Into the Water in a Bomb Suit: EOD Technicians Take the Plunge

by Jose Campos

The bomb tech plunged into the water wearing his protective suit, then scrambled to free himself from the bulky gear while staying afloat. Across the pool, others struggled with the same task.

It was a special kind of swim lesson for people whose next call could take them to a suspicious device on a ship or beneath a pier.

That preparation brought Army and Marine explosive ordnance disposal technicians together in Hawaii this fall for the Maritime Operations for Bomb Technicians course. Over five days, September 7–11, 2026, soldiers from the 303rd Ordnance Battalion and Marines from Marine Wing Support Squadron 174 trained at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam under instructors from the FBI’s Hazardous Devices School.

For specialists accustomed to operating on land, getting through the water can be an exhausting introduction. Sergeant Daniel Harris of the 74th EOD Company called the swim the most physically demanding part of an earlier session of the course, held last year.

“It’s a whole different experience swimming in boots, a plate carrier, and a helmet,” Harris told an Army interviewer.

At the waterfront in Septmeber, Marine Sgt. John Murphy climbed the side of the vessel MB480. Once aboard, he worked with Army Sgt. Wyatte Salmans to prepare a charge during an ordnance-clearing exercise. Getting onto the vessel was only the beginning; the technicians then had to carry out their work in the shipboard environment.

Marine Sgt. Coby Jacobson and Army Capt. Emily Christensen were practicing for a job that can put water between them and an explosive device. Before they can tackle a threat aboard a vessel or beneath a pier, they need to be able to swim, reach the work site and cope if they end up in the water wearing their gear.

Elsewhere, Jacobson teamed with Army Staff Sgt. Brandon Pearson to examine an X-ray of a simulated device. Army and Marine technicians also worked together to remove a training device attached to a pier, bringing their bomb-disposal skills directly to the structures the course was designed to help protect.

The setting adds complications beyond the explosive itself. During the earlier course, Harris described unfamiliar shipboard hazards that could injure divers and bomb technicians, along with the possibility that people would still be aboard during a response. Technicians have to account for all of that while dealing with the device.

For Jacobson and Christensen, preparing for those calls began in the pool, with a bomb suit to escape and their heads to keep above water.

Jose Campos writes frequently for Soldier of Fortune.