EOD Unit Gets A Lift

The detachment conducted training exercises with HH-60H Seahawks assigned to the Red Lions of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Fifteen (HS-15) of NAS Jacksonville on Aug. 7. The EOD team spent their afternoon suspended from the bottom of flying aircraft during Special Purpose Insertion and Extraction (SPIE)s, or jumping from and climbing back into the hovering helicopters along the St. Johns River in Jacksonville.

"We train for Cast and Recovery operations as well as Special Purpose Insertion and Extraction to maintain proficiency in different insertion and extraction techniques," said Lt. John J. Stewart, officer in charge of the team.

The drills benefit EOD operations by training the Sailors to respond to explosive ordnance incidents that they might otherwise not have access to. Casting, which involves jumping from an airborne helicopter into the water, is used mainly during floating mine responses so EOD technicians can get to waterborne mines and get recovered by the aircraft. SPIE is a technique that can be used to place or extract personnel from densely wooded areas or other hostile landscapes which provide unsuitable landings for helicopters. In SPIE rigging, up to eight personnel can be attached to a rope and be relocated without having to land the helicopter.

Officer In Charge, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Six (EODMU-6), Lt. John Stewart rests after participating in a cast and recovery drill over the Saint Johns River. Cast and recovery is a fast means of inserting and extracting troops. MCSN PATRICK J COOK

"It depends on how you feel about heights. I think for most people it does feel a little like flying," said Stewart. "Once you're in the air and moving you can use your arms to swing from side to side. At that point the height doesn't really get to you anymore."

The team was able to complete four high-risk evolutions safely in under an hour with the help of two Helicopter Rope Suspension Training masters/CAST masters and the aircrew from HS-15.

The mission of the Navy EOD force is to identify, render safe, and disposal of hazardous unexploded conventional munitions, chemical munitions, and improvised explosive devices. An EOD technician today can respond to an IED incident in Iraq or Afghanistan, aid the U.S. Secret Service in protecting dignitaries or provide direct support to combat forces including U.S. Navy SEALs or Army Special Forces units.

Officer In Charge, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Six (EODMU-6), Lt. John Stewart receives a hand from his team and the crew of Anti-Submarine Squadron Fifteen (HSL-15) as he climbs into the HH-60H Seahawk helicopter during a cast and recovery drill over the Saint Johns River. MCSN PATRICK J COOK

Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Six (EODMU-6), cling to a line beneath an HH-60H Seahawk helicopter assigned to the "Red Lions" of Helicopter Ant-Submarine Squadron Fifteen (HSL-14). The EOD Team was flown over the Saint Johns River during Special Purpose Insertion-Extraction (SPIE) training, known as "spy-rigging," an evolution used by the Navy and Marine Corps for hasty placement and extraction in hostile areas. MCSN PATRICK J COOK