their ability to protect personnel, property and safely dispose of munitions moving forward.

• Date Taken: 02.23.2016
• Date Posted: 02.26.2016 10:33
• Story ID: 190202
• Location: HOHENFELS, DE
• Hometown: FORT LEONARD WOOD, MO, US