Continued from Part 5…
Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) School Pipeline
The pipeline to become a U.S Navy EOD Technician starts with three months of U.S Navy EOD Dive School training. As stated on the U.S Navy EOD Dive School website,
“The vision and mission statement are to create the optimal learning environment for the world's premier diving and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) forces, founded on a continuum of personal and professional growth, utilizing operationally relevant curriculum, and leveraging cutting edge training methods and technologies. The Center for EOD and Diving (CENEODDIVE) executes Secretary of the Navy responsibilities as the Department of Defense single manager for individual training in EOD and diving. We provide agile and adaptive training to all services, select countries and government entities; delivering knowledge to satisfy validated training requirements and improve Navy and joint force operational readiness. Additionally, CENEODDIVE develops and manages the personal, professional, and leadership development programs for all Navy EOD and diver, officer, and enlisted personnel.”
The curriculum was rigorous, with a 70% attrition rate, placing it among the top three hardest schools to pass in the U.S. Navy. It ranked alongside schools like the Navy Nuclear Power program and BUD/S (SEAL Training). In Dive School, we learned dive physics, SCUBA, mixed gas diving apparatus, underwater searching techniques, and dive operations management.
Dive School fostered a strong bond among my classmates and me. It was an advanced form of boot camp where individualism was discouraged in favor of teamwork. Any hint of individualism was systematically eradicated. Our fitness and run times, though personal in effort, were ultimately for the benefit of the team. My swim times, intensely personal as they felt, were also dedicated to the team. The standards set in Dive School were designed to enhance each individual’s contributions to the group.
Every aspect of Dive School training was designed to enhance our attention to detail. Diving can be extremely dangerous; failing to follow dive protocols can result in severe injuries like decompression sickness (DCS) and arterial gas embolism (AGE), both of which can be fatal. Three areas in Dive School are permanently engraved in my memory: the pool, Shit Creek, and the Pleasure Dome.
The Pool: As illustrated in the picture above, the pool is where the EOD Technician learns confidence in and under the water. The instructor staff imposed three types of what we called "hits"—light, medium, and hard. A hit involved an instructor hovering over you like a shark, then suddenly and violently stripping you of your gear and attempting to take your air tanks, simulating rough sea states. They would take your mask, fins, yank your regulator from your mouth, and spin you around. The goal was to remain calm and hold onto your air tanks at all costs; without air, survival was impossible.
On the hard hits, instructors not only yanked the regulator from your mouth but also shut off your air and sometimes tied your air hose around the manifold so tightly that it could take up to 30 to 45 seconds to free it. The necessary breath-hold duration was around 2 minutes. In the illustration above, you can see the student’s left hand turning the air back on. You had to remain calm and demonstrate full and complete control to the instructors. Any sign of panic meant disqualification.
Shit Creek: At least once or twice a week, instructors took us through the darkest, muddiest, and smelliest creek imaginable. The water was so thick it resembled oil and was shallow enough that we were forced to immerse our faces and bodies in it. The stench was unbearable. The instructors reminded us, “We dive anywhere! In anything!” This was the closest simulation to diving in an actual sewer.
The Pleasure Dome: This area tested our resolve. Composed of soft white sand, rolling sand dunes, steep inclines, and obstacles, it was a challenging environment. No one left this area without someone vomiting. I often wondered how many sailors had been sick in the same spot I was in. The pain experienced here was intense and hard to articulate. I myself vomited there many times.
After three months of Dive School, we students advanced to the Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), also known as NAVSCOLEOD. This school is jointly staffed by the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. It provides specialized, high-risk EOD training, both basic and advanced, to U.S. military personnel, partner nation military’s, and selected U.S. government personnel.
“NAVSCOLEOD’s mission is to educate students from United States military services, partner nations, and other government agencies in high-risk environments to qualify as Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians. Prepare them morally, mentally, and physically to succeed across the full range of military operations.”
There are three phases of EOD school:
Phase I, Core:
“These fundamental skills cover the four distinct areas of an EOD operation to include Recon & ID (Core), Render Safe Procedures (Tools and methods), and Disposal Procedures (Demolition). Topics include Explosive Safety, Demolition Materials, Firing Systems, Specialized Explosive Techniques & Shaped Charges, Mass Disposal; EOD Specific Tools (Explosively Actuated Tools, Ordnance Locators), Procedures & Techniques (Manual/Remote Procedures), UXO Access & Rigging Procedures; Applied Physics & Principles, Fuze Functioning, Safety Precautions, Ordnance ID, Publications and Reconnaissance.”
Phase II, Surface:
“These Divisions incorporate the application of the individual core competencies learned in the previous divisions into a comprehensive EOD operation relevant to specific ordnance categories. Topics include Grenades, Projectiles & Rockets, Landmines & Booby Traps; Aircraft Explosive Hazards, Guided Missiles, Bombs & Bomb Fuzes, Dispensers & Payloads; IED Threat, Tools & Equipment, Procedures, Practical Application, & Current Events; Biological and Chemical (B/C) Agents & Compounds, Decontamination, Ordnance ID, Protective Equipment, Detectors, & Practical Operations. We also learned Nuclear Weapons Critical Design information.”
Phase III, Navy:
“EOD Phase II Navy Course trains officers and enlisted personnel in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) operations to include Reconnaissance/Identification, Access/Recovery, Publications, Render Safe Procedures, and Disposal Procedures of Underwater Ordnance. Application of EOD skills relevant to Physical Training, Limpets, Floating Mines, Naval Mines & Torpedoes, Access and Rigging, and Mine Countermeasures; both diving and non-diving operations.”
EOD School demanded an extremely high level of performance, with meticulous attention to detail crucial for passing the rigorous testing criteria. Both written and practical examinations were frequent throughout the year-long training, typically occurring two to three times per week. Failing any test meant you had just one more chance to pass the following day. The passing grade in EOD School was 86%; anything below this was considered a failing grade. I graduated with a 91%.
The Forging
After EOD School, there were still additional skill sets I needed to acquire. All Navy EOD Technicians, depending on the unit to which they are assigned, undergo what we call "follow-on training." This phase was dedicated to learning mobility skills essential for approaching explosive threats such as IEDs and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO). During the EOD Technician pipeline, and particularly during the dive phase of EOD training, we mastered diving techniques to address underwater explosive threats. Follow-on training focused on skills to engage threats on land and was conducted at Navy EOD Training and Evaluation Unit One (EODTU1) in Point Loma, California. We learned skills such as:
Land navigation using maps and compasses
Rappelling
Fast roping
Special patrol insertion techniques
Small unit tactics and basic firearms training
I also had to undergo Army Airborne training, which was the most challenging part of the training pipeline for me. We were treated like privates, assigned menial tasks such as rock details—painting and arranging rocks simply because there was nothing else to do—or cutting grass with scissors. The training lasted three weeks, consisting of Ground Week, Tower Week, and Jump Week. I disliked it not because it was difficult, but because it was physically demanding. During Ground Week, we spent all day practicing PLF, or Parachute Landing Fall, which is essentially an organized method of falling.
“A parachute landing fall (PLF) is a safety technique that allows a parachutist to land safely and without injury. The technique is performed by paratroopers and recreational parachutists alike. The technique is used to displace the energy of the body contacting the earth at high speeds. The parachutist ideally lands facing the direction of travel with feet and knees together. At the moment first contact is made with the ground, the person goes from an upright position to absorbing the impact by allowing the body to buckle and go toward a horizontal position while rotating toward the side (generally the direction with the dominant directional speed). When executed properly, this technique is capable of allowing a parachutist to survive uninjured during landing speeds that would otherwise cause severe injury or even death.”
TOWER WEEK, as depicted above, involved a 200-foot tower from which we were dropped. This marked the first time I ever cheated during my training pipeline. The soldier in the picture above, judging by his appearance, weighs no more than 165 pounds. I weighed 220 pounds. During this week, I was convinced I was going to break my legs. The lighter guys, weighing between 120 to 165 pounds, were hitting the ground like lawn darts! I was at Airborne School with three other EOD guys, including one who was massive, weighing 230 pounds. I deliberately fell to the end of the line, waiting to see how he would land.
"Where is he?" I wondered, scanning the area.
I noticed a group of guys sitting together; they were the ones who had completed the fall from the "Tower of Death." I saw all three EOD guys among them.
"Dammit! I missed them," I thought.
I hurried over to them.
"Dude! How was it?" I asked.
"No idea," they responded.
"Wait! What? How did you get in this group?" I asked.
"Just run over to that guy and tell him you passed," they advised.
These were seasoned EOD guys; I was the newbie. I was impressed by their nerve and cunning.
"They just cheated this evolution! That's so badass!!" I thought to myself.
So, I waited a bit, gathering the courage and timing my approach perfectly to impress them by not getting caught. I saw the ideal opportunity and blended in with those who had crashed into the ground. Spotting the Army instructor with the clipboard, I ran over to him.
"November 512, Pass!" I yelled.
"Great job, November 512!" he responded.
N512 was my Airborne student number. I was shocked that it worked! I ran over to my fellow EOD guys, who smiled and winked at me. I felt relieved and proud.
JUMP WEEK, the third week, is when they actually take you up, and you must perform five jumps before you can graduate. All five jumps were painful, but I managed to get through them. One consolation for us in the Navy—we mostly jump into water, so there are no hard impacts on the body.
Upon completing EOD training and follow-on training, I was assigned to EOD Mobile Unit Three out of San Diego, California. I vividly remember where I was during 9/11—I was in Phase II of EOD training, sitting in a classroom during study hall when the World Trade Center buildings collapsed. The atmosphere at that moment was surreal. We all knew that once we finished EOD training, we were heading to war. From that point, the training took on a gravity beyond just becoming an EOD technician; performing well and absorbing every piece of information became crucial, as each detail could potentially save lives.
To be continued…
Truly grateful you have the courage to write your stories. What a gift you have given to the readers. Many thanks and DON"T STOP!
👏👏 Thank You Spartan🙏🙌