FORT LIBERTY, N.C. – A U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from Fort Drum, New York, won first place in the all-Army EOD Team of the Year Competition, April 21 – 26
Staff Sgt. Tyler A. Grieve and Sgt. Tristin E. Lindsey from the 760th Ordnance Company (EOD), 192nd EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group, took top honors during the intense week-long competition on Fort Liberty, North Carolina.
Staff Sgt. Corey L. Ver Doorn and Sgt. George H. Wang from the 53rd Ordnance Company (EOD), 3rd EOD Battalion, 71st EOD Group, came in 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.
Sgt. 1st Class John M. Iseman and Sgt. Jesus Calixto from the 1108th EOD Company, New York National Guard, and Staff Sgt. Eric T. Burger and Spc. Nathan B. Landrum from the 720th EOD Company, U.S. Army Europe and Africa, represented their companies in the competition.
Grieve earned the Top Shot award and Lindsey was also recognized as the Iron Soldier for earning the highest Army Combat Fitness Test score. The most motivated team award went to Hunter and Blauser from U.S. Army Pacific.
The winning EOD team earned Meritorious Service Medals and championship belts, among many other awards.
The five Army EOD teams took on a wide variety of technical and tactical scenarios during the competition, from responding to chemical ordnance and other explosive devices to completing a live fire range and an all-night, 12-mile ruck march.
The 760th EOD Company deployed to Kuwait in 2021 and covers domestic response missions across the northeastern United States.
The company is part of the 192nd EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. military’s premier deployable and multifunctional CBRNE formation.
Headquartered on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the 20th CBRNE Command is home to 75 percent of active-duty U.S. Army EOD technicians and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) specialists, as well as the 1st Area Medical Laboratory, CBRNE Analytical and Remediation Activity, five Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordination Teams and three Nuclear Disablement Teams (Infrastructure).
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.
On behalf of the U.S. Army, the 20th CBRNE Command hosted the all-Army EOD Team of the Year competition.
The Fort Liberty, North Carolina-based 192nd EOD Battalion coordinated the competition and planned it around the history of the EOD profession and the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Normandy.
Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Bob Leiendecker, an EOD historian, provided vignettes to the competitors each day about how Army EOD techs contributed to operations in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Global War on Terrorism. He also discussed the ways that EOD supports Special Forces and large-scale combat operations.
Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Dennis E. Wolfe was the guest speaker at the awards ceremony.
One of the founding EOD technicians of the U.S. Army’s premier Special Mission Unit, Wolfe championed the establishment of the 21st Ordnance Company (EOD WMD) and 28th Ordnance Company (EOD Airborne) while serving as the civilian deputy special plans officer at the U.S. Special Operations Command.
The 21st EOD Company (WMD) was activated at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, in 1998 to respond to improvised nuclear devices and radiological dispersal devices.
The 28th EOD Company (Airborne) was established in 2011 to support special mission units, including the 75th Ranger Regiment. Both units are part of the 20th CBRNE Command.
Col. Shawn L. Kadlec, the U.S. Army EOD commandant, and Command Sgt. Maj. Dave Silva, the senior enlisted leader for the 20th CBRNE Command, hosted the award ceremony.
A Master EOD technician, Silva has deployed seven times and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has also served on protection missions for presidents and the Pope.
Silva, who is originally from Long Beach, California, said the Army EOD teams proved themselves during the challenging competition.
“The Army EOD Team of the Year competition represents the pinnacle of excellence in Explosive Ordnance Disposal, showcasing the bravery, skill and dedication of the world's finest bomb disposal experts,” said Silva. “This year the prestigious competition honored our history and served as a bridge from our roots to our future.”
Silva said the EOD techs trained to support ground combat operations against near-peer adversaries during the competition.
“By recognizing their outstanding achievements, we acknowledge the critical role EOD teams play in keeping our communities safe and supporting maneuver forces in large-scale ground combat operations,” said Silva, adding that the all-Army competition demonstrated why the U.S. Army has some of the bravest, best and most experienced bomb technicians in the world.
“The Army EOD Team of the Year competition inspires EOD technicians to strive for excellence, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in this high-stakes profession,” said Silva. “Ultimately, this competition celebrates the selflessness, expertise and camaraderie that define the EOD community. I’m extremely proud of the teams that competed and in awe of how well this event was planned and executed.”
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