VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Sailors from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Expeditionary Support Unit 2 (EODESU2) hosted five international supply officers during a logistic exhibit at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, in Virginia Beach, Va., Nov. 6.
The event kicked off with a tour of supply facilities as members of EODESU2 took questions from participants while walking through the many staging grounds where EOD logistics take place.
The visit was organized to educate and familiarize foreign officers with a logistics background with the support EODESU2 provides, in support of a nine-week supply course that takes these international students from their residency in Newport, RI to logistic bases across the eastern shore.
“We have officers in attendance from Malaysia, Singapore, Kuwaiti, Greek, and Saudi Arabia,” said Timothy Korte, of Newport, Rhode Island, a Navy Supply Corps School official. “This benefits the officers as they will take what they’ve learned back to their respective militaries and use it to enhance their logistics bases.”
“We were looking forward to hosting these officers, we never want to miss a chance to interact with the international community, to have the chance to develop and strengthen our ties every chance we get,” said Lt. Cmdr. Mark Milus of Memphis, Tenn., supply officer of EODESU2. “We can show the students what we do well, so that we can learn from one another and all do our jobs better.”
Milus goes on to explain that the operational relationship Navy logistics has with the EOD community is an ever changing exchange between war fighting capability and the needs of the mission. “What we do here lends to the whole expeditionary mindset, its grown so much in the past 15 years,” said Milius. “What we bring to the table is that we allow the operators out there to be just that, and we handle all the logistic functions for them here; we have the experts on hand to do the job, so they could concentrate on what they do best which is the EOD fight.”
As the visit and explanations continued on, students had a chance to interact with a variety of tools used by the EOD. “I showed them all the weapons systems that we carry for the EOD,” said GM2 (EXW) Gabriel Vasquez of Suwanee, Ga., attached to the armory division of EODESU2; “I then explained the weapons optics and the night vision; and which weapons belong to which platoons to fulfill certain missions.”
Participants were able to interact safely with a variety of weapon models and were impressed by the cache of tools available,” said Milius. “This experience will help these officers take an appreciation of not only what the Navy does here, but kind of what this EOD field does as far as the greater mission; they kind of get a full appreciation of the bigger spectrum of what we do.”
The tour also showcased the diving component within the EOD mission to operate underwater to accomplish their mission. “We provide a SCUBA capability when needed,” Navy Diver Third Class Mark Demarais of Greenville, S.C., attached to EODESU2’s Underwater Division. “Today I spoke about our diving limitations, as well as operating various tools underwater to get the job done.”
As the tour concluded participants had the chance to familiarize themselves with sailors before leaving. “I would say that the Supply Course and visit to this compound has benefited me by introducing me to many new systems and equipment, it was very enriching.” said Hasfenizam Hashim, a captain in the Malaysian air force.
EODESU2 provides logistics support to all east coast based Navy EOD and diving salvage units.