From the 17 APR to 28 APR 2023 the NATO EOD COE delivered to NATO and Interoperability Platform countries the NATO EOD Staff Officer Training (NATO EOD SOT). The NATO EOD SOT was hosted by the Polish Military Engineering and CBRN Training Centre in Wroclaw.
The NATO EOD SOT certified course is designed to educate and train non-qualified EOD staff officers with focused objectives on planning, preparation, Command and Control, coordination, contribution and advisory to commanders at the battalion and brigade levels of command.
The course was executed with assistance of the Subject Matter Experts from the Land Force Training Centre of Lithuanian Armed Forces (LTU), C-IED COE Madrid (ESP), JCBRND COE Vyškov (CZE), JISR Institute Prostějov (CZE), UNMAS New York (USA), 905th SCSC Nováky (SVK) and the Military Engineering and CBRN Training Centre Wroclaw (POL).
In total, 16 participants from 11 NATO and Interoperability Platform countries (CZE, DEU, ESP, FIN, LTU, LVA, NLD, POL, SVK, UKR, USA) were trained to be able to conduct EOD operations in the multinational environment. During two-week period, students faced to theoretical lectures, numerous briefings and practical exercises with Explosive Ordnance related Risk & Threat management, EOD capabilities and limitations as well as scenario-based EOD training.
All admitted participants completed the course’s demand e.g., theoretical part, practical exercise and the course’s final written test. Upon meeting all required criteria, the participants received certificates of the course completion during graduation ceremony, which was consigned by COL Jozsef CSUKA, NATO EOD COE Chief of Staff. With regards of the course quality assurance, the NATO EOD SOT graduates expressed their satisfaction with the content of the course as well as they appreciated the course high quality.
Author: CPT Robert BRAUN, CZE (A)
Photo: MSG Peter BULKO, SVK (A)