Photo By Christopher Wilson | One of Fort Sill's 761st EOD Company's remote controlled robots used to detect bombs.... read more read more
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FORT SILL, Okla. (June 27, 2022) — He was in the shower and had just started washing his hair June 21 when his duty phone began the familiar “buzz” of an incoming call. The phone only rings under specific circumstances and for Staff Sgt. Joshua Tapper that meant his bomb squad was needed.
As Soldiers and civilians across the Lawton/Fort Sill community were celebrating Juneteenth that afternoon, other duty phones began ringing as Tapper’s team was called into action. It was the Lawton Police Department requesting bomb squad assistance for a suspect package.
“My first thought was, ‘not today,’” said Tapper, an explosive ordnance disposal team leader with Fort Sill’s 761st Ordnance Company. “I rinsed off and started going through my checklist and going over what I needed to do to make sure my team was ready to respond.”
For the Army, EOD teams, or bomb squads, are unique in that they are not just a deployable asset like infantry or artillery, said 1st Lt. Joel Greene, an EOD platoon leader. A large portion of the teams’ job within the United States is to deploy in support of local, state and federal agencies to detect, disarm and dispose of explosive threats in the most extreme environments.
“Whether it's just a UXO, (unexploded ordinance) a hiker finds or a World War II relic grandpa had in his attic, bomb techs, EOD technicians are doing the job stateside, every day,” said Greene.
The call from Lawton police came through about 2 p.m. that day. While they were the duty team, including Staff Duty Officer Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas McClure, were authorized to leave post. Greene was on his way to get a fresh haircut for the following duty day while McClure was in downtown Lawton getting a flat tire repaired.
Within minutes the team was at the EOD compound loading out for the call. Within the hour, the team was at the intersection of westbound Gore Boulevard between Southwest 24th and 27th Streets.
“I've only been with EOD for about a year now,” said Greene. “…and to be able to do something like this stateside is honestly a blessing that I get to put my skills to work, but also, it's great to be able to help the community and do my job.”
While the Oklahoma Highway Patrol bomb squad responded as well, it was up to Fort Sill EOD to handle the device, said McClure. It was McClure’s job as SDO to act as a liaison between the Lawton police, OHP and the public. Greene controlled the robot and Tapper donned the Active Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bomb Suit.
The suit, commonly referred to as the “Michelin Man suit” because of its similarities to the tire company’s iconic figure, weighs in at a whopping 72 pounds without the helmet. The suit provides the EOD technician protection from fragmentation, blast pressure, heat and light flash, and flame generated by UXO and electrically initiated devices when performing render safe procedures or disruption procedures on ordnance and/or devices that cannot be attacked remotely, said Tapper.
Before the team’s arrival, Lawton police had already begun evacuations of nearby homes, and Comanche County Memorial Hospital had evacuated nonessential personnel. The intersection had been closed off at both ends to allow the team to locate the device and determine what exactly it was.
Using a PlayStation controller, Greene carefully maneuvered the team’s robot to the device. Through its camera, he was able to see a device consisting of two propane cylinders with a smaller metal cylinder taped together with live bullets and a firecracker.
“It was basically an improvised explosive device,” said McClure “While it may not have gone off, we believe the intent to do harm was there, so we treated it like an IED.”
After determining what the device was, it was now up to Tapper to secure it. It’s here that the team, due to operational security protocols, are unable to give further details on the disposal of the device.
“It’s during the long walk toward the device that the adrenaline really starts kicking in,” said Tapper. “I mean we’re very well trained but you’re still wondering if it was enough.”
Within two hours of arriving on location, the device was secured, and the team was safely on their way home. Although the call ended well, it still takes time to come down, said Tapper.
“There’s definitely an adrenaline dump afterward,” said Tapper. “I carried it all the way home and I didn’t feel myself start to wind down until it was time to go to bed.”
Training for an EOD specialist takes place at Fort Lee, Virginia, where trainees learn basic electronics/electricity fundamentals; hazards and identification of United States and foreign munitions; demolition materials, procedures and operations; and chemical and biological procedures and operations.
“For me personally, it was very rewarding to actually put eight years of being an EOD tech to work and to be successful at it,” said McClure. “Our relationship with LPD and OHP is fantastic, and it helps that we train with them for just this kind of response.”
Unlike traditional companies in the Army, EOD is made up of more noncommissioned officers than normal and they’re all volunteers which helps the unit function as more of a tight-knit family, said McClure. Training in Florida for EOD specialist is usually a year long, so most Soldiers coming to the unit are at least a specialist. McClure said EOD teams are continually looking for more soldiers.
“We're looking for people who are highly motivated, who aren't afraid to have to get into certain situations that may be a little bit more dangerous than they’re used to,” said McClure. “We want people who are quick thinkers and quick on their feet. People who are able to look at a situation, understand that situation and figure out ways to mitigate certain hazards.”
After the Army, the opportunities are boundless, said McClure. EOD specialists are in high demand, not only in the military, but with the Department of Homeland Security and Secret Service where they routinely work alongside Secret Service agents during Very Important Person Protection Support Activity missions in support of the Department of Homeland Security’s Secret Service and Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
| Date Taken: | 06.29.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.29.2022 11:49 |
| Story ID: | 424040 |
| Location: | FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 101 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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