Photo By Lance Cpl. Javier Santillan | U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Radcliff Humphrey, an explosive ordnance disposal technician with Combat Logistics Battalion 8, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group.
WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES
05.28.2025
Story by Lance Cpl. Javier Santillan
2nd Marine Logistics Group
“There are so many items at the Smithsonian that I’ve never heard of or seen, so identifying them and bringing the photos back is cool,” said U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Alfonso Quevedo is an EOD technician with the 8th Engineer Support Battalion. “Bringing back that knowledge helps the EOD techs across the whole [Department of Defense], not just the Marine Corps.”
Marine Corps EOD technicians are often asked or volunteer to research and identify ordnance at museums around the country. 8th ESB EOD technicians also assist when Civil War and World War I ordnance is found throughout the East Coast. They assist outside entities through the Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training Program, which delivers joint training opportunities to increase deployment readiness.
“My knowledge about Civil War and World War 1 ordnance was mediocre at best before I started this mission,” said Staff Sgt. Laure Martin, an EOD technician with 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd MLG. “But by the end, I can confidently say, while not an expert, I am one of the select few EOD technicians in the entire Marine Corps with this particular skillset.”
Upon arrival at the National Museum of American History, the EOD technicians worked under the supervision of the museum’s collections and curatorial staff to review large collection areas full of ordnance from American conflicts around the world. The team spent their days among rows of cannon balls, missiles, hand grenades, and mines retrieved from battlefields detailed in our nation’s history books. They researched, measured, weighed, and identified ordnance in varying conditions from pristine to decaying and rusted, both American and foreign. The EOD Marines took this information and added it to their DoD catalog of all identified ordnance, adding details that will aid future technicians.
“Part of what we’re doing is updating our ordnance publications,” said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. James P. Otto, the EOD officer in charge. “By coming here, we are ensuring that the ordnance knowledge is in the EOD field so we can prevent any accidents happening to people all over America.”
Since some of the ordnance was weathered or in relic condition, the technicians identified ordnance by researching catalogs of old records and encyclopedias provided by themselves and the Smithsonian.
“The team at the National Museum of American History is pleased to be able to collaborate with the DoD and the Marine Corps,” said Molly Horrocks, a Military & Society Division collections specialist. “The EOD Company’s assessment of NMAH’s ordnance collection has been expert, thorough, and impressive. It is the Smithsonian’s mission to increase and diffuse knowledge to the public, and Major Otto and his teams have made an invaluable contribution towards that goal. By helping to make sure our collections are fully documented, they have enabled us to share information on our holdings for future researchers.”
Collaborative training with technicians from across the world and Smithsonian staff generates opportunities for EOD Marines to gain more in-depth knowledge on ordnance that preceded today’s weaponry.
The Marine Corps has fought in every climate and place, and these places still contain old and potentially active ordnance from previous wars, such as in the Pacific Theater. This mission supports the readiness and ability of all EOD Marines, both overseas and at home, by having them work together and expand their collective knowledge.
“All these EOD techs from different units bring different experiences, ” said Quevedo. “When all our minds combine, we gain more traction whenever we’re trying to identify something.”
EOD Marines are constantly working together to learn, study, and update their knowledge of ordnance. The unique opportunity of coming to the Smithsonian provided them with essential training learning how to identify unique and rare ordnance. With the shared knowledge gained on this visit, 8th ESB EOD technicians will be ready to identify and disarm the potentially deadly devices on today’s battlefields.
