EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – On April 29, 2026, Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal (NAVSCOLEOD) celebrated a historic milestone for the Navy EOD community with the grand opening of its brand-new 6,000-square-foot Human Performance Center (HPC). Timed to coincide with the gathering of EOD leadership for the annual EOD Memorial Ceremony, the opening represents a sustained commitment to the physical and mental fortitude of EOD operators. The new facility officially serves as the schoolhouse headquarters for the STRIKE program-a specialized, multidomain human performance initiative built by and for the Navy EOD community. Originally established for the EOD Mobile Units across the East and West Coasts, the program has now expanded to include the entire Center for Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Diving (CEODD) pipeline. With the NAVSCOLEOD facility now open, the program is fully integrated across the career spectrum for its Navy EOD operators.
Capt. Mike Dalrymple, Commanding Officer of NAVSCOLEOD, kicked off the inaugural event, underscoring the facility’s significance to the force. “This holistic focus on health and fitness symbolizes an end-to-end investment in our most important asset-our people,” said Dalrymple. Following the ribbon-cutting, the community immediately christened the deck with a command-wide physical training event, setting the standard for the next generation of EOD techs. For the EOD operator, the human weapon system is the most critical tool in the kit. Recognizing this, the expansion of the STRIKE program from the coastal EOD Mobile Units directly into the CEODD pipeline represents a direct application of the Secretary of War’s strategic guidance on forging an unbreakable Warrior Ethos.
The core mission of the STRIKE program is a career-long warfighter resiliency-ensuring those that wear the crab can perform at their peak and enjoy a high quality of life throughout their careers and into retirement. To achieve this, the program utilizes a holistic framework that blends physical conditioning, nutrition optimization, cognitive screening, and mental and spiritual health. All programming is underpinned by robust data collection and analysis to facilitate data-driven decision-making that actively supports force readiness. Their mission environments demand absolute precision under extreme physical and mental stress. By integrating STRIKE at the schoolhouse level, they are instilling a mindset of relentless resilience and lethality from day one. This proactive approach ensures operators possess the moral, cognitive, and physical fortitude required to survive and dominate in conflict.
For current students, the training program creates a rigorous curriculum meticulously designed to build them into tactical athletes capable of meeting EOD-specific mission requirements. For current students, the facility supports a rigorous daily training curriculum that tracks directly with the 143-day Basic EOD course. Sessions feature a targeted mix of strength training, conditioning, high-intensity intervals, and aquatic preparation designed specifically to prepare students for the grueling 74-day Underwater Ordnance Division. Resources and techniques learned within the STRIKE program are designed to be carried forward. By establishing these elite habits early, NAVSCOLEOD is ensuring that pipeline graduates arrive at their Mobile Units fully prepared to operate as tactical athletes.
Written and released by NAVSCOLEOD Public Affairs, LT Alexis Winterhoff.