USA: Mozambique Military Delegation Visits NAVSCOLEOD

September 3, 2012

A delegation from the Mozambique military spent the morning of Aug. 23 touring the Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (NAVSCOLEOD).

The tour included much of the EOD School, including the Demolition Division, Tools and Methods Division, Air Ordnance Division, and the Improvised Explosive Device Division.

“This is a very big school,” said Col. Dias Jaqueta of the Mozambique Armed Forces. “The training here is going to help a lot of people around the world and contribute to peace. This tour has helped us to understand different parts of the training.”

Throughout the tour, Billy Martin, international military student programs officer at NAVSCOLEOD, explained the importance of training and how making it as realistic as possible provides the most effective education to the students.

“We stay busy with our mission,” said Martin. “Training remains very important, so we set up all of our scenarios as realistically as possible. We train as we fight.”

One scenario seen by the Mozambicans simulated a chemical bomb that fell off a truck while in transit. EOD students must take the knowledge learned up to that point in their training to assess the situation, determining how to solve the problem while observing all safety procedures.

At the Air Ordnance Division, the group toured the 20 aircraft available to provide students realistic training scenarios. The students learn about the hazards of working around aircraft, as well as ordnance on board, including guided missiles, bombs, dispensers and payloads.

“I learned a lot about the course,” said Lt. Col. Orlando Fernando Uaiene. “It is a very good course and I hope to participate in it to strengthen our Mozambique armed forces. The time spent here has been very helpful.”

NAVSCOLEOD, located on Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., provides high-risk, specialized, basic and advanced EOD training to more than 2,200 U.S. and partner nation military and selected U.S. government personnel each year.

[mappress]
Press Release, Septembar 3, 2012