Courtesy Photo | Staff Sgt. John S. Thomas and Sgt. Christopher T. Espinosa from the 53rd Ordnance...... read more read more
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BEMINISTER, N.J. – U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians came to the aid of people in a flooded vehicle outside a steakhouse in Bedminster, New Jersey, July 14.
Staff Sgt. John S. Thomas and Sgt. Christopher T. Espinosa from the 53rd Ordnance Company (EOD) were eating at the steakhouse when the parking lot started to flood during torrential rainfall.
Thomas said they asked the restaurant staff how they could help as the water continued to rise.
“We ended up crawling out of a window since the water was around a foot above the base of the doors at this point,” said Thomas.
The EOD techs walked through waist-deep water in the flooded parking lot looking for anyone stranded in vehicles. They found three people in a vehicle and shepherded them to safety before the water became more dangerous.
“We helped to get them inside the restaurant through the window,” said Thomas. “Once we got them inside and they could start to dry off, they had calmed down and our focus shifted to watching for floating vehicles and for rescue crews to let them know that vehicles in the parking lot had already been cleared.”
After spending six hours inside the restaurant, the customers were finally able to leave.
Espinosa said serving in the lifesaving and mission-enabling EOD profession helped them to respond to the potentially perilous situation.
“Army training helped us to stay calm and find a way to help, not just to sit around watching chaos ensue,” said Espinosa, a native of Buckeye, Arizona, who previously served in South Korea.
Thomas and Espinosa were in New Jersey for a Very Important Person Protection Support Activity (VIPPSA) mission. U.S. military EOD techs routinely support the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of State during VIPPSA missions that provide protection to the president, first lady, vice president and foreign heads of states.
As the U.S. Army's explosives experts, EOD Soldiers take on dangerous and complex explosive devices that harm people and hinder missions.
In addition to enabling joint military operations around the world, Army EOD techs from the 20th CBRNE Command support federal, state and local law enforcement bomb squads. During Defense Support to Civil Authorities mission, they routinely help to save lives and protect property when unexploded ordnance is discovered.
The 53rd EOD Company “Fighting 53rd” is part of the 3rd EOD Battalion, 71st EOD Group and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. Department of Defense’s premier CBRNE formation.
Soldiers and Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command deploy from 19 bases in 16 states to confront and defeat the world’s most dangerous hazards.
The 53rd EOD Company is based at Yakima Training Center, Washington, a 327,000-acre training center that can accommodate brigade-sized units for maneuver exercises.
The Yakima Training Center has hosted South Korean, Canadian, Singaporean and other forces.
A native of Oakley, California, who has served in Iraq and Morocco, Thomas said he became an EOD tech because he wanted to serve his nation and protect the warfighters who defend it.
“I was torn between EOD and Combat Medic, but in the end decided I would see if I could make it through EOD school and try to save people from injuries before they happened,” said Thomas. “I can easily say that I made the right choice.”
| Date Taken: | 08.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.27.2025 15:50 |
| Story ID: | 546686 |
| Location: | BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Hometown: | BUCKEYE, ARIZONA, US |
| Hometown: | OAKLEY, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 124 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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