Soldiers from the 788th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company successfully completed a large-scale explosive destruction mission on Nov. 14.
U.S. Army EOD troops from the Fort Campbell, Kentucky-based company eliminated almost 10,000 military munitions on Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, the headquarters post for U.S. Army Materiel Command and Aviation and Missile Command.
During the month-long operation, Army EOD technicians destroyed 9,736 munitions that had a combined weight of 15,531 pounds.
Capt. Taylor Downs, commander of the 788th EOD Company, said a platoon-sized element with three EOD teams completed the mission. The soldiers destroyed a wide variety of explosives that were no longer needed for testing.
“Everything from ordnance fuses to full up guided missiles,” said Downs, a Millis, Massachusetts, native who served in Afghanistan.
The 788th EOD Company is part of 184th EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group, 20th CBRNE Command (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives). Headquartered on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, 20th CBRNE is the U.S. Department of the Defense’s only formation that combats CBRNE threats around the world.
In addition to enabling U.S. military operations around the globe, 20th CBRNE Command troops support civil law enforcement officials in the United States. During fiscal year 2014, 20th CBRNE EOD technicians responded to more than 2,000 EOD incidents across the nation.
Article and image courtesy of Walter Ham, 20th CBRNE Command, edited for context and format.