My S is also pursuing EOD. He is in NROTC and will be doing an EOD cruise for his 1C cruise this month. It is my understanding that midshipmen from NROTC and the Academy who want to go EOD have to qualify and be selected for the EOD crusie after their junior yr. Twenty-five midshipmen from the Academy and 25 midshipmen from NROTC are chosen to do the EOD summer cruise. Fifteen are selected from each group to train to be EOD officers upon graduation. If selected, after graduation you will be in training for close to a year. The first thing you go to is Dive School.
Thanks PackMom, that is very helpful! Can you tell me a bit more about the selection process? Did your son have to already take the EOD PT test? Did they make him do the pressure test? Did he request the EOD 1/c cruise at the usual time for scheduling cruises, or did he have to let them know about his interest in EOD earlier? What is your son doing to prepare for EOD during college?
DSL, S had to take the EOD PT test at his college and make a qualifying score in order to be eligible for the EOD Cruise this summer. I believe he will have to take the "official" EOD PT test sometime during the cruise. I have not heard him mention a pressure test but I don't know every detail.
Another qualifier is that you must have 20/20 vision.
The service selection package is submitted during Fall semester (right after EOD cruise) of senior yr.
It is based on recommendation from Prof. Of Military Sci. at your college. (may be different at the Academy), GPA, PT scores and recommendation of supervising Officers on your EOD cruise. S has heard from others that performance on the EOD cruise is extremely important.
I'm pretty sure he expressed his interest in EOD early on (beginning of jr. year I think) and his NROTC officers started working on his pkg. earlier than they normally would for a surface/sub. cruise.
To prepare for EOD, he has dedicated himself to working out. He works out every day without fail. He lifts weights (pull-ups, pushups and sit-ups are part of the EOD PT), runs (1.5 mile run on EOD test) and swims (500 yd. swim using breast stroke on EOD test). You get points for your times/reps on each part of the test. You have to amass a certain number of total points to qualify.
I would like to state that you can enter the SPECOPS programs without 20/20 vision; however, you must get a waiver and from time to time afterwards you will have to request additional waivers to stay in the program. Once you're in the program if your eyesight hasn't changed too much and doesn't effect your ability to dive, it shouldn't be a problem. I entered SPECOPS with 20/200 vision in both eyes...clearly, far beyond what may be even waiverable. You do need outstanding PT scores, must be motivated and a bit of luck doesn't hurt either.
For SEAL training, you definitely need 20/20 to enter the program.
Here's a story you might not have heard about. I received this in an email. There's a great photo but I can't link it.
"PO2 (EOD2) Mike Monsoor, a Navy EOD Technician, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for jumping on a grenade in Iraq, giving his life to save his fellow SEALs.
During Mike Monsoor's funeral in San Diego , as his coffin was being moved from the hearse to the grave site at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery , SEALs were lined up on both sides of the pallbearers route forming a column of twos, with the coffin moving up the center. As Mike's coffin passed, each SEAL, having removed his gold Trident from his uniform, slapped it down embedding the Trident in the wooden coffin.
The slaps were audible from across the cemetery; by the time the coffin arrived grave side, it looked as though it had a gold inlay from all the Tridents pinned to it. This was a fitting send-off for a warrior hero.
This should be front-page news instead of the crap we see every day.
Since the media won't make this news, I choose to make it news by forwarding it onto you guys. I am proud of our military and the men and women who serve in it. They represent the highest and finest values of this country. "
That is really amazing. man, i feel so sorry for his family, that guy was something amazing to give up his life like that. my prayers go out to him and his family
Because he wasn't an EOD tech, he was a SEAL. This is off the his official MOH page on navy.mil.
"Michael enlisted in the U.S. Navy March 21, 2001, and attended Basic Training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. Upon graduation from basic training, he attended Quartermaster “A” School, and then transferred to Naval Air Station, Sigonella, Italy for a short period of time.Petty Officer Monsoor entered Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, Calif., and subsequently graduated with Class 250 on Sept. 2, 2004 as one of the top performers in his class. After BUD/S, he completed advanced SEAL training courses including parachute training at Basic Airborne School, Fort Benning, Ga., cold weather combat training in Kodiak, Alaska, and six months of SEAL Qualification Training in Coronado, graduating in March 2005. The following month, his rating changed from Quartermaster to Master-at-Arms, and he was assigned to SEAL Team 3 Delta Platoon. He deployed with his platoon to Iraq in April 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and was assigned to Task Unit Bravo in Ar Ramadi."
