Location: Eglin AFB, Florida
Date: May 1, 2010
The family members of 16 fallen EOD soldier gathered on May 1, 2010 at the Kauffman Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training Complex at the Elgin AFB in Florida for a ceremony recognizing 16 members of the EOD community that have lost their lives in active EOD duty in the past year. The 41st annual memorial service gave family, friends, and members of the EOD community an on opportunity to recognize their fallen soldiers.
In his keynote speech, guest speaker Adm. Jonathan Greenert, vice chief of navel operations said to the EOD community, “you demand people who are leaders, we demand people who are experts.” Much of the work performed by EOD members is in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Greenert said that success for the military missions there depends upon success by the EOD.
“There is not a convoy that will move without EOD coverage,” he said. The EOD, in turn, passes its knowledge to the military and police in Iraq as the U.S. military mission winds down there.
“These are people that run to danger; they don’t run away from danger… but they are a humble group. They don’t ask for recognition. Those we honor today would probably be embarrassed.”
The memorial is maintained by the EOD Memorial Foundation who also uses money raised through corporate sponsors and an annual auction to bring the families of the fallen to the ceremony and provides scholarships to EOD spouses and children.
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