Photo By Cpl. Pedro Rojas | U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Evan Conlon, an explosive ordnance technician with Charlie...... read more read more
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POHANG, South Korea — Marines with 3rd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, Charlie LEON Section, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, completed their first participation in Combined Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore 26 during a two-week exercise in Pohang, South Korea, refining their expeditionary explosive ordnance disposal capabilities alongside Navy and Coast Guard partners.
CJLOTS is a combined and joint exercise that validates the ability of U.S. and allied forces to move personnel, equipment and supplies from ship to shore without relying on established port facilities. Before those operations can begin, explosive hazards in the water must be located, identified and assessed to help ensure the safe movement of follow-on forces.
Working alongside U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to Commander, Task Unit 75.3 Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Charlie LEON Section employed unmanned search vehicles to scan the water for potential underwater hazards before deploying EOD divers from Combat Rubber Raiding Craft to investigate contacts and collect intelligence.
For the Marines, every mission began well before entering the water.
"A typical day starts with gear preparation," said Gunnery Sgt. Ryan Couture, section chief for Charlie LEON Section. "Your gear is literally what keeps you alive on top of or under the surface. After that, it's about accomplishing the task for the day, whether that's employing search vehicles, diving on suspected mine shapes or recovering items for further intelligence exploitation. The day ends with more gear maintenance to make sure we're ready to do it all again."
Operating from small inflatable boats has its own challenges. Limited space requires careful planning, which is why the section routinely uses two Combat Rubber Raiding Craft during missions. One boat supports the primary operation while the second serves as a safety boat, providing additional space and monitoring divers while keeping other vessels clear of the area. The section's success depends on every Marine understanding the mission and working together through each phase of the operation.
"We conduct the search, identify potential threats, positively identify them, recommend courses of action to the commander and, if necessary, take action against those threats while collecting as much intelligence as possible," Couture said. "Every Marine contributes throughout those stages."
Unlike many Navy EOD organizations, Marine EOD technicians execute every aspect of LEON operations rather than specializing in a single role. Marines operate the unmanned systems, conduct dive operations, identify hazards and perform explosive ordnance disposal tasks, allowing the small section to remain flexible during dynamic maritime missions.
"I expect my Marines to execute the plan while always thinking a few steps ahead," Couture said. "The saying goes, 'Plan the dive and dive the plan.' But plans change, and when they do, I expect them to adapt, develop a new way forward and still accomplish the mission." In addition to EOD technicians, the section relied on a U.S. Navy hospital corpsman, a radio operator and a heavy equipment mechanic whose support ensured operations continued safely and effectively throughout the exercise.
CJLOTS 26 also strengthened interoperability across the joint force. Marines trained alongside members of U.S. Coast Guard Port Security Unit 309 to exchange knowledge on unmanned maritime systems while continuing to build experience with Sailors assigned to Commander, Task Unit 75.3.
"Charlie Section, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion serves as the critical enabler for CJLOTS," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Anthony Brewer, officer in charge of Charlie LEON Section. "The Littoral Explosive Ordnance Neutralization section is responsible for detecting, identifying and neutralizing underwater explosive hazards to secure the sea lines of communication. This ensures heavy transport vessels and amphibious causeways can safely reach the beachhead to initiate the Maritime Prepositioning Force offload."
Brewer said the exercise reinforced the importance of integrating Marine Corps and Navy capabilities to accomplish complex maritime missions.
"Littoral warfare and expeditionary logistics do not stop at the water's edge," Brewer said. "Training together in the complex coastal environment of Pohang allows Marines and Sailors to bridge the gap between land and sea, uniting distinct naval capabilities into a single, cohesive force. This integration is the only way to successfully execute Littoral Explosive Ordnance Neutralization and mine countermeasures operations, which are fundamentally joint, multi-domain missions."
For Charlie LEON Section, CJLOTS 26 marked the unit's first participation in the exercise, providing valuable experience supporting large-scale maritime logistics operations in the Indo-Pacific.
Col. Robert Fairley, commanding officer of Combat Logistics Regiment 35, and Sgt. Maj. Adrian Lopez, the regiment's sergeant major, visited the training area to observe the Marines and Sailors conducting waterborne operations.
"We are on the cutting edge of new technology, and I appreciate the professionalism and hard work from the men," Fairley said.
As the Marine Corps continues expanding expeditionary capabilities throughout the Indo-Pacific, the Marines of Charlie LEON Section demonstrated how a small, highly trained team can make a significant contribution to mission success by combining technical expertise, adaptability and teamwork to enable follow-on forces.
| Date Taken: | 06.29.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.20.2026 23:06 |
| Story ID: | 570273 |
| Location: | POHANG, KR |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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