Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training and Evaluation Unit (EODTEU) 1 ran the 10-day course that consists of two phases. Phase one takes place on land, where Sailors study parachute canopy navigation, flying with equipment, and making accurate group landings. During phase two, members jumped into San Diego Bay using both static line and free-fall rigs.
Senior Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Epifanio Silva attended the course and said it is another way Navy EOD fulfills its role in an era of Great Power Competition.
“This training helps Navy EOD be ready to eliminate explosive threats in support of global operations,” said Silva, the senior enlisted advisor for EODMU-1 Company 1-2. “Having robust personnel and cargo insertion capabilities also furthers our ability to integrate with our special operations forces partners.”
EODMU-1 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 2nd Class Troy Russom said extensive training is the name of the game in Navy EOD.
“Training over time really builds up that confidence level. My very first jump was really nerve racking, but after repetitive jumps, it just gets really exciting,” said Russom about the roughly 24 jumps—four over water—he did throughout the course.
Feedback from instructors after each jump enhances a technician’s ability to leave an aircraft and navigate to a landing zone, said Silva.
“We learned to be a better and safer team,” said Silva. “Navy EOD operates in the water, and we have to be able get there in any condition, even exiting an aircraft flying 120 knots.”
“Our men and women are dedicated to developing the force,” said Cmdr. Michael Minukus, EODTEU-1’s commanding officer. “This training is one way we ensure our units have the necessary skillsets to excel in the most austere operational environments,”
As part of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Force, Navy EOD uses special operations mobility tactics and advanced technologies to clear explosive hazards and provide access to denied areas to exploit and secure the undersea domain for freedom of maneuver.