The U.S. Army is putting together a battalion of explosive ordnance disposal specialists who will drop from the sky with the speed of their much lighter peers in the 82nd Airborne Division and the Global Response Force.
Troops in hot-spots around the world increasingly need EOD experts who can rapidly arrive on the scene. Heavy equipment has historically prevented officials from forming and EOD battalion, but the The 767th Ordnance Company, 192nd Ordnance Battalion out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will change the paradigm.
“This is definitely not something that I thought was going to be a part of this job when I joined,” Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Golson told Army Times Wednesday.
The immediate goal for the 767th Ordnance Company is to have 19 of its soldiers airborne qualified. Previous considerations involved a “blending” of EOD troops with 2nd Airborne’s GRF, the website reported.
“The purpose of us jumping in is to offer EOD support earlier on in the joint force entry operations, and that’s what the 82nd does,” Capt. Zachary Abood, the 767th’s commander, told Army Times. “Right now, as it stands, we follow on behind, probably hours, if not days, the current tip of the spear. Ultimately, as far as I know now, the goal is to have an airborne battalion. […] Figuring out what fits in our rucksack, what can get dropped out of an airplane, is what we’re dealing with currently in terms of the logistics.”
News of the upcoming airborne bomb squad comes just days after it was announced that 1,700 U.S. paratroopers will deploy to Iraq to assist security forces in their battle against the Islamic State group.
SEE ALSO: Army deploying 1,700 paratroopers from 82nd Airborne Division to Iraq
Troops from the 82nd Airborne’s 2nd Brigade Combat will replace members of the 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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