Army bomb techs now describe a desperate shortage of experienced soldiers who are trained and qualified to lead E.O.D. While fewer than 100 bomb techs have served in the company during its decade-long existence, they have carried out more than 5,000 combat missions, according to members of the unit. 764th Ordnance . Yet the Armys failure to recruit and train more soldiers into the unit meant there were only so many soldiers qualified for the job, they told The Times. Company (WMD) attending the 21st and 28th Ordnance Strategic The 28th Ordnance Company (EOD) (Airborne) out of Fort Bragg, N.C., is the Army's only Airborne EOD company. The 28th EOD Company (Airborne) was established in 2011 to support special mission units, including the 75th Ranger Regiment. Advertise with us. . Hey everyone dont know what I would want to do in the army but there are three jobs that I would want to have. For 35l I would prefer to be a ranger with that MOS but I wouldnt mind being a conventional one. The 192nd EOD Battalion supports the 82nd Airborne Division on a constant rotational basis, supporting each brigade and the Immediate Response Force mission year-round. Phone Numbers. Just being in the building with these incredible NCOs is highlight enough. He received two Bronze Stars, one with Valor Device, and a Purple Heart. In the decade of war that followed the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Pentagon increased the numbers of E.O.D. I'm assuming its a 72 hour smoke fest with ruck marches and all the usual but can anyone give me more specifics? 28th EOD. Here are the paths that may work, 11b (ranger)- re enlist as a 35l hopefully still in regiment, 11b (ranger)- re enlist as a 89d and attend selection for the 28th eod company, 35l (ranger)- re enlist as a 89d and attend selection for the 28th eod, Just trying to figure out what would be best. Even when Dawson faced a potentially fatal injury after being shot in July, military leaders seemed to give him little thought. The EOD tech was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the countrys second-highest award for valor, for his actions, but that was far from the end of Dawsons bomb disposal days. Staples is not only the companys senior enlisted leader, hes also a phenomenal example of the next-level leadership, mastery of craft and readiness to take the fight to the enemy that you see in every single NCO in this unit.. I cant think of another place in the Army that embraces those characteristics more than EOD. Sergeant Dawson remained on the objective for over two hours traversing an ambiguous and chaotic objective where he located three confirmed PPIEDs and an additional six suspected devices.. Sgt. 28th EOD Soldiers Honored in Awards Ceremony. Anyone ever participate in the selection process for 21st/28th EOD companys while they were at Eglin? read more, Courtesy Photo | Candidates from the 21st Ordnance Company (WMD) attending the 21st and 28th Ordnance Companies joint Assessment and Selection event work as a team to carry multiple objects for an unknown distance at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida on Nov. 5. In a unit that has had elements deployed in combat for the entirety of its existence, the NCO leaders are not just the backbone of the unit but the standard bearers who ensure the entire team is ready for war at a moments notice, said Knudsen. The 28th EOD Company is one of only three EOD companies in the Army that are on active Airborne status. I brought it up for years.. The team included 1st Sgt. U.S. Army 1st Sgt. At first it wasnt really a big deal, Dawson said. February 15th, DVIDS Hub works best with JavaScript enabled, Version: 1b422e4d5e2e103541b547099c1adc8516e63758_2023-04-11T15:43:39. Doc, I think somethings wrong with me, Dawson said to the medic standing over him. He comes from a strong family background of service, but he has chosen his own course. George Huley/ArmyOnce soldiers are trained to jump out of planes, the tricky part becomes figuring out how to drop a complement of bomb-detecting and disposal equipment from thousands of feet above the ground. Those are the recommended scores for Ranger school. "And plus, there's the thrill of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. "This is definitely not something that I thought was going to be a part of this job when I joined," Sgt. (US Army courtesy photo) Though an Air Force medic was able to clean much of the debris from his wounds at the time, Dawson said he carried fragments in his right arm for the next seven and a half months because he could not get the necessary medical appointments back at Fort Bragg in a timely manner. First Sgt. Private Sector/Industry Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Were they all attached to the 636th or did they report directly to the . This entry was posted The 28th EOD Company is the only airborne EOD company in the U.S. Army. The Purple Heart recognized wounds he received during a December 2017 mission where Peery was shot in the left hand and received shrapnel to his right hip and thigh. While not technically a SOF unit, that's all they support and are . Young, Sgt. One of the most critical areas to continue the consistent individual and team success is a decentralized command. Time and time again my wife and children have watched me leave, never knowing where I was going or what the missions entailed. "EODs role in support of the [Global Response Force] is a lot of protecting the force during rapid threat assessment," Abood said. Answer (1 of 7): Not only is the PT different but the standards are higher. The 28th operates in a challenging, high-performance environment that demands consistently high standards. 1st Class Chad O. Dawson, 32, is one of just over three dozen highly trained explosive-ordnance disposal technicians who currently serve at the 28th Ordnance Company, the Armys bomb-disposal unit solely devoted to supporting the 75th Ranger Regiment, a large Special Operations light-infantry unit. And the way I would want to get into regiment as a 35l or 11b is with a option 4 then volunteer for rasp in airborne school. soldiers for success. Part of Hoyles job is to fund new equipment like robots and protective suits for bomb-disposal teams to use. Courtesy Photo | All three are located at Fort Bragg. From what I understand, their selection and training regimes are very strict and demanding. Upon graduation, the selected lieutenants will be assigned to the 21st OD Co (EOD) or 28th OD Co (EOD). Six members of the 28th EOD Company, a subordinate unit of the 192nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD), received the awards including a Bronze Star with Valor device, two Joint Service Commendation Medals . U.S. Army 1st Sgt. First to be recognized was Young, from Bloomington, Indiana. Purpose built to support the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 28th EOD Company has quietly earned numerous accolades during decades of combat operations. The EOD tech went on to fight another few years before he was accidentally shot by an American advisor while on a mission in Afghanistan in July 2019, according to the New York Times. Chad O. Fort Chaffee Prairie. Logan Gregory, assigned to the 767th Ordnance Company, writes down components of an improvised explosive device during a training exercise at Fort Bragg, N.C. These problems are well known to the Armys Ordnance Corps, which oversees some of the training and equipment for bomb-disposal units like the 28th. North Carolina-based 28th EOD Company that supports Special Forces missions and the 18th, 722nd and 767th EOD companies that deploy for airborne Immediate Response Force missions, as well as the Fort Belvoir, Virginia-based 55th EOD . Follow @currentopscom. Other, by At one point, a soldier set off a tenth explosive, losing both his legs, rupturing one of Dawsons ear drums and sending even more fragmentation into his body. The 28th EOD is currently looking for motivated and physically fit 89D E-4s, E-5s, and E-6s as well as 89E O-1 and O-2s. From there, Keim attended Office Basic Course at Fort Lee, Virginia and was accepted into the Explosive Ordnance Disposal community. He also received the Bronze Star for deployments from January to May 2017 and from December 2017 to May 2018. Soldiers from the 28th EOD Company and 192nd EOD Battalion have deployed continuously to hot stops around the world to support military operations at the tip of the spear. (910) 584-4267. Support Local Journalism Quick facts. The Army is studying the issue and is expected to submit its recommendations to Congress in 2023. Not the minimum but recommended. Devon J. Hawes, explosive ordnance disposal team leader with the 28th Ordnance Company (EOD), 192nd Ord. In the future, I would like to complete a mud run.. Next, Keim went to Fort Hood, Texas as an Assistant Operations and Planning Officer for the 13th Corps Support Command. Photo: Courtesy of Keim family. Second was Staples, a native of Riverton, Utah. During the Global War on Terrorism up to this point, 28th EOD Company Soldiers have earned 32 valorous awards, including two Distinguished Service Crosses and 21 Purple Hearts. 28th OD Co; 28th Ordnance Company U.S. Army. Omega Team leading Afghan commandos was over and maybe his military career as well. Non-Profit | View Image Page. The purpose of the event was to identify the most qualified EOD technicians for future assignment in these companies. The Army is building an airborne bomb squad that can respond to contingencies around the world as quickly as the 82nd Airborne Division and the Global Response Force.For 10 years, the Army has beenworking on a way to get its explosive ordnance disposal specialists to the scene sooner, and their solution is to take to the skies. It is one of two companies in the 20th CBRNE Command that someone must assess into. The EOD technician checked for more explosives and cleared a route towards the casualties from the earlier blasts. I already know Im in the best job Ill ever have.. The 18th EOD Company "Voodoo" is part of the 192nd EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group and 20th CBRNE Command. Bn., a subordinate unit of the 52d Ord. This company conducts advanced specialized training to prepare for missions augmenting the 75th Ranger Regiment and other special operations forces . 26 min. Sgt. As an EOD tech, the most memorable missions stand out because they were either really good or really bad, Dawson said. After graduating from high school, Keim attended the University of San Diego on an Army Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship and earned a degree in mechanical engineering. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Combating propaganda: Information warfare in the sea services, Extended-range anti-air detection missile update, Army sergeant convicted of murder made racist remarks, violent threats, Soldier charged with killing husband, death previously ruled suicide, Watchdog warns Guard pilots not getting enough hours to fly safely, Senators press Fort Hood leaders on investigation into soldiers death, Security Force Assistance Brigade commander under investigation. Sign up here. Other EOD soldiers faced similar burdens, as coalition troops in Iraq and Afghanistan contended with thousands of improvised explosive devices that needed to be disabled. The 28th EOD Company is part of the 192nd EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. Department of Defense's premier . His platoon was selected to accompany a Special Forces Battalion to Iraq and Syria as part of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (CJSOTF) for Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jeffery Dawson, a member of the 28th Ordnance Company (EOD), which often deploys with the Armys 75th Ranger Regiment and other special operations units, retired on May 17 after recovering from a gunshot wound he sustained in Afghanistan in 2019. But while soldiers treated the wounded, soldiers another string of pressure plate IEDs went off, instantly killing a combat nurse assigned to the team. Soldiers who have the willingness to shoulder more than their share of the task, whatever it may be, one hundred percent and then some.. Dawson was airlifted to Germany for surgery before eventually landing in the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa, Florida, which specializes in spinal injuries. soldiers the equivalent of two full battalions worth of troops as part of wider budget cuts ordered for the service. The 28th EOD Company is part of the 192nd EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. Department of Defenses premier all hazards formation. Its kind of a mentality weve embraced. In June 2008, the 28th Ordnance Company (EOD) was activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and directed by the commander of 20th CBRNE Command to assume all current and future support to the 75th Ranger Regiment, the U.S. Armys premier direct action raid force. Since a German jumpmaster participated in the event, 21 U.S. Army EOD Soldiers also earned German Jump Wings. Military I felt that the 89D Military Occupation Specialty (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) would be technically demanding and fill a critical tactical role within the Global War on Terror.. 29 posts. If selected, they then move to Fort Bragg to attend the Direct Action Certification Course and upon completion are operationally employed in support of the 75th Ranger Regiment and Special Operations Command. A medic saved his life by using a chest tube to inflate the soldiers collapsing lungs. I enjoy hunting, fishing, hiking and other outdoor activities that get my heart pumping. read more Devon J. Hawes. [For more stories about the experiences and costs of war, sign up for the weekly At War newsletter.]. That kind of outreach seems to be in keeping with Dawsons humble spirit, as described by Maj. Stephen Knudsen, commander of the 28th Ordnance Company. 28th EOD Company assess every individual into the company. I often overheard many members of the elements weve supported say that they would never go outside of the wire without EOD on the manifest. While in this job, he was asked to participate in the selection testing for a company command. and Comments (RSS). He also has been rated Superior in every military school he has attended and has received awards such as the Bronze Star Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and Operation Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal. Drive: 48 min. Completely disregarding his own wounds, Sergeant Dawson immediately moved to assist the platoon medic treating Corporal Hargis, the citation read. 1 (800) 342-9647. On this day 10 NOV 2011 28th EOD jumped into history as the first Airborne EOD company in the history of the United States Army Liked by Patrick Kelly Honoring the service of the one-of-a-kind unit, 175 Airborne troops from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Joint Special Operations Command, XVIII Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne Division, 18th Air Support Operations Group and 192nd EOD Battalion participated in the jump. soldiers contributed to the deaths of Sgt. One of those missions happened in Afghanistan on Oct. 5, 2013. Sgt. Thats what makes EOD techs so important to the military.. Soldiers from various units participated on a joint CBRNE Assessment and Selection event conducted by the 21st and the 28th Ordnance Companies (EOD) at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida from Nov. 4-6. to operate with Special Ops.. Their expertise and professionalism set the standard for others to look up to.. Crawford inserted provisions into defense budgets in 2017 and 2018 to make a separate corps for bomb-disposal soldiers that would put them on par with their counterparts in engineering and the infantry. First and foremost, it highlighted the extremely dynamic and dangerous mission set that everyone in the company is tasked with, said Staples. Maj. Stephen M. Knudsen, the commander of the 28th Ordnance Company (EOD) (Airborne), said it was a testament to Staples that SOCOM selected a noncommissioned officer from U.S. Army Forces Command and 20th CBRNE Command for the award.