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Ceremony Honors Fallen EOD Warriors
(May 13, 2011) |
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| | EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (NNS - 5/8/2011) -- The names of
15 fallen EOD warriors were added to the EOD Memorial wall
during a ceremony at the Kauffman Explosive Ordnance
Disposal (EOD) Training Complex aboard Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., May 7. |
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (May 7, 2011)
-- Brig. Gen. Charles L. Hudson, commanding general of 1st Marine Logistics Group, presents a flag flown over the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Memorial to the family of an explosive ordnance technician that lost his life in the line of duty this past year. The 42nd annual Memorial Service is held at the Kauffman EOD Training Complex to honor the men and women who lost their lives on active duty as a result of an EOD mission since the declaration of World War II. This year 15 names were added to the memorial, bringing the total to 269 names. |
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The names were of Army, Marine Corps and Air
Force EOD technicians killed in action last year
in Iraq and Afghanistan. This 42nd annual
ceremony gave family, friends and members of the
EOD community, past and present, a chance to
honor their fallen comrades.
The event
is sponsored by the EOD Memorial Foundation, a
nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring the
legacy of fallen EOD warriors by providing for
the maintenance and upkeep of the memorial at
Eglin. Hosted by the Naval School Explosive
Ordnance Disposal, all preparations were
coordinated and executed by staff volunteers
from all four services at the school.
"The EOD Memorial Foundation funds the
memorial's maintenance and assists EOD families
with scholarships and travel expenses to and
from the annual memorial ceremony," said
Foundation President |
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Robert Fay. "We work closely with the services
to document and verify that the member was
killed during an EOD-related incident to be
eligible to earn a place on the memorial's
wall." |
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Oversight and management of the EOD school is the
responsibility of the Navy, with joint-service manning by
the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and the Air Force. The
school's mission is to train officers and enlisted personnel
in the best methods of detection, identification, render
safe, and disposal of explosive ordnance and related
devices.
Capt. Adam Guziewicz, the school's
commanding officer, said reading the new names placed on the
wall at the annual memorial is a poignant reminder that EOD
technicians are on the front lines, risking their lives
every day. The fallen warriors added to the wall in this
year's ceremony consisted of five Army, eight Marines and
two Air Force EOD technicians. All received their training
at the EOD School aboard Eglin.
"They sacrificed all
for their country, and we will never know the countless
lives they have saved," said Guziewicz. "Their legacy will
live on in the lives of those they left behind."
Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James F. Amos, served as
the guest speaker for the ceremony.
"This memorial
stands as a testament to the sacrifice and fidelity of our
brothers and sisters-in-arms who gave everything so that
Americans might live in peace," said Amos. "The explosive
ordnance disposal family is a unique fraternity with a
special bond, and we will always remember those noble
warriors and their families for their supreme courage and
steadfast loyalty to our nation and each other."
The
EOD Memorial was originally built by EOD technicians in
Indian Head, Md., the location of the first EOD School. The
memorial was relocated to the Kauffman EOD Training Complex
when the school moved to its present location in the late
1990's. The new memorial incorporates elements of the
original in recognition of its history. | |
Article and photo By
Ed Barker
Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs
Copyright 2011
Reprinted from
Navy News Service
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