ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians supported U.S. Army recruiting efforts during the Kansas City Chiefs Military Appreciation Day in St. Joseph, Missouri.
EOD Soldiers from the 630th Ordnance Company (EOD) provided potential recruits with a glimpse of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal profession.
The EOD technicians joined a Fort Riley, Kansas-based Military Working Dog detachment and U.S. Army National Guard and Army Reserve personnel in support of the 1st Infantry Division at the “Meet Your Army” event.
The recruiting event took place about 50 yards from where the Kansas City Chiefs players were training during the Military Appreciation Day
Capt. Kyle A. Kanuk, the commanding officer of the 630th EOD Company, said his EOD techs helped to inform potential recruits about their lifesaving and mission-enabling skills.
Kanuk, Sgt. 1st Class Joshua C. Kurk and Sgt. Jason A. Cormier brought an EOD bomb suit, robot, EOD tools and ordnance training aids, including a Soviet Air-to-Air missile, general-purpose World War II bomb and surface-to-surface missile guidance package.
“We were able to send a handful of potential recruits to the booth to, at a minimum, inquire about what the Army and EOD can offer them,” said Kanuk. “We brought in a significant number of current Soldiers and potential recruits and were able to effectively answer questions and point them in the right direction, aiding in both the ‘Meet Your Army’ objective as well as the ‘in-service’ recruiting efforts that EOD proponent is driving.”
An Afghanistan veteran, Kanuk is a native of Silverdale, Washington, who grew up around the U.S. Navy. Kanuk said he welcomed the opportunity to engage with potential recruits.
“The highlight of the event for us was interacting with the community, our Fort Riley, Kansas, partners and ultimately getting to answer any questions and dispel any assumptions from the potential recruits and give them more fidelity on the Army and the opportunities that are afforded to them,” said Kanuk.
The Fort Riley, Kansas-based 630th EOD Company is part of 79th EOD Company, 71st EOD Group and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. Department of Defense’s premier all hazards command.
Lt. Col. Ian J. Jarvis, the commander of the 79th EOD Battalion, said his EOD Soldiers also supported other U.S. Army recruiting events, including a Sporting Kansas City Major League Soccer game, the Fort Riley Bowslinger Archery tournament and a NASCAR race at the Kansas City Speedway. Headquartered on Fort Riley, Kansas, the 79th EOD Battalion commands six companies stationed in Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma.
Jarvis said the EOD battalion is also scheduled to support the Fort Riley Apple Day celebration on Sept. 23 and the Manhattan, Kansas, Family Night event on Oct. 4.
“It will give the Army a chance to interact with the public and will provide the public with information about their Army,” said Jarvis, an Annandale, Virginia, native who has served in the Army for 18 years and deployed to Iraq four times and Afghanistan once.
During a deployment to Iraq as a maintenance officer, Jarvis talked with EOD technicians and saw firsthand the important work they do to enable operations on the battlefield.
“I decided that it was exactly the career path I was looking for,” said Jarvis.
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