501st EOD Soldiers Rock the FOB Story and photos by Maj. Robert Mitchell, 501st Ordnance Battalion (EOD) Engagement Skills Trainer and a Soldier obstacle or Confidence Course. The exercise culminated with a 72-hour Theater Immersion exercise at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Pezio at Fort McClellan’s Pelham Range complex, simulating the demands and rigors of a combat environment overseas. Soldiers occupied the FOB and immediately began supporting two notional brigade combat teams with ordnance removal support. EOD specialists from Schenectady worked alongside their peers from Army Guard units in West Virginia, Georgia and Alabama to defeat numerous Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and eliminated a variety of unexploded ordnance (UXO) threats throughout the 55- square mile complex. Soldiers from the 1427th Transportation Company from Whitehall conducted multiple daily supply missions from a logistics base to gain valuable combat logistics patrol experience and exercise their newly fielded medium trucks and equipment. The 501st Soldiers completed the three week annual training and returned to their home armories in Schenectady and Whitehall on May 10 with high morale and sharpened skills. “Our units conducted a relevant, realistic training scenario with great lessons learned,” summed up Lt. Col. Jim Pabis from Saratoga Springs, the 501st Alabama Army National Guard Col. Jose Atencio, Ordnance Battalion ComCommander of the 111th Ordnance Group presents the Army Commendation Medal to Chief mander, “And we’re going Warrant Officer Two Thomas Young from the New to apply those lessons going York Army National Guard’s 1427th Transportation forward into the future.” Company at Forward Operating Base Pezio, FORT McCLELLAN, Ala. -- Approximately 75 Soldiers from the New York Army National Guard’s 1427th Transportation Company, 1108th Ordnance Company (EOD) and the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment 501st Ordnance Battalion (EOD) descended on Fort McClellan Alabama in late April to participate in a multi-state Army National Guard Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) training exercise. The training, known as Operation Southern Conquest, brought together Citizen Soldiers from seven states to hone their skills, and participate in realistic and relevant training so prevalent on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers participated in multiple events including an 1,800 mile round trip deployment convoy, hand-to-hand combat or Combatives Training, a Leaders’ Reaction Course, squad training lanes using paintball equipment, a convoy simulation trainer, the Army Guard’s small arms
Pelham Range Complex, Fort McClellan, Ala. May 7 near the completion of the Guard unit’s threeweek annual training. Soldiers from the 1427th Transportation Company, from Whitehall, N.Y. conducted a cross-country convoy of more than 1,800 miles round-trip to support the training of the 501st Ordnance Battalion, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit based in Schenectady.
Summer 2008
New York Army National Guard Pvt. Nicholas Carbone , 1108th Ordnance Company (EOD), from Schenectady, N.Y. completes command sponsored graffiti at Forward Operating Base Pezio, Pelham Range Complex, Fort McClellan, Ala. May 6, during the unit’s three-week annual training. Approximately 75 Soldiers from the Guard deployed to Fort McClellan for training with fellow EOD members from seven other states to hone their skills in defeating or eliminating Improvised Explosive Device or Unexploded Ordnance threats.
New York Army National Guard Major Arthur Zegers, Operations Officer for the 501st Ordnance Battalion (EOD), from Schenectady reviews the commander’s battle update briefing with Sgt. 1st Class Robert Shallbetter for the Ala. Army National Guard’s 441st Ordnance Battalion (EOD) at Forward Operating Base Pezio, Pelham Range Complex, Fort McClellan, Ala. May 6 during the unit’s three-week annual training hone their skills in defeating or eliminating Improvised Explosive Device or Unexploded Ordnance threats.
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