SWJ - "Civil Affairs Confronts Weapons of the Weak"

I'm a fan of the Small Wars Journal. They have a five part series entitled "Professors in the Trenches." SWJ describes this series as: "Each article was co-authored by one Army soldier/civilian and one university professor/academic as part of a joint research project. This project and product responds to the Army’s objectives regarding the integration of cultural social sciences into its training and operations."

Number 2 in the series is "Civil Affairs Confronts Weapons of the Weak." It has a very interesting counter-IED (C-IED) construct. I recommend this as reading for any EOD Tech or student of counter-insurgency (COIN).

FREE 19!

I want to send a "Hooya!" to Midn 2/c Gulliksen, Midn 3/c McCrary, and the Plebes of FREE 19! Thank you all for the Naval Academy clock. As suggested, it is now displayed prominently in my bar. I will remember a fun Saturday morning training lecture with you guys....especially the 70% who chose to stay on for the second hour. The rest of you...bring around a Form Two!

FAQ #2: How can I learn more about an EOD career?

I'm often contacted by those who are interested in a career as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician. This community was practically unknown before the war on terrorism, and is still not well understood today. Still, the Military Channel did a great program on the Navy's EOD community. It is available on You Tube starting with this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMVJlk1bVgY.

After seeing this program, if you are still interested, I recommend "hitting the books." On this page I've posted some of my favorites. If you search "EOD" or "Bomb Squad" on amazon.com you will note I've reviewed many of them there. I recommend first reading America's First Frogman: The Draper Kauffman Story by Elizabeth Kauffman Bush. Next, pick up Eight Lives Down by Chris Hunter. The Kauffman book will provide an important historical understanding of the roots of this community. Chris Hunter describes counter-IED operations while serving in Basra, Iraq which provide a sense of EOD work in the war on terrorism.

For the best insight into a Navy EOD career I recommend visiting the Navy EOD recruiting website at: http://www.eod.navy.mil/. I'm certain that the other services have similar websites.

FAQ #3 You mention in the opening of "Proximity" that EOD procedures are often classified. How then were you able to publish?

The exact quote in the front of Proximity is:

"The methods, tactics, and procedures used by military Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians are often classified. This is to prevent the architects of military ordnance or improvised explosive devices from incorporating countermeasures into their design. This book only reveals procedures that are intuitively obvious or so widely publicized that mentioning them here could not be considered irresponsible. Where required, the methods described are fictitious while maintaining the flavor of explosive ordnance disposal work."

To ensure that I did not unwittingly publish classified information I submitted this manuscript to the U.S. Navy's Office of Information and Personnel Security. They authorized it for release after a nine month review. Since that time, I've submitted a collection of historical accounts. One of which has been published as an article in the Small Wars Journal entitled The Birth of the Combined Explosives Exploitation Cell.

IRONMAN EOD FUND

I received this message via the Navy and Marine Corps EOD Association - LT Michael McMahon will participate in the Florida Ironman Triathlon in Panama City. Proceeds support the Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation and EOD Memorial Read below.

Dear Friends and Family,

I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I am LT Michael McMahon, Officer In Charge of Navy EOD Mobile Unit 2 Platoon 2-5-1 deployed to Mosul, Iraq. The reason I'm contacting you is to raise awareness and funds for two organizations; The EOD Memorial Foundation and the EOD Wounded Warrior Foundation. On November 7th, 2009 I will be competing in the Florida Ironman Triathlon in Panama City. I'm running it to honor all of the fallen and wounded EOD warriors that have given so much for this country.

EOD stands for Explosive Ordnance Disposal. EOD techs, as we are referred to, are on the front lines in the war on terror. EOD teams are integrated with combat units from all services. We are there to ensure safety from explosive hazards more specifically IEDs; Improvised Explosive Devices. EOD personnel save countless lives, both military and civilian, on a daily basis. Unfortunately, there are those who are wounded in this effort and those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.

Below are links to both the EOD Memorial Foundation and the EOD Wounded Warrior Foundation's web sites. Please take a moment to visit these foundations and take a look at what they do for the families of the fallen and the lives of the wounded EOD warriors.

www.woundedeodwarrior.org

www.eodmemorial.org

A donation of any amount is much appreciated. Your contribution will help make a difference in the families of the fallen and the lives of the wounded. If you choose to donate please make checks payable to the MICHAEL MCMAHON IRONMAN EOD FUND, and send to:

2024 Sunset Maple LN Chesapeake VA, 23323

The total amount of donations will be split equally, with a check made out to each organization on the day of the race.

If you know of anyone else who might be interested in donating please forward this e-mail along. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Michael McMahon

LT USN

michael_mcmahon76@hotmail.com