How to Become an EOD

Becoming an EOD in the Navy

Enlist as a sailor. You should speak with a recruiter who will go through all the necessary steps and requirements with you. Your local recruiter will also help you determine which Naval career path is right for you. This is incredibly important when you have a specific interest in mind, such as becoming an EOD. The recruiter will let you know if you’re qualified for the position early on and will be a great resource for you. You have to be between the ages of 17 and 39. You must have a high school diploma or GED.

Take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test. Go speak with your guidance counselor or a recruiter to find out where and when the test is being offered and how to sign up for it. The ASVAB tests your knowledge of and ability in a number of areas, including mathematics and science. This test helps the Navy decide if you have the mental aptitude to enlist and also helps them decide what occupations within the Navy would be best for you. Preparing for the ASVAB is a lot like preparing for the SAT or ACT. There are tutors and study guides available that can help get you ready for the test. Your guidance counselor, academic advisor, or recruiter will have information on that.

Attend Recruit Training Command (RTC). Better known as Boot Camp, this is a rigorous 7 week course designed to prepare you for the demands of being a sailor. RTC ends with a final evaluation called Battle Stations 21. This is a 12-hour event that tests you in everything you have learned at RTC. At the end of Battle Stations 21, you will become a sailor in the U.S Navy.

Take the EOD Prep Course. This 3 week course in Great Lakes, Illinois develops the physical skills necessary to complete EOD tasks in a Navy setting. It focuses on foundational work necessary to get you ready to be an EOD technician. You will work on swim-stroke development, long-range swims, and physical conditioning.

Participate in Diver Training. This 9 week course takes place at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City, Florida. As a Navy EOD, some of your work may be underwater, so learning how to dive will prepare you for challenging, underwater tasks. You will go over scuba diving, dive physics, physiology, and basic dive medicine. All of these skills are basic but necessary when working with naval weapons.

Attend EOD School. You will transfer to Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal School at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. This is where you will truly hone the skills necessary to becoming a successful EOD technician. For 42 weeks, you will be trained in four sections– Air Ordnance Division (missiles and bombs), Improvised Explosive Devices (including “homemade” bombs), Nuclear Ordnance Division (nuclear physics, radiation monitoring, and decontamination), and Underwater Ordnance Division (torpedoes, underwater explosives, and underwater search techniques). These four sections will cover most of what you will see in active duty.

Participate in Parachute Training. You will then have to take part in 3 weeks of parachute training, also known as Basic Airborne Training, or jump school. At the end of this training, you will be considered a basic parachutist. This training takes place in Fort Benning, Georgia.

Go to EOD Tactical Training. Another 3 week course, this teaches you the final skills needed for the EOD position. You will learn helicopter insertion, small-arms training, small unit tactics, and tactical communications.

Attend advanced training. After graduating EOD school, you will be placed with EOD Mobile-Units to get valuable, real-time experience. You can be a part of Mobile Teams, Carrier Strike Group/Expeditionary Strike Group Companies, Naval Special Warfare Companies, and Marine Mammal Companies.

Becoming an EOD in the Army

Enlist in the Army. There are recruitment offices in most towns, or, if you’re still in school, you can speak to your academic advisor about enlisting. Whether you are in high school or not, you will need to speak to a recruitment officer, who will explain the necessary steps towards becoming a soldier. He or she will also go over the minimal requirements for enlisting. The Army requires you to be between the ages of 17 and 34. You must have a high school diploma or a GED.

Take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test. It’s not an IQ test, but it does test your knowledge of and ability in a number of areas, including mathematics and science. The Army uses this test to gauge whether or not you have the mental aptitude to succeed in the Army. They also use it to determine which jobs in the military are right for you. There are study guides and tutors out there who can help you prepare for this test. Speak to your academic advisor, guidance counselor, or your recruiter for more information on tutors, classes, or books to help you get ready for the test. Speak to your recruiter or, if you are still in school, your academic advisor about when the test is given and how to sign up for the test. The important section of the test for the EOD program is the General Maintenance section. This section tests your abilities in math, science, electronics, and auto and shop. To get into the EOD program, you need a General Maintenance score of 105.

Perform 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training. Once you enlist, you will enter Basic Combat Training. In Basic Combat Training, you will learn fundamental tactical and survival skills. You will also learn about Army life, military customs, and how to shoot, repel, and march. This training will provide you with the skills necessary to assimilate into military life and become a soldier. After Basic Training, you enter Advanced Individual Training (AIT).

Enter AIT at Fort Lee, VA. At Fort Lee, you will start the actual training towards becoming an EOD. Here, you'll learn the complicated skills necessary to become an EOD technician. You will attend the Ordnance Munitions and Electronics Maintenance School, which is geared specifically towards training soldiers to safely disarm and dismantle explosives and repair and maintain electronics, missiles, and ammunition systems. Training takes place over a course of 37 weeks.

Becoming an Air Force EOD

Enlist as an Airman. At an armed forces recruitment office, you can speak with a recruiter who will guide you through the enlistment process and will go over the different paths you can take in the Air Force. You must have a high school diploma or a GED. The Air Force requires you to be between 17 and 39 years old.

Take the ASVAB. The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test determines if you have the mental skill to succeed in the armed forces. It also helps to determine what Air Force careers you are best suited for. There are tutors, classes, and books out there to help you prepare for the test. Speak to your academic advisor, guidance counselor, or recruitment officer to find out more information on test preparation, test dates, and how to sign up for a test.

Attend your physical and mental screening. You will be required to go to a Military Entrance Processing Station where you will be physically and mentally screened. They want to make sure that you are physically and mentally fit enough to get through the rigorous training. At the Military Entrance Processing Station, you will give your job counselor a list of every job and aptitude area you’re qualified for and willing to train for in the Air Force. Depending on what the Air Force needs, you will either get a job you asked for or will be assigned a job that best suits your skills..

Attend Basic Military Training. This is a 7 week program followed by Airmen’s Week. This is the basic process that will assimilate you into the Air Force and will teach you all the skills necessary to thrive in the Air Force. In BMT, you will learn the history and culture of the Air Force, basic fighting skills, basic defense skills, and will be physically conditioned to withstand the Air Force’s demands. Airmen’s Week is a final step where core values will be reinforced.

Attend technical training. At either of two locations– Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas or Eglin Air Force Base, Florida– you will be required to attend 169 days of technical training. This training will prepare you for your career as an EOD technician.