EOD documentary inspires young Sailors

  • Published
  • By Ed Barker
  • Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  As training began at the Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal here Jan 3, discussion topics included the final episode of season one of "Bomb Patrol Afghanistan," airing just after Christmas on the G4 Network.

The series is the first series to follow the deployment of a platoon of EOD Sailors performing their mission in Afghanistan. The network terms it "one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, in one of the most dangerous places on Earth."

Reaction to the show has been mostly positive, but not unexpectedly, the staff at NAVSCOLEOD views the show from the perspective of combat veterans. Like several instructors on this remote section of Eglin, Chief Petty Officer Robert Snider has found the series interesting, but also has mixed opinions about the show.

"Although the show is edited for television and a bit Hollywood, the program brings light and attention to the EOD community and our operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, which is well-deserved," said Snider. "Not a lot of America understands what we do."

"Everything viewers of "Bomb Patrol Afghanistan" have seen starts here at the Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal schoolhouse," said Capt. Joseph Polanin, commanding officer of NAVSCOLEOD. "Our instructors do their utmost to inspire, mentor, and educate future EOD technicians while preparing them for success, in any mission or operational environment. To witness the valor, leadership, and quiet professionalism these Navy EOD technicians displayed under extremely arduous conditions, directly contributing to counter-insurgency operations, is to understand their remarkable impacts for our nation and our military."

The officer in charge of the EOD platoon featured in the show was Lt. Brad Penley, now stationed with EOD Mobile Unit 12. The show covered his first deployment as platoon commander, and he credits his training at NAVSCOLEOD with providing a great foundation for him and his fellow EOD technicians.

"Every time you approach a suspected IED the scenario is a little different," said Penley. "But the thought process we use in defeating the IEDs is always the same -- it's one of the most important things we learned at the schoolhouse and we use it every day."

Seaman Apprentice Thomas Dahlke first watched the show with several shipmates while in the EOD preparatory curriculum at Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill. Dahlke recently began his EOD/Dive training in Florida and says the Sailors were not put off by the realism and danger portrayed by the show.

"If anything, it made us want to be EOD technicians even more," said Dahlke. "To see how crucial their job is to operations in Afghanistan and to see the awesome equipment that they use, who wouldn't want to do that as a career?"

Joe Venafro works for Big Fish Entertainment and was the supervising producer/cameraman in Afghanistan embedded with the Navy EOD platoons. He and his production team shot more than 4,000 hours of video during the five-month deployment.

"These EOD guys are a new breed of warrior - highly intelligent and skilled," said Venafro. "They totally blew me away with how smart they were; no fear and exceptionally well-trained. Getting compelling video for the series was not a problem."

The final episode of the show included the most intense firefight of the series, and the return home for the platoons, all of whom returned safely from the deployment.