Explosive Ordnance Disposal Badge

Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians (NEOD), the organization that I am currently a part of and have some influence over, are a small group (1500 personnel) trained in the art of bomb disposal. As a scalable force, we specialize in complex and dangerous tasks ranging from IED to chemical and biological weapon remediation. NEOD personnel can enter a crisis surreptitiously from the air, under the sea and across the land. NEOD has historically been the “force of choice” across virtually every component of the Department of Defense (DoD), due to the high number of terrorist bombs. Post 9/11 global terrorist activities placed tremendous “operational stress” upon the NEOD community with relentless training and deployments (Jones, Hammond…

Upon arrival to the base, I was responsible for keeping the base safe from any type of explosive threat or device, and for decreasing disruptions to the quality of life. I spent time learning the routines and practices of the installation, so that I could review and appraise adequately. Further, when I was able to observe how practice was implemented against policy, I proposed a more comprehensive plan for protecting the base, implementing different standards and best practices taught to me at…