EOD academy helps Army meet increased mission

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- A new group-level pilot program was put to the test at Fort Carson Dec. 2-5, to help the Army meet the increasing demand of explosive ordnance disposal resources in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

The Army EOD mission has more than doubled since Sept. 11, 2001, when taking into account the homeland defense and VIP protection missions stateside and the wartime missions overseas, according Command Sgt. Maj. Ted Taala, 242nd EOD Battalion at Fort Carson.

In order to meet the demand, the Army has turned to certifying sergeants to fill the role as EOD team leaders, a position traditionally held by staff sergeants. EOD team leaders are responsible for identifying explosive hazards, and then rendering them safe by disarming, transporting, or destroying them, all while safe-guarding life and property.

The 71st EOD Group-sponsored Team Leader Academy, consisting of six lanes of stateside and overseas combat scenarios, kicked off Dec. 2 with two main goals, according to Capt. Caleb Lewis, 242nd EOD operations officer. The first goal was to validate conducting the training at group level to help maximize resources during the continuous high operations tempo, rather than at battalion level. The second objective was to provide realistic scenarios to determine if a Soldier is ready to take that step from team member to team leader.

"Overall, the program went very well," Lewis said. "The Soldiers were very receptive."

Understanding it will be an evolving program, the current plan calls to rotate the Team Leader Academy among the 71st EOD Group's four battalions every three to four months, as the operations tempo allows, so each battalion can put its own perspective on the program.

The program's focus was to maximize the time by ensuring a good product that was both realistic and challenging, said 1st Sgt Timothy Whittaker, operations noncommissioned officer in charge, 242nd EOD Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment. "We had to ensure we had a balance of realism and challenge" that was manageable in the allotted time-frame, two and a half hours for each of the six scenarios, he said.

The academy was designed to take the candidates "out of their comfort zone" by having them lead team members they were not familiar with and being evaluated by senior NCOs they didn't know. "This adds a little more stress and more validity to the process," Whittaker said.

Working with new team members requires a lot more communication, said Sgt. Brandon Santiago, with 763rd EOD Company out of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. Many things become automatic when working with the same team, he said. But, with new team members "you have to break it down Barney-style. You have to voice your thought process, let them know what you want them to do, what you expect from them and bring everybody together."

Sgt. Nahum Vizakis, 797th EOD Company, Fort Hood, Texas, said it was beneficial to see the different ways team members worked the different scenarios. "It diversifies your points of view, which in this field is definitely paramount."

Taala described the academy as "an end of year final" that presents everything required for certification. "Going from team member to team leader is the most important step in an EOD Soldier's career, it's a rite of passage."

Whittaker agreed: "The title of EOD team leader is a huge weight on Soldiers. These NCOs have to be able to tell field grade officers what they need. On scene, they have to take charge knowing their actions can possibly kill themselves, their team members and people in the surrounding community."

"Ultimately, you're the one that is going to have to make the decision whether to take something apart or blow it up because you feel it is unsafe to move," said Sgt. Bryan Taylor, 707th EOD Company, Fort Lewis, Wash.

Sgt. Chad Gojer, 707th EOD Company, knows it's much more than a title.

"You go from being the guy that looks up to the team leader, trying to be his biggest asset, to being 'that guy' that other people look to, having all the responsibility," he said. "It's the center of EOD, everything supports the team leader."