Courtesy Photo | A Tajik major examines and records ground sign indicators Nov. 3, 2015, at Layur Range...... read more read more
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SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. - U.S. Army Central’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal section plays a key role in helping the United States’ international partners deal with the threat of improvised explosive devices.
The U.S. Army has been dealing with IEDs for years and has a lot of valuable lessons learned to pass on to partner nations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
For the past two years, U.S. Army Central has planned and coordinated a Humanitarian Mine Action Program for EOD and engineer soldiers in the Layur Range Complex just south of Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The most recent course was HMA level four taught from Oct. 30 – Nov. 6.
“The U.S. Army has a lot of experience with IEDs over the past 15 years and we can share lessons learned so they can benefit from our experiences,” said Lt. Col. James Parrack, U.S. Army Central EOD chief. “Enabling countries to de-mine and protect civilians enhance their ability to protect their people.”
In 2015, the students from Central Asian militaries who attended the training will be instructing students from their militaries.
“It was a culminating course from the past year’s Humanitarian Mine Action Program,” said Sgt. 1st. Class Michael Wells, U.S. Army Central EOD. “It is a train the trainer program and in 2016 the students who we taught this past year will be co-instructors for EOD level one and two in April.”
Wells said the ultimate goal is to establish a regional Explosive Hazards Training Center for the Central Asia Region at the Layur Range Complex just south of Dushanbe, Tajikistan. He said having members from the militaries in Central Asia instruct EOD level one and two in 2016 is a step towards that goal.
The courses the past two years already trained EOD personnel to develop their own training programs, said Wells. The development of a regional center of excellence will allow them to come together and share lessons learned between the nations in Central Asia, he said.
Wells said Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan had EOD and engineer soldiers participate in the EOD level four course from Oct. 30 – Nov. 6 and in the past soldiers from Turkmenistan have participated in the training.
There were a total of 31 students in the course and all of the students displayed technical competence on EOD related tasks, said Wells.
U.S. Army Central has planned and coordinated the training the past two years. Wells served as the lead instructor for the course and other U.S. Army EOD Soldiers from other units provided support and assisted with instruction, he said.
| Date Taken: | 12.04.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 12.04.2015 11:44 |
| Story ID: | 183473 |
| Location: | SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 210 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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