FORT IRWIN, Calif. – A group of U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians helped to shape the future of EOD operations during Project Convergence Capstone 5 at the National Training Center on Fort Irwin, California.
Staff Sgt. Cory R. Brunt and Sgt. Joshua D. Marsh from the 1st Platoon, 759th Ordnance Company (EOD), supported the capstone experiment by assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the Vidisco AI/AR X-ray scanner prototype.
Brunt had to learn to operate the new X-ray system in just a few days. He said that EOD techs had primarily used the SmartRay X-Ray for the past five years.
“Although these systems utilize the same source and apply the same basic principles, they have completely different user interfaces and setup procedures,” Brunt said.
Hosted by U.S. Army Futures Command, Project Convergence is the U.S. Army’s premier experimentation event that brings operational units and industry teams together in a complex real world operational environment to test ideas, concepts and promising technology. The lessons learned during the capstone will inform decisions to refine requirements documents, prioritize funding, and invest to accelerate promising technologies.
A native of La Habra, California, Brunt said the 759th EOD Company supports many exercises and capstone demonstrations at the National Training Center, a Mojave Desert training center that is almost as big as the state of Rhode Island.
“Our unit, along, with the other units on this base, regularly provide support to the capstone events,” Brunt said.
The 759th EOD Company “Detonators” are part of the 3rd EOD Battalion, 71st EOD Group and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. military’s premier multifunctional and deployable CBRNE formation.
From 19 bases in 16 states, Soldiers and U.S. Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command confront and defeat the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and multinational operations.
In addition to supporting training rotations at the National Training Center, Army EOD techs from the 759th EOD Company also support civil authorities in 89 counties across California, Nevada and Arizona.
A graduate of Sonora High School in La Habra, California, Brunt is currently pursuing a degree in cybersecurity from the University of Arizona Global Campus.
Brunt has deployed to Kuwait and Iraq. He has also trained together with Senegalese Army engineers and Mexican Marine, Army and Federal Police EOD units.
“I enjoy teaching and feel a strong sense of accomplishment knowing that I’m helping to enhance the knowledge base of future techs,” Brunt said.
He said assessing a new X-ray scanner will also help to protect EOD techs in the future.
“The highlight of my role in Project Convergence Capstone 5 was being given the opportunity to not only test out the latest and greatest EOD specific technologies but more importantly give feedback that could push for faster fielding of the equipment,” Brunt said.
“Sometimes all an EOD tech needs are rope and a J-knife; overengineering solutions can be a detriment to mission success,” said Brunt. “These tests focused on increasing the overall safety of the operation by reducing time on target and minimizing tools downrange.”
Brunt was inspired to join the Army by his grandfather who served in Korea and Vietnam.
“After taking the ASVAB my recruiter gave me the choices that were available at that time, one of them being EOD,” Brunt said. “I had zero idea what EOD was but after watching a few videos on the MOS, I was hooked.”
Capt. Jose G. Matos, a U.S. Army Futures Command sustainment capabilities developer, said the EOD techs conducted hands-on training and testing in collaboration with defense industry partners and Army Futures Command to help meet the needs of the warfighter.
“A key takeaway from PC-C5 was the opportunity to work directly with EOD techs and defense industry partners to test and improve potential material solutions. This collaboration enhances the capabilities development process and ultimately the effectiveness of EOD tools being procured for future missions,” said Matos, the former commander of the 756th Ordnance Company (EOD), 184th EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group, 20th CBRNE Command, and a graduate of Interamerican University of Puerto Rico who is originally from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
Matos has served in the Army for nine years after serving in the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserves for eight years and deploying twice on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).
Matos currently serves as a capability developer in the Sustainment Battle Laboratory, which is part of the Army Futures Command Sustainment Capabilities Development and Integration Directorate on Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia.
“Working in the Sustainment Battle Lab has provided me the opportunity to collaborate with both the sustainment enterprise and the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Proponent Office for EOD in the exploration of material and non-material solutions for sustainers and in some cases the U.S. Army EOD force,” said Matos.
“By participating in PC-C5, the EOD technicians gained early access to new technologies, allowing them to test and provide feedback on potential tools for detecting and neutralizing explosive threats,” said Matos. “Their input helps refine those technologies to better support EOD missions.”
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