New Army EOD technology facility named for revered EOD specialist Alan Richwald

PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. -- On the occasion of a building dedication to perhaps the most revered and respected Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician who has served the United States Army, Maj. General Heidi J. Hoyle, the Army’s senior EOD officer, said, “This is the place where I wanted to be today.”

In reviewing the accomplishments of Retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant Alan Richwald, Hoyle referenced an old British TV series called Danger UXB about Soldiers who were tasked with dealing with unexploded bombs in London during World War II.

“They are essentially figuring out how to safely defeat ordnance,” said Hoyle, Director of Operations G-43/5/7, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4. “This is something that Master Sergeant Richwald did every single day of his career.”

Richwald served 24 years in the Army as an EOD technician and later pursued what had become his passion as a civilian for another 35 years. He was involved, directly or indirectly, with the training of virtually all U.S. military EOD personnel through the development of curriculum, training ordnance and technical documents.

Hoyle was among the speakers for the dedication of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Disassembly and Robotics Complex on July, 7, 2023, at Picatinny Arsenal. Richwald, whose motto was “So others may live,” passed away in September 2022.

Chris J. Grassano, director of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center, noted that while the term “EOD” in popular culture is commonly associated with the disposal of improvised home-made bombs, EOD is a broad term that may include such items as grenades, land mines, projectiles, guided missiles, and similar types of ordnance.

The focus of the new facility, which features two main buildings, is the type of conventional foreign ordnance that would be found in the inventories of foreign militaries around the world.

The new disassembly building will help to gain insight into such conventional ordnance by the process of disassembling, stripping and rending inert the ordnance item to find ways to prevent it from functioning or detonating. The full spectrum analysis and exploitation of how adversary technology is advancing is necessary to development appropriate countermeasures.

The second robotics technology building focuses on research and development of various unique EOD tools and robotics platforms, along with their integrated EOD defeat capabilities. The building also includes a firing range, specialized work areas, and the ability to conduct and monitor remotely those operations taking place in the nearby disassembly building.

The activities that will take place at the new facility will be under the direction of the Explosive Ordnance Technology Division, which is part of the DEVCOM Armaments Center. The center is an element of the Army Futures Command.

“The U.S. Army has long given the Armaments Center the immense responsibility of being its primary research and development center for new and existing armament systems, which are used by U.S. service members around the world,” Grassano said. “We provide the technology for over 90 percent of the Army’s lethality, with a focus on advanced weapons, ammunition, and fire control systems.”

In his remarks, Brig Gen. John T. Reim, Commanding General of Picatinny Arsenal and Joint Program Executive Officer Armaments and Ammunition, noted how the mission of the facility dovetails well with Richwald’s career.

“It’s truly fitting that this complex bears the name of a man who dedicated 59 years of his life to the advancement of the EOD field in ways that directly impacted thousands of our warfighters and saved countless lives,” Reim said.

“When talking with the team in preparation for today’s event, everyone had a personal story about how he touched their lives, both personally and professionally,” Reim added.

Brian Bosworth, senior scientific technical manager for Explosive Ordnance Disposal at the Armaments Center, recalled Richwald as a subordinate with distinctive traits and singular focus.

“From the very beginning, I could see that Alan was not like most of the other techs,” Bosworth said. “He was pretty quiet. He was usually either researching a technical manual, or looking at a foreign fuze, or he was working on a tool that was meant to solve a problem that had been bothering him. He was always fully engaged in something.”

Bosworth later asked every active or former EOD technicians at the ceremony to either stand up or raise their hands.

“Folks, look around,” Bosworth said. “That is Alan’s legacy. Generations of EOD technicians who have or will continue to benefit from what Alan did. They will be better informed, better equipped and more capable of executing their mission and returning home safely to their families. That is Alan Richwald’s legacy.”