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FORT RILEY, Kan. – Interagency Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians came together to clear more than 2,000 pounds of air-dropped bombs during a training exercise on Fort Riley, Kansas, July 14 - 18.
Army EOD techs from the Fort Riley-based 630th Ordnance Company (EOD) honed their lifesaving and mission-enabling skills with EOD techs from the Nebraska Air National Guard’s 155th EOD Flight and civilian bomb squad personnel.
Capt. Dylan J. Romanow, the commanding officer of the 630th EOD Company, said the training helped the EOD technicians to learn from each other while getting rid of potentially hazardous 250-pound MK 81 and 500-pound MK 82 series air-dropped bombs.
The 630th EOD Company is part of the 79th EOD Battalion, 71st EOD Group and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. military’s premier deployable CBRNE formation.
From outside the wire and inside the cordon, Soldiers and Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command take on the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and multinational operations.
Staff Sgt. Gavin E. McNeil from the 630th EOD Company said more than 50 military EOD techs and civilian bomb techs shared their experience and expertise while forging stronger ties during the training exercise.
“All of the entities share the same general geological location, and they have worked together and will continue to work together in the future. This exercise allowed for a familiarization with our partners in the region and helped establish working relationships,” said McNeil.
“The highlight of the training event was the large-scale demolition day,” said McNeil. “This event allowed both services to share techniques and equipment to properly dispose of over 2,000 pounds of high explosives.”
As the U.S. Army’s explosives experts, EOD techs take on everything from hand grenades to nuclear bombs. Not only do military EOD techs enable military operations around the world, but they also support federal, state and local law enforcement across the nation when old military munitions are discovered.
The 630th EOD Company deployed to Iraq and Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve from October 2023 to July 2024.
For domestic unexploded ordnance missions, the 630th EOD Company covers the state of Kansas and portions of Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado.
Originally from Boston, McNeil has served in the U.S. Army for nine years and deployed to Iraq and Syria. McNeil said his most memorable mission was responding to an unexploded projectile in a funeral home.
McNeil decided to join the high tempo and highly specialized EOD profession to protect the nation and the warfighters who defend it.
“I became an EOD technician largely due to the amount of real-world missions EOD has domestically,” said McNeil. “They provide an opportunity to utilize skills and have an impact on the local area on a near daily basis."
| Date Taken: | 09.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.04.2025 12:25 |
| Story ID: | 547228 |
| Location: | FORT RILEY, KANSAS, US |
| Hometown: | BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Web Views: | 120 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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