US Navy opens new EOD operations facility

The US Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Group 2 has opened a new EOD operations facility at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, the navy announced on 7 September.

The new building is part of a $39.2 million project that was developed in support of the EOD consolidation initiative. It will house EOD Mobile Unit 2, EOD Mobile Unit 12 and EOD Expeditionary Support Unit 2.

The EOD consolidation initiative is aimed at streamlining training and consolidation of the EOD mobile units to two main geographic locations while maintaining forward-deployed forces. The facility will serve as a more centralised location, keeping EOD technicians and support personnel together to better accomplish their mission.

EOD Group 2, headquartered at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, oversees all East Coast-based navy EOD mobile units, including one forward-deployed mobile unit in Spain; as well as EOD Expeditionary Support Unit 2, EOD Training and Evaluation Unit 2 and Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 2.

The EOD technicians counter explosive hazards in any terrain, including carrying out underwater mine countermeasures, exploitation and attribution of underwater ordnance.