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Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Soldiers are the Army’s preeminent tactical and technical explosives experts. They are Warriors who are properly trained, equipped, and integrated to attack, defeat, and exploit unexploded ordnance (UXO), improvised explosive devices (IED), chemical, biological, and nuclear ordnanceand Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). EOD Warriors are the culmination of the best tactical and technical training the Army and civilian academia can provide. They are prepared to perform missions in support of Army units worldwide, across all operational environments.
EOD Specialists perform duties locating, identifying, rendering safe and disposing of foreign and domestic conventional, biological, chemical, or nuclear ordnance and IEDs; WMDs and large vehicle bombs; they conduct intelligence gathering operations on first seen ordnance and IEDs, and support very important persons (VIP) missions for the U.S. Secret Service, State Department and other Federal agencies. Some of your duties as an EOD Specialist may include:
Research and identify ordnance using EOD technical publications
Explosively disposing of hazardous ordnance
Prepare and maintain EOD tools, equipment and vehicles
Assist in the preparation and use of advance robotics
Assist the EOD Team Leader in performing all actions required to safely mitigate ordnance explosive hazards
Assist in the training of Soldiers in IED awareness
Training
Job training for an EOD Specialist requires nine weeks Basic Training, where you’ll learn basic Soldiering skills. Advanced Individual Training is conducted in two phases. Phase 1 is for 10 weeks and three days at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. Phase 2 is for 28 weeks and three days at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Some of the skills you’ll learn are:
Basic Electronics/Electricity Fundamentals
Use of EOD Publications
Hazards and Identification of United States and foreign munitions
Demolition Materials, Procedures, and Operations
Use and Maintenance of EOD specific tools
Improvised Explosive Devices (IED)
Chemical and Biological Ordnance and Operations
Advanced Responsibilities
Advanced level EOD Specialists provide guidance, supervise and train other Soldiers within the same discipline. As an advanced level EOD Specialist, your duties may include:
Perform radiological monitoring
Read and interpret x-rays, diagrams, drawings and other technical information on explosive ordnance
Conduct formal instruction to military and civilian audiences
Assist with the administrative duties necessary to support unit operations
Assist in preparing technical intelligence and incident reports
Related Civilian Jobs
The skills you learn as an EOD Specialist will help prepare you for a civilian career with government agencies and private industries performing ordnance research and development; development, implementation, and enforcement of explosive safety and security measures, as well as civil law enforcement. You might also consider a future as a bomb-disposal expert, gunsmith or munitions handler.
Related Army Positions
Ammunition Specialist (89B)
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Specialist (74D)
Special Forces Weapons Sergeant (18B)