Support team enables all-Army EOD Team of the Year competition on Fort Liberty

FORT LIBERTY, N.C. – U.S. Army Soldiers and units come together every year to participate in a wide variety of all-Army competitions.

Beyond the competitors and units, it takes a team of leaders and support personnel to ensure safe and successful competitions.

The all-Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team of the Year was no exception when EOD teams representing the 52nd EOD Group, 71st EOD Group, U.S. Army Pacific, U.S. Army Europe and Africa and the National Guard came together on Fort Liberty, North Carolina, in April.

Hosted by the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command and coordinated by the 192nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD), the competition brought together teams from around the world to compete for top honors.

From 19 bases on 16 states, Soldiers and Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command take on the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and multinational missions.

Staff Sgt. Tyler A. Grieve and Sgt. Tristin E. Lindsey from the Fort Drum, New York-based 760th Ordnance Company (EOD), 192nd EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group, 20th CBRNE Command, won first place during the intense competition.

U.S. Army combat medics from the 550th Medical Company Area Support “Vipers” provided coverage throughout the grueling competition. The 550th Medical Company Area Support is part of the 261st Medical Battalion and 44th Medical Brigade.

Staff Sgt. Joshua A. Jacoby, Sgt. Howard O. Post and Spc. Dawson L. Caruso put in long hours supporting the competition.

“The biggest challenge was the long hours of medical coverage that started at 4 a.m. and often lasted until 9 p.m. These long days eventually led into night long operations before the final ruck event,” said Jacoby, an Army combat medic from Auburn, California, who has deployed to Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan. He also supported Afghan refugees in Qatar.

“To overcome this challenge, we prioritized our time by sleeping in the same quarters as the competitors and taking small sleep shifts during the day so we could be ready to continue the mission at a moment’s notice,” said Jacoby.

A native of Benson, Arizona, Sgt. Howard Post said his unit does not typically support competitions as large as the all-Army EOD Team of the Year but often covers airborne operations on Fort Liberty, North Carolina, which is home to the 82nd Airborne Division and XVIII Airborne Corps.

“We cover multiple drop zones every year as well as the expert badge qualifications,” said Post, who has also supported Afghan refugees in Qatar. “Our coverage is usually more Field Litter Ambulance oriented verses this competition which was more stationary medical care.”

Spc. Dawson Caruso joined the Army because he wanted to help people and he also had the opportunity to support Afghan refugees.

A student in the undergraduate Liberty University theological studies program, Caruso is from Burleson, Texas.

He said the EOD Team of the Year competition gave him a better understanding of the important missions that EOD techs support around the world.

“The highlight of the competition was being an important asset for the Soldiers while they strengthen their mission capabilities. Knowing we were playing a vital role to both the competition and EOD units gave us a sense of pride,” said Caruso. “Running night operations with the 28th EOD Company (Airborne) opened our eyes to the Special Operations side of EOD and showed the intensity and personal traits needed to be in such a specialized unit.”

Another critical part of the support team were the observers and controllers who ensured the competition ran smoothly.

1st Sgt. Forrest C. Hull, the senior enlisted leader of the 65th Ordnance Company (EOD), made the trip from Fort Wainwright, Alaska, to serve as an observer and controller. The 65th EOD Company is part of the 303rd EOD Battalion, 8th Military Police Brigade and U.S. Army Pacific.

He said the all-Army competition was an opportunity to strengthen EOD teams.

“One of the prime benefits of having an all-Army EOD Team of the Year is that it provides a mechanism to measure where our EOD team competencies are strong as well as competency gaps,” said Hull. “As the EOD team is the center of gravity for the EOD career field writ large, it is critical to ensure the correct training is implemented at the unit level to ensure success in EOD operations at home and overseas.”

Hull said the competition EOD scenarios were realistic and based on real-world explosive threats and leveraged the expertise of the airborne and Special Forces support EOD units stationed on Fort Liberty.

“The winning team was largely successful due to their trust in one another, efficiency, EOD experience and communication,” he said.

Hull said the final 12-mile ruck march was the highlight of the competition.

“After a week of mental and physical exhaustion, it was inspiring to see these competitors use everything they had left to try to gain or maintain their position on the leaderboard,” said Hull, who is originally from Montgomery, Alabama. “It was a true display of grit and the desire to win, which I believe is reflective of our entire career field. As my time in the Army begins to sunset, I am inspired to see the next generation is willing to take the torch.”

Hull, who was previously stationed at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, as an infantryman, was thrilled to return to Alaska as the first sergeant for the 65th EOD Company.

He said Alaska is the most unique place to be stationed as an EOD tech.

“At Fort Wainwright, we are required to conduct EOD operations in the Arctic while simultaneously supporting a variety of missions throughout the Indo-Pacific region,” said Hull.

“Simply put, our EOD technicians may run a U.S. response on a Monday in -40 degrees and by Friday they will be in Bangladesh conducting military-to-military exchanges in 110 degrees. It is an assignment that is not for everyone but rather it takes a special type of individual to not only survive in Alaska but also to thrive,” said Hull. “I’m inspired by our Soldiers’ resiliency and drive and honored to serve alongside them.”

Hull said realistic training is critical for dealing with the explosive hazards that EOD techs confront and defeat around the world. He knows this from firsthand experience after serving on both conventional and Special Operations missions in Afghanistan.

Hull especially remembers one mission a week after his team arrived at Camp Gibson, just outside of Kabul, Afghanistan.

“We infiltrated into the mountains at an elevation of about 10,000 feet, in the snow, with about 80 pounds on our back. I remember getting off the bird feeling woefully unprepared for what was to come. I linked up with my team member and saw a similar look in his face and all I said was ‘we got this buddy’ and we executed the mission flawlessly,” said Hull.

“My team member is now since out. However, we talk about that moment to this day. It was tough but our training prepared us for the event,” said Hull. “It shows that building a team based on trust and conducting rigorous and realistic training will keep you alive when the conditions are not ideal.”