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.

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

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.

The Fourth Week of Advent “Love”

Referenced ‘in part’ from christian.net and its narrative on the 4th Sunday of Advent.

The fourth Sunday of Advent holds immense significance as it marks the culmination of anticipation and preparation for the arrival of Christmas. It serves as a testament to the enduring message of God’s Love for His Creation. This Advent encapsulates the essence of the Christmas season and the transformative impact of Christ’s birth on the hearts and minds of Believers worldwide.

The observance of the fourth Sunday of Advent is a time for Believers to reflect upon the profound significance of God’s Love.  This Love encompasses the birth, life, sacrifice, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Christmas cannot be celebrated without acknowledging Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins, demonstrating His love for us.

As we reflect on the transformative power of God’s Love for His Creation and Christ’s Love and sacrifice for us, we must also consider the power of God’s Love to bring about Healing, Reconciliation, and Renewal in our minds and hearts. This serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring message of Hope, Peace, and Joy that we observed during the previous Advent Sundays.

Finally, this Advent Sunday serves as a call to action, urging each of us to embody the spirit of Love, Grace, and Forgiveness in our interactions with others.  We should be encouraged to follow the example set by Jesus, who exemplified love through his teachings, compassion, and sacrifice.

in closing, may the essence of this fourth Advent Sunday (God’s Love for you) bring you closer to Jesus Christ.  May your heart seek Him more personally and your Spirit rest in His Grace.

With respect,

Soli Deo Gloria
LEO BT Chaplain B

      The first week of Advent is “Hope”

Believers in Jesus Christ have celebrated Advent since the 7th century A.D. As you recall, “Advent” from the Latin means “coming to”. Therefore, the Advent Season is understood as Jesus Christ (the Messiah) “coming to” the world.

During the first Sunday of Advent, Believers celebrate the arrival of Jesus Christ into the world and focus on the eternal “Hope” He brought. “Hope”, in Scripture, has two meanings:

1) a sense of eager anticipation or waiting; and
2) a sense of confident expectation based on certainty.

When Christian’s celebrate Advent, we remember, celebrate, and offer our thanksgiving for what God has done in history for all of humanity.   That God sent His only Son, through whom we might have the certainty of Hope…. for today, tomorrow, and eternity.

C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia series and other works, writes “…The birth of Christ is the central event in the history of the earth — the very thing the whole story (creation) has been about…”.

Hope is not just wishful thinking. It is God entering the darkest places with quiet, eternal strength. Indeed, the first week of Advent is more than a church tradition-it can be a true encounter with Jesus Christ, the Light of the World (John 8:12).

Let this Advent week serve as a spiritual “wake-up call”: a time to acknowledge your deep need for Christ and to renew trust in God’s promises.

If you allow me, I will offer a prayer for you.

Heavenly Father, during this Advent season, help us reflect on Your act in time and space that gifted us with Your Son. Teach us to anchor our Hope in all aspects of life and family in Jesus Christ. We are grateful that You hear our prayers and petitions, and thankful for the eternal and everlasting Hope You offer us as we eagerly await Your return. Amen