In today’s post, I would like to discuss the National Guard EOD Program. The Army EOD Program traces its roots back to the WW2 era. EOD stands for Explosive Ordnance Disposal. The MOS is 89D. These soldiers research and identify ordnance, assist in the preparation and use of advance robotics, explosively disposing of hazardous ordnance, and also prepare and maintain tools, equipment and vehicles. Both men and women can serve in the EOD Program. In my opinion, the EOD Corps has played an instrumental role in the Global War on Terrorism.
At the time of this writing, there are EOD units in the National Guard in the following states: MA, NY, WV, NC, GA, FL, AL, MI, AZ, CA, and WA. Here are a few EOD Companies that I know of.
- 753rd EOD Company in WVARNG
- 217th EOD Company in CAARNG
- 319th EOD Company in WAARNG
- 221st EOD Company in FLARNG
- 363rd EOD Company in AZARNG
I wouldn’t be surprised if more EOD Units are formed in the future in order to help react to the Global War on Terrorism.
This might change from time to time so make sure you sit down with a recruiter to learn more. As part of ARNG restructuring, the companies have almost doubled in size expanding from 23 to 44 personnel. As a result, there is a huge demand for EOD Sodiers in the ARNG.
In order to serve as an EOD Soldier you must score a 110 or higher on the Skilled Technical (ST) portion of your ASVAB. If you meet that requirement, you must attend Basic Training, followed by the 39 week EOD School at Fort Lee, Virginia. During the EOD School, you will learn lots of great skills, such as:
- Basic electronics/electricity fundamentals
- Hazards and identification of United States and foreign munitions
- Demolition materials, procedures and operations
- Chemical and biological ordnance and operations
EOD Soldiers are always in high demand and are normally eligible for reenlistment bonuses.
With everything that’s going on in the world today, serving in the ARNG EOD Program is a great way to position yourself for a successful career. There is plenty of room for upward mobility and many great perks. Best of all, there are many other government agencies and private companies that would want to hire you. So you could serve in the ARNG EOD Program and have a successful civilian EOD career, too!
On a side note, if you serve (or served) in the Army or ARNG EOD Program, I would love to hear your story. Please tell us about your training and your experiences. Just leave a comment to share your thoughts. Also, if you have any questions about the Army National Guard EOD Program, you can ask below, and I will do my best to provide an answer.
Thanks for visiting.
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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Does anyone know how long the full training is? I have seen everything from 1 year to a year and a half to a year and another year of on the job training.
I’m not sure, maybe someone else can chime in.
The school length differs according to branch, with the Navy training taking the longest, due to the Underwater Ordnance and Dive Training sections. The basic school is ~9 months in length, depending upon holidays and the students progression through the course. For the Army, there is a “pre-course” (~8 weeks) in Virginia, then down to the EOD School at Eglin AFB, FL. Upon graduation, you are an EOD Team Member under an EOD Team Leader and you’ll be doing tool work-ups and general assistance duties during missions, as well as a position somewhere in the company, such as supply, maintenance, security, admin, NBC, etc. – EOD companies are small (44 personnel), but generate more paperwork than a standard Army company. Any further questions, I can be reached at m142fd69@hotmail.com
Thank you for sharing that.
Equal Opportunity is very important, as long as it doesn’t come at the expense of another group of people.
I’ve always wanted to be an EOD Soldier, but I never met the requirements. I have friends in an EOD unit in WV and they absolutely love it. It takes a special person to walk up to a bomb and know that something could potentially go wrong and kill them. I applaud all the guys who serve in these units.
EOD units are a growing field, but are also selective. A very good thing when you consider the dangers of their specialty. I would like to see the field grow, but as with most things, the government is slow to catch up to the need. There has been a need for more EOD units for many years, yet have not been growing at a fast enough rate to keep up with demand.
I think you’re right that there will be more EOD Units in the future, to help in the Global War on Terrorism. It’s important in all kinds of war zones, and unfortunately will sometimes be needed at home too. Of course, budget cuts are always a worry these days, but I think it’s an area that should be prioritized. Sounds like a great area to get involved in – might try to do it, if I can get a good enough score on the ASVAB.
For most of the past 10 years, if you liked to deploy, being an EOD tech was a great way to get deployed again and again. These units are uncommon in the Guard and aren’t much more numerous in the active Army, and with the IED threat in Iraq and later in Afghanistan they were much in demand. We always knew that calling EOD for a suspicious object would mean an average wait of two to four hours–a long time to sit in one place with cars and people that sometimes randomly go “boom” running around.
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit is indeed important, especially with the fight clamping down on terrorism. I find it interested that there are not EODs in every state, only selected ones. Working on an EOD unit can help enhance your military career.