Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler Thompson | 150707-N-QA919-487 ARABIAN GULF (July 7, 2015)- Lt. Thomas Smith and Explosive...... read more read more
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Women have served proudly in the Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) community for almost forty years with the first female EOD technicians graduating from Navy School Explosive Ordnance Disposal in 1980. Today, the number of women in the community has grown to approximately 2% of the overall Navy EOD force and includes 27 EOD technicians and 17 EOD officers. Just like the rest of the military, the Navy EOD community represents the spirit and character of America and includes volunteers who are American patriots of all races, genders and creeds. Navy EOD technicians are an elite team of warriors who eliminate hazards from conventional ordnances, weapons of mass destruction, sea mines and improvised explosive devices, and accomplish expeditionary diving and salvage objectives. These Sailors foster trust and cooperation with like-minded nations, ensure offensive maneuver for conventional and special forces, and mitigate harm to U.S. and coalition forces as well as civilians. Our people have always been our greatest advantage over our competitors, and Ens. Brie Coger, currently serving as an EOD officer at EOD Mobile Unit One in San Diego, California, took the time to answer a few questions about what drew her to the Navy and the EOD community and her journey from Navy EOD enlisted to officer.
Q: What inspired you to join the Navy?
A: I was a theatre major in college and wanted to be a stunt woman. I received an Army Reserve email and thought, “I want to be in the water.” The next day I was in a Navy recruiting office and that’s when I learned about EOD. It turned out to be everything I wanted in stunt work, but I would be able to do it serving my country.
Q: Who have your role models or mentors been that have influenced you or helped to guide you?
A: Every woman I’ve met in EOD has been an inspiration to me. I am constantly in awe of the women who have come before me to help pave the road for everything I’ve wanted to accomplish. I can only hope to smooth out any speed bumps on my own journey. Specifically, though, CDR Leslie Slootmaker, and LCDR Sarah Turse have always been shining examples of EOD Officers that I’ve respected and tried to emulate. In addition, my best friend, who I met when we were both stationed in Spain, has courageously struck her own path through the military, deploying with Special Operations and engaging in combat - MA1 Nicholette Parrish inspires me every day and I couldn’t have the success I’ve had in my military career without her by my side.
Q: What drew you to want to become part of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal community?
A: I love a challenge, and EOD is the most challenging, both physically and mentally. The diversity of five separate mission areas supporting even more forces DoD-wide, combined with very high physical expectations, delivered a seemingly insurmountable challenge that I was hungry for.
Q: Please tell us which past assignments are the most memorable to you and why?
A: Although I have yet to see combat, there have been so many memorable assignments that have shaped me on so many levels, ones that I will never forget. While stationed in Spain I was given so many opportunities to work with foreign nations, training them, training alongside them, all the while experiencing these different people and different cultures. I would look at each interaction as another opportunity to improve the perception of women in the military. Training with Jordan and the United Arab Emirates in 2015, I was the one organizing, supervising and leading men from cultures that often have a less than open mindset on working with women, let alone taking direction from one. It was a wonderful multi-lateral exercise and I hope that my contribution made a difference in the lives of a few of those men.
Q: How do you think the Navy has forged you as a leader?
A: I always had a thirst for leadership, since I was a young kid. I was captain of my high school swim team and had a leadership role in representing synchronized swimming athletes at a national level, but the Navy taught me how to hone my skills as a leader by teaching me how to follow first. In college, I swam competitively for a Division I school, but I didn’t become a better technical swimmer until after I started coaching and having to understand and explain techniques in different ways to people of different ability levels. I learned how to follow as an enlisted sailor, examining the leaders around me, learning tools along the way. Now that I’m in a leadership position, and a better follower, I sharpen my own skills by mentoring junior sailors and reflecting on my own leadership techniques.
Interested in joining the Navy EOD community? Learn more here: https://www.navy.com/careers/explosive-ordnance-disposal-technician
To learn more about EOD Group 1, visit our webpage or Facebook page: www.facebook.com/eodgroup1
www.navy.mil/local/eod1/
| Date Taken: | 03.22.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 03.22.2019 12:47 |
| Story ID: | 315382 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 4,963 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Women of Navy EOD: Ens. Brie Coger, by LCDR Kara Handley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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