FORT LIBERTY, North Carolina – A U.S. Army team provided live coverage of the 2024 all-Army EOD Team of the Year competition on Fort Liberty, North Carolina, April 21 – 26.
Maj. Steven M. Modugno, the public affairs director of the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command; Capt. Michael Villahermosa, the commander of Echo Company, 73rd Ordnance Battalion (EOD), at the Naval EOD School; and Soldiers from XVIII Airborne Corps Public Affairs provided real-time updates from the intense week-long competition.
The team posted photos and video updates throughout the competition.
A native of Santa Clarita, California, Modugno directed the effort that brought together Villahermosa, a uniformed Army influencer, and the public affairs photographers.
Known as @EODHappyCaptain on X, Villahermosa has more than 18,000 followers that he leveraged to tell the story of the competition as it unfolded. He supported the competition following a by-name request from the U.S. Army Office of the Chief of Public Affairs.
A native of Rosendale, New York, he joined the U.S. Army in 2008 and became an officer when he was an EOD staff sergeant. He has deployed to Afghanistan twice and served in Kosovo.
“Having the opportunity to be around my fellow EOD technicians and being able to bring their story to the Army and civilian population that may not know exactly who we are or what we do was the highlight of the competition,” said Villahermosa, who also hosts the “It’s A Blast” podcast. “Most people associate EOD with Improvised Explosive Devices, so showing off the vast capabilities of our formation such as chemical, biological and conventional ordnance and how we counter those threats was rewarding.”
Villahermosa said the challenging competition scenarios required the EOD teams to think outside of the box.
“The scenarios this year were fantastic and focused on what our EOD formation may see in large-scale combat operations,” said Villahermosa.
“From deep buried ordnance that needs to be dug down to and disarmed to drones, the all-Army Team of the Year competition highlighted the vast capabilities of the EOD force,” said Villahermosa. “The scenarios were tough and realistic and forced the competitors to use creative and critical thinking to accomplish their mission and succeed on their lanes.”
Villahermosa said he hopes to cover future events for the Army.
“Bringing EOD stories to a larger population of Soldiers and civilians was a fantastic experience,” said Villahermosa. “I absolutely loved being around my fellow EOD technicians.”
EOD teams representing the 71st EOD Group, 52nd EOD Group, U.S. Army Europe and Africa, U.S. Army Pacific and the National Guard participated in the competition.
Staff Sgt. Tyler A. Grieve and Sgt. Tristin E. Lindsey from the 760th Ordnance Company (EOD), 192nd EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group, won first place during the intense competition. The company is stationed on Fort Drum, New York.
Staff Sgt. Corey L. Ver Doorn and Sgt. George H. Wang from the 53rd Ordnance Company (EOD), 3rd EOD Battalion, 71st EOD Group, took second place and Sgt. Hunter L. Roth and Sgt. Jacob I. Blauser from the 65th Ordnance Company (EOD), 303rd EOD Battalion, U.S. Army Pacific, came in third place.
The all-Army EOD Team of the Year competition was hosted by the 192nd EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. military’s premier CBRNE formation.
Soldiers and U.S. Army civilians from 20th CBRNE Command deploy from 19 bases in 16 states to take on the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and multinational operations.
Modugno, the public affairs director for the 20th CBRNE Command, said the team coverage of the competition leveraged the power of social media to reach the largest audience ever.
“This was a great opportunity to showcase the EOD teams bonding together through tough, realistic training. These technicians displayed a high level of readiness and discipline, representing the EOD community as a whole,” said Modugno, a former Chemical Corps officer and U.S. Military Academy at West Point English professor. “We are grateful to Capt. Villahermosa and the talented Soldiers of the XVIII Airborne Corps.”
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