Posted on 12/07/2005 4:44:52 PM PST by SandRat
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (NNS) -- The Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal has intensified the training for experienced explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians with the addition of the Advanced Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (AIEDD) Training Facility.
The new $7 million facility concluded its pilot course Nov. 23, and the first full class will begin Jan. 6.
The facility is a joint course run by the Navy on Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. It is designed to train and evaluate the ability of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team leaders, personnel of other key federal agencies and selected international EOD personnel to diagnose, disable, contain and dispose of sophisticated improvised explosive devices (IED) in varied environments, including battlefield operations, peacekeeping operations and homeland defense.
“The tactics of our enemies in the global war on terrorism have made it necessary for us to stay a step ahead of them, and that is what the AIEDD School will accomplish,” said AIEDD Division Officer Lt. David Blauser. “We are taking well-trained EOD technicians and making them better through teaching, demonstrating and exercising how to use their tools and skills more effectively.
"Our EOD technicians in Iraq and Afghanistan have done a great job so far in countering the IED threat, but we cannot become complacent," he continued. "This course will use the most up-to-date intelligence and experience from forward-deployed EOD units to hone the technicians’ skills.”
Each three-week class will train 24 technicians. All students are graduates of the Navy’s Basic EOD course, and Navy, Marine, Army and Air Force EOD technicians who attend the course will typically have three or more years of operational experience, with two or more deployments to their credit.
Blauser said he feels the knowledge gained through experience that these individuals bring to the table is invaluable, but reiterated that just because a particular method worked on countering an IED one day doesn’t mean that the next day the same device won’t require a different approach.
“Every AIEDD student must understand how serious this training is, and they must realize that every time they go to work on an IED, it is a life-and-death situation,” he said. “The technicians attending AIEDD who have been over there and performed disposal tasks successfully are proof positive that what we teach here can and does save their lives and the lives of the people fighting alongside them, but we have to stay ahead in our training because the design, construction and methods of initiation for an IED are as infinite as the builder’s imagination."
Because of the unique challenges this mission area presents to EOD technicians, there are no formal written procedures that can safely deal with every IED, so the course stresses that each IED must be evaluated separately for the unique challenges it represents. Team leaders are put through various realistic scenarios where they have to respond and employ EOD tools, including explosives, to counter the threat in the safest and most efficient manner. The AIEDD facility provides students the opportunity to actually practice these procedures, which they would otherwise have to simulate in other training environments.
“I’ve been in the service for 16 years and this has been the most realistic training I’ve received,” said Air Force Master Sgt. Kurt Heitman, a Naval School EOD instructor who attended AIEDD. “We have several different training siteslike a mock bank, airport and post office that provide a variety of realistic training opportunities.”
“This course illustrates the value of Sea Warrior, which gives the Navy the ability to quickly design and deploy new courses of instruction based on Fleet and Joint requirements,” said Naval School EOD Commander, Capt. Thomas Green. “We are sending our EOD technicians out onto the battlefield to help save the lives of U.S. Marines, Soldiers, civilians and coalition forces, and it is our obligation to ensure they are safeguarded with the best training and intelligence available.”
EOD -- tick - tick - tick - tick -tick - tick -tick - tick - BOOM!!
He wasn't that smart although he is a fine fellow.
"Our EOD technicians in Iraq and Afghanistan have done a great job so far in countering the IED threat, but we cannot become complacent," he continued. "This course will use the most up-to-date intelligence and experience from forward-deployed EOD units to hone the technicians’ skills.”
Thanks for the ping!
BTTT
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