Photo By Staff Sgt. Apolonia Gaspar | Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians (89D) within 71st Ordnance Group train...... read more read more
FORT CARSON, Colorado -- New training initiatives like 71st Ordnance Group Special Operations Forces (SOF) Support Training (SST), led by seasoned team leaders within the unit at Fort Carson, Colorado, from Oct. 25- Nov. 5, 2021, is critical for a career field where the margin of error is nonexistent.
Explosive Ordnance Technicians (EOD) within 749th Ordnance Company practiced complex day and night missions during the two week program that helps to better integrate them with SOF such as Operational Detachment Alphas, or ODAs.
"The SST serves as a baseline where it is appropriately focused to compliment the ODAs that EOD supports during deployments," said 749th Ordnance Company 1st Sgt. Ryan Gasser. "Being able to train at the very beginning and start a good foundation for these guys and for them to start applying the techniques that they learned throughout the two week program is very beneficial."
After spending several days training in the field, the teams are individually put through a culminating exercise, referred to as a "full-mission profile" designed to simulate an incursion into enemy territory in an urban environment.
"Its a concept that provides a baseline training for EOD techs that are tagged to go and support not just SOF but any maneuver entity that we need to go support for all sorts of operations," said Gasser.
While this combat simulation familiarizes teams with the most basic tactical aspects of direct action missions, it is more so to make the students as uncomfortable as possible as they need to decide quickly how to respond to potential hazards under stress. This process not only tests composure in the face of agitation but it also enhances the team’s understanding of their unique role in the mission: Getting the ODA from point to point safely, knowing which threats to confront or bypass and enable the special operators to accomplish their mission all while being able to transition fluidly between roles, acting as both a shooter and a bomb tech.
The seasoned team leaders within 71st Ordnance Group have a vast amount of knowledge and experience on and off the battlefield that they bring to this program. With that being said, because of their mission set , they are able to think outside the box and operate in a way that most conventional EOD units cannot.
It is important for the EOD community to incorporate SOF support training so EOD techs can better understand their counterparts on the battlefield during deployments. The SST is an organic EOD program focused on applying structured methodology within scenario-based tactical training meant to enhance EOD direct support to special operations forces.
"The only reason this program is successful is because of the EOD techs, they take in the training and accept it, they embrace the program to enhance their skills and that's what makes this successful," said Sgt. 1st Class David Guyette, 71st EOD GRP operations NCO. "Not because we did it or because we told them to do it, but it's because they want to do it."
| Date Taken: | 11.04.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 11.04.2021 22:39 |
| Story ID: | 408732 |
| Location: | COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 513 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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