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Feb 28 2026
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To the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Community

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To the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Community

NATEODA – 28 February 2026

Brothers and Sisters,

These are exceptionally dynamic and volatile times globally. Over the past 24 hours, the United States and allied forces, including the Israel Defense Forces, have launched coordinated military strikes against targets in Iran — initiating major combat operations aimed at degrading military capabilities and addressing long-standing national security concerns. In response, Iran has conducted missile and drone counter-attacks against U.S. and partner military installations in the Middle East, and the situation continues to evolve rapidly. 

Such escalations have far-reaching implications, not only on the geopolitical stage but for all U.S. military and public safety professionals — including the EOD community. In times like this, the principles that define us become even more critical:

Remain Vigilant and Prepared

  • Maintain heightened awareness of local, national, and international developments that may affect force protection, travel safety, and mission readiness.

  • Review current emergency action plans with your teams and families.

  • Confirm that all communications billets are up to date, and that personal and unit contact trees are active.

Prioritize Safety and Security

  • For those deploying or stationed in or near impacted regions, adhere strictly to force protection guidance.

  • Stateside or abroad, stay informed of U.S. Department of Defense and local government safety advisories.

  • Monitor alerts from U.S. embassies and defense attachés where necessary.

Support Each Other — On All Fronts

This moment isn’t just about professional readiness — it’s about taking care of one another. Check in with your teams, your families, and your fellow EOD techs. Stress and uncertainty can be as challenging as any IED threat we’ve confronted.

We are trained to assess complex situations, eliminate hazards, and preserve life. Let those strengths guide us now.

Take care of your communities.

Take care of your families.

Lead with calm resolve.

Respond with professionalism and precision.

Initial Success or Total Failure.

— Woody Eastwood
President
National Explosive Ordnance Disposal Association

 

Feb 18 2026
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✨ Excellence Under Pressure: USARPAC Names 2026 EOD Team of the Year

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💥 USARPAC EOD Team of the Year ~ 2026

The U.S. Army Pacific named Soldiers from the 716th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company as the 2026 USARPAC EOD Team of the Year following competition at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

  • Sgt. Timothy Ix
  • Staff Sgt. Tyler Orvik
  • Sgt. Emmanuel Orozco

Representing the National Explosive Ordnance Disposal Association was
SGM Mike Vining, USA (Ret.), Director, NATEODA,
reinforcing the connection between today’s operators and the legacy of the EOD profession.

“You carry forward a legacy built by those who came before you.”

— Woody Eastwood, NATEODA President

Initial Success or Total Failure.

🇺🇸 National Explosive Ordnance Disposal Association President’s Congratulatory Message

 

Today, we recognize three EOD technicians who represent everything our profession stands for.

On behalf of the National Explosive Ordnance Disposal Association, I extend our sincere congratulations to Sgt. Timothy Ix, Staff Sgt. Tyler Orvik, and Sgt. Emmanuel Orozco of the 716th EOD Company was named the 2026 USARPAC EOD Team of the Year.

Competitions like this remind us that while technology evolves, the foundation of EOD remains unchanged — calm professionals solving dangerous problems through training, trust, and teamwork.

It was especially meaningful to have NATEODA represented at the event by SGM Mike Vining, whose lifelong service continues to connect generations of EOD technicians. That connection between past and present is what keeps our community strong.

To this team: you carry forward a legacy built by those who came before you. We are proud of you, and the entire EOD family stands behind you as you move on to represent USARPAC at the All-Army competition.

“No Margin For Error”
— Woody Eastwood
President, National Explosive Ordnance Disposal Association

The U.S. Army Pacific recognized excellence in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal profession on 13 February 2026 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, naming Soldiers from the 716th EOD Company as the USARPAC EOD Team of the Year.

Sgt. Timothy Ix, Staff Sgt. Tyler Orvik and Sgt. Emmanuel Orozco demonstrated superior technical proficiency, teamwork, and operational decision-making throughout a demanding multi-day competition designed to replicate real-world EOD scenarios.

The Alaska-based team will now advance to represent the Pacific theater at the All-Army EOD Team of the Year competition.

🪖 About the 716th EOD Company

The 716th EOD Company is headquartered at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Alaska, operating in one of the Army’s most demanding geographic environments.

Their mission set includes:

  • Arctic and extreme-weather EOD operations

  • Homeland defense response support

  • Range clearance and UXO disposal

  • Joint and multinational Indo-Pacific exercises

  • Real-world contingency response across USARPAC

Operating from Alaska forces technicians to maintain readiness across:

  • severe cold-weather operations

  • remote logistics

  • austere deployment conditions

These environmental factors often produce exceptionally versatile EOD teams.

🏆 The USARPAC Competition — What It Tests

The USARPAC EOD Team of the Year competition is not ceremonial — it is a multi-day operational evaluation designed to simulate real combat and contingency scenarios.

During the 2026 event, teams were evaluated across realistic mission “lanes,” including:

Technical EOD Tasks

  • Counter-IED procedures

  • Ordnance identification

  • Robotics and remote operations

  • Render-safe procedures

  • X-ray diagnostics and threat analysis

  • Chemical hazard response

Tactical & Operational Skills

  • Decision-making under pressure

  • Risk mitigation and safety planning

  • Team communication and leadership

  • Efficiency and mission execution

Judges evaluated competitors based on three core criteria:

  1. Did they defeat the threat?

  2. Did they protect personnel and infrastructure?

  3. How efficiently and intelligently was the problem solved? 

As one observer summarized during a scenario:

“It’s you against the bombmaker.”

⚙️ Example Scenario from the Competition

One highlighted event involved a suspicious toolbox discovered aboard an Army vessel.

The team had to:

  1. Conduct remote investigation.

  2. Use portable X-ray systems to identify internal components.

  3. Confirm explosive circuitry.

  4. Execute render-safe procedures.

  5. Neutralize using a Percussion Actuated Neutralizer (PAN) — firing a water-driven disruption charge to destroy firing electronics safely.

This type of scenario mirrors maritime interdiction and deployed operational realities. 

🌏 Competition Field

The 716th competed against top EOD units across the Pacific theater, including:

  • 65th Ordnance Company (EOD) – Alaska (previous All-Army winners)

  • 74th Ordnance Company (EOD) – Hawaii

  • 718th Ordnance Company (EOD) – South Korea

  • Marine Corps EOD participants

  • Canadian Army EOD partners

Multinational participation enhances interoperability and exposes teams to varied TTPs across allied forces. 

🧭 Command Perspective

Leadership from the 303rd EOD Battalion emphasized that the competition is more than a trophy event:

  • Identifies training gaps

  • Drives innovation in procedures

  • Strengthens joint-service cooperation

  • Builds combat-ready teams for Indo-Pacific contingencies

The competition effectively acts as a readiness benchmark for theater EOD forces. 

🔄 Strategic Significance

Winning USARPAC carries particular weight because the Indo-Pacific theater includes:

  • Expanding multinational exercises

  • Maritime security missions

  • UXO legacy environments

  • Emerging IED and hybrid threats

EOD forces in this theater must operate across island chains, maritime platforms, and remote terrain, making adaptability critical.

🥇 What Comes Next — All-Army Competition

The team will advance to the Department of the Army EOD Team of the Year, typically hosted under the 20th CBRNE Command.

At that level, winners from all Army theaters compete, representing:

  • FORSCOM

  • USARPAC

  • USAREUR-AF

  • USARCENT

  • National Guard/Reserve components

The All-Army event is widely regarded inside the EOD community as the profession’s premier skills competition.

📌 Notable Context

Interestingly, another Alaska-based unit — the 65th EOD Company — won the All-Army EOD Team of the Year in 2025, highlighting Alaska as a current powerhouse within Army EOD readiness.

Jan 29 2026
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In Memoriam ~ Honoring Our Fallen EOD Teammates

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January 2026

The National Explosive Ordnance Disposal Association pauses to honor and remember members of the EOD community who have recently passed. These men served with distinction, courage, and unwavering commitment to protecting others. Their legacy lives on through their families, their teammates, and the generations of EOD technicians they inspired.

 

     ⚫ BM1 Frank Arthur Heinrich, USN (Ret.)

20 January 2026 | Age 66 | Hilton Head, South Carolina

BM1 Frank Heinrich was an EOD and SEAL veteran whose life was defined by service, discipline, and an unrelenting love for the ocean. A graduate of BUD/S Class 111 and EOD Class 5B-86, Frank served with UDT-12, UDT-11, ST-5, NSWDG, EODMU-2, and EODMU-6, among others.

Beyond his professional achievements, Frank was a devoted father, mentor, and family man—known for his energy, humor, and what he affectionately called “mandatory fun.” His lessons in sailing, knot-tying, and perseverance shaped not only capable sailors but also resilient young men and women.

Frank is survived by his children, grandchildren, and extended family. Funeral Mass and military honors will be held in Beaufort, South Carolina.

His Obituary: Here
His Find-A-Grave Profile: Here

 

    ⚫ SGM James Paul “Jim” Gist, Jr., USA (Ret.)

21 January 2026 | Age 94 | Petal, Mississippi

Charter Member, NATEODA | Member #87

SGM Jim Gist proudly served more than 31 years in the United States Army, beginning his EOD career during the Korean War and continuing through Vietnam. A 1955 EOD School graduate, Jim was among the earliest members of the National EOD Association and a lifelong advocate for the profession.

A man of deep faith and quiet humor, Jim cherished time with his family and community. His service helped lay the foundation for today’s EOD force, and his commitment to the Association will not be forgotten.

His Obituary: Here
His Find-A-Grave Profile: Here

    ⚫ SGM Juan B. Ponce, USA (Ret.)

4 January 2026 | Age 68 | Elkton, Maryland

Born in Puerto Rico, SGM Juan Ponce retired after a distinguished Army EOD career. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and protector in every sense of the word. Known for his strength during family hardships, Juan lived a life centered on love, responsibility, and service.

He found joy in cooking, baseball, movies shared with family, and caring deeply for those around him. His legacy is one of compassion, resilience, and unwavering dedication.

His Obituary: Here

    ⚫ CMSgt Gerald Cecil “Jerry” Kitzmiller, USAF (Ret.)

14 December 2025 | Age 83 | Bellevue, Nebraska

Chief Kitzmiller served 30 years in the U.S. Air Force as an EOD Master Technician, retiring as Chief of EOD at Strategic Air Command Headquarters. He lived the EOD motto—Complete Success or Total Failure—with skill, humility, and humor.

Following retirement, Jerry continued to protect others as a safety consultant in the UXO field. Known affectionately as “Uncle Jerry,” he was a mentor, an outdoorsman, and a beloved family patriarch.

His Obituary: Here

    ⚫ MAJ Wilkes Thomas “Tom” Martin, Jr., USA (Ret.)

16 December 2023 | Age 81

Major Martin served over 20 years as an Army officer, including command of the 99th Ordnance Detachment (EOD) in Vietnam. A Clemson graduate and Bronze Star recipient, he exemplified leadership, technical expertise, and dedication to Soldiers under his command.

He was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery in August 2025, joining generations of warriors who served with honor.

His Obituary: Here
His Find-A-Grave Profile: Here

With Respect and Gratitude

We extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and teammates of these fallen EOD professionals. Their service, sacrifice, and stories remain part of the enduring legacy of Explosive Ordnance Disposal.

Initial Success or Total Failure.

PRESIDENT’S CLOSING MESSAGE 

From the President

Each name we honor represents a life lived in service, a career built on trust, and a legacy carried forward by those who continue the mission.

The EOD community is small by design and strong by necessity. We remember our fallen not only in silence, but in action—by looking after one another and ensuring no technician ever stands alone.

To the families: your loved ones mattered. They still do.

Initial Success or Total Failure.

Woodward L. “Woody” Eastwood

President, National Explosive Ordnance Disposal Association

Dec 25 2025
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The Light on the Wire ~ Merry Christmas!

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🎄 The Light on the Wire

The snow fell softly outside the small community hall, settling on the flags that lined the entrance—each one
slightly worn, each one flown with purpose. Inside, the lights were warm, coffee was strong, and the laughter carried that
familiar mix of old stories and quiet understanding.

It was Christmas Eve.

Some had driven hours to be there. Others joined only in spirit—names spoken gently, chairs left empty,
memories carried close. As always, the EOD family gathered not because tradition demanded it, but because brotherhood did.

At the far end of the room stood a small Christmas tree. It wasn’t fancy. No matching ornaments, no ribbon theme. Instead, each decoration told a story—a unit patch from Vietnam, a bent wire shaped into a star, a small robot charm, a pair of wings, a folded
piece of tape with a name written in marker.

One ornament hung slightly apart from the rest: a simple light, glowing steady and white.

“Who put that one there?” someone asked.

No one answered right away.

Finally, an older tech—gray at the temples, hands steady despite the years—spoke up.

“That one’s for the ones who can’t make it home.”

The room grew quiet.

He continued. “I learned something a long time ago. In our line of work, light matters. Sometimes it’s a flashlight in the dark.
Sometimes it’s a headlamp under a truck. Sometimes it’s just that one calm voice in your ear saying, ‘Slow down. You’ve got this.’”

He nodded toward the glowing ornament.

“That light reminds us that even when things are tense… even when the wire looks wrong… someone’s always watching over us.”

Across the room, a younger tech held his child on his shoulders. Nearby, a Gold Star spouse adjusted an ornament placed c
arefully on the tree. A retired bomb tech leaned back, eyes closed, remembering a Christmas spent overseas, sharing a candy
bar and a laugh in a place that didn’t feel so far from home after all.

Someone passed around a plate of cookies shaped like stars and trees. Someone else poured another cup of coffee. No one rushed.
No one needed to.

Because in that moment, they weren’t active duty or retired. Not Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Public Safety.
They weren’t ranks or MOS codes.

They were family.

As the night drew on, the hall emptied slowly. One by one, goodbyes were said—handshakes, hugs, quiet promises to stay in touch.
When the lights were finally turned off, only the small Christmas tree remained glowing in the corner.

That single white light stayed on.

Steady. Reliable. Unwavering.

Just like the men and women of EOD.

And somewhere—across the world, across time, across memory—those who came before smiled, knowing the
watch was still being kept.

From the NATEODA Family

This Christmas, may you find peace in the quiet moments, strength in your bonds, and warmth in knowing you are never alone.

Merry Christmas to our EOD Family—past, present, and always. 🎄💣

Comments

Dear NATEODA members —

The quiet strength in this narrative is profound. Beautifully and poignantly written.

It captures the essence of a bond forged not just in shared experience, but in a shared, solemn duty. That single, steady light symbolizes the unwavering vigilance and quiet watch that defines the EOD family. It’s a beautiful reminder that even when someone is gone, their light, their memory, and the protection they provided remain a constant, guiding presence for those who carry the watch forward.

The brotherhood is indeed eternal.

Merry Christmas 2025 and many thanks for your warm embrace.

🎄

All my best to you and yours,

Elaine

Elaine Hume Peake
Daughter of Captain (later Colonel) Edward Thomas Hume
Author of The Kaboom Boy, The Blacksmith of Dachau, Goodnight From Berlin + Cold War Dawn

Dear Elaine,

Thank you for your beautifully written and deeply thoughtful message. Your words honor the heart of the story and, more importantly, the enduring spirit of the EOD family it represents.

That “single, steady light” you so eloquently describe truly does symbolize the quiet vigilance, sacrifice, and watchfulness that define our community. It is a reminder that while individuals may leave us, their service, their legacy, and the protection they provided never fade. They continue to guide those who stand the watch today.

Your perspective—as both a daughter of service and a gifted storyteller—adds a profound layer of meaning. We are grateful for your warm embrace of the EOD family and for the way you so gracefully articulated what so many of us feel but struggle to put into words.

On behalf of the National Explosive Ordnance Disposal Association, thank you for your kindness, your insight, and your continued connection to our shared heritage.

Wishing you and your family a peaceful and Merry Christmas, and a New Year filled with health, remembrance, and hope.

With deepest respect and gratitude,

Woodward L. “Woody” Eastwood
President of the National Explosive Ordnance Disposal Association

⬇️ Leave a Comment Below!

Dec 07 2025
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⚓️ Pearl Harbor Day ~ A Legacy of Courage!

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Pearl Harbor Day – A Legacy of Courage

On this day of remembrance, the National Explosive Ordnance Disposal Association honors the heroes of December 7, 1941. The attack on Pearl Harbor changed the course of our nation, calling forth extraordinary courage from Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, and civilians who faced devastation without hesitation.

For those of us in the EOD community, this day carries added meaning. The aftermath of Pearl Harbor marked the early formation and rapid expansion of U.S. Bomb Disposal units—teams who stepped forward to confront unexploded ordnance, protect their fellow service members, and pioneer the foundations of the modern EOD profession.

Today, we remember the 2,403 lives lost, honor the survivors, and reflect on the duty, sacrifice, and resilience that define our nation. Their legacy continues in every technician who stands the watch, at home or abroad.

Pearl Harbor Day

“A date which will live in infamy.”

Today, the National EOD Association pauses to remember the events of December 7, 1941, and the heroes whose actions shaped our nation’s history. The attack on Pearl Harbor claimed 2,403 American lives and marked the beginning of America’s entry into World War II.

For the EOD community, Pearl Harbor represents the origin of our mission — the moment when unexploded bombs, damaged ordnance, and new threats demanded the creation of specialized Bomb Disposal units. From those first teams came the lineage of today’s EOD Technicians.

We honor their courage.

We remember their sacrifice.

And we remain committed to carrying forward the legacy they began.

© 2023 National Explosive Ordnance Disposal Association