Page 6 - Fort Irwin High Desert Warrior, August 2021

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August 2021
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11th ACR represents National Training Center for
From EXPLOSIVE, Page 1
wanted to make a di erence.
“I know that for every ordnance item I can render safe that
I’ve made that area a little bit safer for the local populace,” said excellence in Army food service
Phan. “I want little kids to be able to play soccer on safe ground,
without fear of injury or death. As an EOD tech, I want to bring By Capt. Evan Cain ent criteria to include pre-deployment
the safety we enjoy in America to other countries.” activities, movement into the eld, site
Phan’s advice to anyone who wants to join this elite com- 11th ACR Public A airs selection and set-up, food service admin-
munity is straightforward. FORT IRWIN, CALIF — Food istration, food preparation and quality,
“Keep your head down and stay focused,” said Phan, a service during a training rotation or and eld food safety.
four-year Army veteran from Valencia, California. “ e course mission can have a signi cant impact on Specialist Tanya Jones, culinary
is di cult and you’ll likely have setbacks along the way, but morale. One eld feeding team, assigned food specialist, says it is important
perseverance will get you far.” to Regimental Support Squadron, 11th that she participated in the Connelly
Army EOD Soldiers are trained at a seven-week preparatory Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR), competition. “It gets me more experi-
course on Fort Lee, Virginia. is is followed by a 34-week strives to build on the high standard of ence with my job and the knowledge
course at the Naval EOD School on Eglin Air Force Base, excellence set by the Philip A. Connelly I need to know for when I am a non-
Florida. Award Program and the Philip A. Con- commissioned o cer,” said Jones. “[Our]
Sgt. 1st Class Robert L. Palmer Jr. has served as an EOD nelly Field Kitchen Competition. teamwork is everything, and without
technician and team leader. He is the noncommissioned o cer- Named after the late Philip A. Con- motivation, there is no way the mission
in-charge of Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordination Team nelly, former president of the Inter- will be accomplished.”
4 at the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, national Food Service Executives As- e 11th ACR eld feeding team is
Explosives (CBRNE) Command. Soldiers and civilians from sociation (IFSEA), the program was the rst to be evaluated out of six other
the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland-headquartered 20th established to recognize excellence in units in the Active Army Field Kitch-
CBRNE Command support joint, interagency and allied opera- Army food service. Although the U.S. en category across Forces Command
tions around the world. Army changed to the National Restau- (FORSCOM) for the opportunity to
Palmer joined the U.S. Army to be a Medical Laboratory rant Association’s Standards from the compete at the Department of the Army
Specialist in 2006 and he later decided to become an EOD IFSEA’s in 2014, the competition and level. Evaluators are sent from the Army
technician in 2012 while serving at Grafenwohr Health Clinic. professionalism associated with the Con- Quartermaster School’s Joint Culinary
Since then, he has served with the 704th EOD Company on nelly competition have set conditions Center of Excellence (JCCoE) to evalu-
Fort Hood, Texas, and as an EOD team leader for the 720th to improve food service in the military. ate performance and provide real-time
EOD Company in Baumholder, Germany. is year the 11th ACR is compet- feedback.
Palmer participated in 38 EOD responses in Germany ing in the Active Army Field Kitchen Sgt. 1st Class Kristo er Rasmussen,
and 64 missions in the combat zone, including an Improvised category, which focuses on eld kitchen National Training Center Senior Com-
Explosive Device strike and ambush where he was injured operations. e other three categories mand Food Advisor, feels that training
and earned a Purple Heart in Logar Province, Afghanistan, in are Military Dining Facilities, Army for an evaluation at this level helps in-
September 2013. National Guard Field Kitchen, and U.S. centivize the Soldiers.
e seasoned EOD technician said noncommissioned o cer Army Reserve Field Kitchen. “It’s a great way to get our culinary
leadership is “where the rubber meets the road” in the EOD First Lt. Logan Abraham, eld feed- specialists more pro cient in their duties,
community, adding that NCOs are relied on heavily for training ing platoon leader, Regimental Support oftentimes they will start to fall into bad
standards and real world experience that supports continuous Squadron, describes the preparation habits, and training for an evaluation
missions during war and peace. for the competition as leader develop- like this forces them to get back to the
“Being a platoon sergeant was the most rewarding part of my ment through individual and collective proper ways of doing things and they
career to this day,” said Palmer, who is from Walterboro, South train-up. can take that training to their peers later
Carolina. “If you want to become the best version of yourself “Our team has lots of repetition and and raise the whole operation to a new
and grow in ways you’d never imagine, this is the job for you.” ments of disarming and rendering safe explosive hazards as well leader to listen to the members of the team and incorporate rotational experience in what they do,” level of greatness,” said Rasmussen. “It
Lt. Col. Fidel Arvelo, the commander of the Joint Base as lead their platoons and companies to deploy overseas as their their feedback can make the di erence of success or failure in said Abraham. “Each of our culinary also gives the Soldiers more incentive to
Lewis-McChord, Washington-based 3rd EOD Battalion, has own small separated element, supporting (Special Operations a mission.” specialists [has] dedicated over 200 hours be the best they can be because winning
served as an EOD o cer for 19 years. He started as an enlisted Forces) or conventional forces,” said Arvello. “An exceptional Hoyle said that the lessons she learned in the EOD com- to build their expertise and cohesion the Connelly is a very prestigious title
EOD technician before becoming a warrant o cer and a com- opportunity but not for the faint of heart.” munity are enduring and continue to serve her well in her as a team by executing rehearsals and and everyone across the Army will know
missioned o cer. Maj. Gen. Heidi J. Hoyle, the commanding general of the current role as commanding general of the Army component standards-based training.” them if they win.”
A native of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Arvelo became an EOD Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, said EOD for U.S. Transportation Command. e Scott Air Force Base, A total of six Regimental Support “I’m very proud of our team, they
technician in 1990 after serving as a combat engineer because training is rigorous yet rewarding. Illinois-based Surface Deployment and Distribution Command Squadron Soldiers performed as a team have worked extremely hard, and I think
he was drawn to the challenging nature of the career eld. “(Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal) is one of the provides equipment and supplies to troops deployed around in this year’s Philip A. Connelly Field they have a good chance of winning
After 35 years in the U.S. Army, Arvelo’s bio reads like a most academically challenging schools,” said Hoyle, a Bay City, the world. Kitchen Competition to represent the the competition this year,” said 1st Lt.
history lesson. In addition to multiple combat tours in Iraq and Michigan, native who previously commanded the 71st EOD “My EOD experiences have helped me to quantify and National Training Center: Sgt. Donald Abraham.
Afghanistan, Arvelo supported EOD responses in Mogadishu, Group, 20th CBRNE Command. “ e pride of earning the manage risk,” said Hoyle. “Risk management is something that Previty, from Bu alo, New York; Sgt. 11th ACR and the National Train-
Somalia, during the 1993 raids that were depicted in the movie basic EOD badge is incredible and the comradery that follows Carolina Sanchez, from Orange County, ing Center will receive the nal results
“Black Hawk Down” and he also helped to rescue a Bedouin is priceless.” I use every day as a senior Army leader and is always included California; Spc. Michael Groves, from in early October to determine if they
from a mine eld on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. Hoyle served as the 41st U.S. Army Chief of Ordnance and in my decision making.” New Smyrna Beach, Florida; Spc. Cheeto will advance to the Department of the
Calling his battalion command his best experience, Arvello commandant for the Army Ordnance School. She also previ- Hoyle said the U.S. Army needs more EOD Soldiers to Rafanan, from Dededo, Guam; Spc. Army level.
said the EOD profession requires a special kind of Soldier who ously served as the executive o cer of the 242nd EOD Battalion confront and defeat explosive hazards at home and overseas. Courtney Roseborough, from Port La “Every culinary specialist should be
can accomplish di cult missions with minimum oversight. in support of Joint Task Force Paladin. e combined task force “We need mature, physically t and disciplined Soldiers to Cruz, Trinidad and Tobago; and Spc. a orded the right to showcase their skills
“EOD is easily the most rewarding job in the Army,” said had the critical mission of locating and defeating Improvised enter our ranks,” said Hoyle. “If you think you have what it Teyona Jones, from Hampton, South and training,” said Sgt. Donald Previty,
Arvello. “Sergeants and sta sergeants are trusted to take their Explosive Devices in Afghanistan. takes, come out for an interview.” Carolina. non-commissioned o cer-in-charge of
team members anywhere in the world and coordinate with e commanding general said that strong teamwork and For more information, go to https://goarmysof.com/eod/ e in-person evaluation of the 11th the eld feeding team. Our military occu-
supported organizations for the safety and protection of those leadership are the keys to success in this high stakes profession. eodrecruiting.html. You can also contact the EOD In-service ACR eld feeding team took place over pational specialty is non-stop, physically
they are called to protect. “In the EOD community, our team leaders carry an incred- Recruiters on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, at 910-432-1818 a span of 48 hours. It started on July 19, and mentally. ere is always something
“Young o cers are expected to learn all the technical require- ible amount of responsibility,” said Hoyle. “ e ability of a team or Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, at 253-966-3902. and the team was evaluated on di er- to learn, and everyone needs to eat.”

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