Nap deCiutiis returns to the podcast to talk about his new company, East Coast Foils, and what they are doing to try and impact the health of those military members whose job is on small craft. Reducing the shock through innovative hull designs and integrating AI, East Coast Foils GOV may soon be a game changer for the US Military. --------------- SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/echo_oscar_delta/Linktree: https://linktr.ee/EchoOscarDeltaDonate: https://www.paypal.com/donate/...
Apr 25, 2025•47 min•Ep. 53
In part 2 of my sit down with Henry (Ace) Thrift, he shares more stories from his career in addition to us discussing our thoughts on what Navy EOD needs to do in order to get back to our roots. The true family and brotherhood of Navy EOD.--------------- SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/echo_oscar_delta/Linktree: https://linktr.ee/EchoOscarDeltaDonate: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=FXKKVEPDZSW7ELinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerron-clark-b7144599/A...
Feb 13, 2025•2 hr 1 min•Ep. 52
Henry (Ace) Thrift, a retired LCDR, sits down and walks us through his long career in Navy EOD. From enlisting in the Navy, being selected for OCS, and rising to Lieutenant Commander, Ace ensured that all the fun he had during his time off was matched and exceeded by his dedication during working hours. I enjoyed sitting down and listening to all the off-working-hour shenanigans, as well as the amazing opportunities he had as an EOD Operator. Part one is the first two hours of our four-hour conv...
Jan 20, 2025•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 51
Kyle Morris and John Meyer are strength coaches for the EOD Group Two Strike program. In this episode, I talk with them about their methodology for helping our Navy EOD operators hit their fitness goals, be ready for the rigors of the job, and stay as injury-free as possible. The Strike program started about four years ago and addresses all aspects of an EOD operator by providing access to, strength coaches, physical therapists, nutritionists, and mental health professionals. Having access to st...
Jan 01, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 50
Chris Schneider served 26 years and retired as a Senior Chief in Navy EOD. During that time he deployed four times doing various missions from Mine Countermeasures (MCM), supporting the Carrier Strike Group (CSG), and attached to Seal Teams as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. After his retirement, Chris found several non-profits that support veterans by paying for comprehensive exams and supporting therapies to help heal an individual from not just physical injuries, but psychological ones as...
Dec 17, 2024•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 49
I talked with Shannon Walker, the CEO and Founder of Northwest Battle Buddies, about what led her to start a non-profit and what Northwest Battle Buddies does. The mission of Northwest Battle Buddies is to gift professionally trained service dogs to veterans battling with PTSD in order to help them regain their freedom and independence. The service dogs they train spend five or more months in training and then are matched with a Veteran handler for five more weeks of training and bonding. It is ...
Nov 01, 2024•43 min•Ep. 48
Pat Monday discusses his summit of Mt. Everest in May of 2024. Pat is a prior Navy EOD Operator, Medical School Student, and Mountain climber. We discussed where he found his love of the mountains, how he turned his dream of climbing Mt. Everest into a reality, and how his summit expedition went. ----------------------- EPISODE SPONSOR: ----------------------- To sponsor an episode e-mail echooscardeltamk2@gmail.com --------------- SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/echo_oscar_d...
Oct 17, 2024•2 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 47
David Lyman is a retired Navy EOD Operator training to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest Bomb Suit Marathon. He is attempting this enormous task to raise awareness about EOD and raise funds for the EOD Warrior Foundation. In this episode, we talk about how he came up with the idea, some of the hurdles he has to tackle during training, and what his ultimate goal for the Bomb Suit Marathon actually is. Instagram: @Bombsuit_MarathonDonations: https://runsignup.com/BOMBSUITMARATHON ---...
Sep 25, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 46
EODCS(ret) Cliff Sabo had a Navy EOD career that only one dreams of. Deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Bahrain where he disarmed IED's, supported special operations assault teams, led underwater mine countermeasures teams, and more. On shore duty, he was at Det Marianas where he spent his time defusing bombs on base, blowing up mines underwater, and doing range clearance operations on a small island in the Pacific. This episode shows the full range of what a Navy EOD Operators career can be; t...
Sep 13, 2024•2 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Matt Wheeler and I sit down and talk about some serious topics surrounding leadership, mental health, and more. Matt doesn't shy away from discussing his exit from the military, a medical retirement after going down a path that any of us could easily find ourselves on. Due to some leaders who thought about the individual as a person that they genuinely care about and a lot of hard work done by himself, Matt is excelling at life. His mission now is to be a great father, husband, and friend. Take ...
Aug 31, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Scott Weaver, retired Navy EOD Senior Chief, sits down and talks about life one year after retiring from active duty. We discuss what it's like to leave something that has been your main focus for 20 years, how to connect with your wife and family while making them your priority and reminisce on some of the good times during his active duty years. ----------------------- EPISODE SPONSOR: ----------------------- Would you like to sponsor an Episode?? Send me an e-mail: echooscardeltamk2@gmail.com...
Aug 20, 2024•2 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Tony Seifert is a Navy EOD Operator who has an exhausting hobby. In his free time he goes out and trains, running mile after mile, eventually spending his weekends competing in races of 32-100 miles. That's right, up to 100 miles at a time. In this podcast Tony talks about what got him into running ultra marathons and what it's like to compete in a race where you have many competitors, but the hardest one is yourself. --------------- SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/echo_oscar...
Aug 05, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Richard Davidson joined the US Navy in 1959 and ultimately retired in 1989 as a CWO4 in EOD, after 22 years. Among his many deployments, he did five tours in Vietnam and deployed worldwide. After he retired from the Navy he had a heart attack that changed his life. Richard is an Alkalarian and has dedicated his life to teaching others what he believes helped him survive a potential killer. Thriving in his 80’s he’s now a health and wellness coach. https://www.myionhealth.com/ -------------------...
Jun 01, 2024•1 hr 41 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Jacquelyn Read is a retired Explosive Ordnance Disposal Senior Chief with 21 years in the Navy. After six years as a Chinese linguist, she graduated from EOD school and ultimately EOD Mobile Unit Three, from which she deployed multiple times. Jacque was then selected for a special program and spent many years as part of a Special Mission Unit where she operated in small teams all around the world. After retirement, she started multiple businesses', Vangogo and her current passion, Athena Defense...
May 01, 2024•1 hr 51 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Learning to deal with adversity is understanding that you haven't failed if you don't give up. A positive attitude will bring us all to a greater position in life. Karl Krahn separated from the Navy as an EODCS at 19 years. The first 17 years of his career were marked with success after success. He served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Philippines as an EOD Operator after spending some time in the fleet as an ET. The job is intense and built up stressors that compounded with his personal life, as...
Apr 01, 2024•2 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Jeff Simons spent 26 years with US Navy EOD, retiring as a Lieutenant Commander (select). During that time he was stationed and deployed all around the world. From Operation Earnest Will, and Desert Storm, to Operation Iraqi Freedom, Jeff has participated in most of the major conflicts around the world during his career. In addition to his military career, Jeff stayed close to the EOD community after retirement. Being an integral part of A-T Solutions to his current job as Co-Founder of Unmanned...
Mar 01, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Episode 37 is with Brian Kirk, a US Navy Reserve Commander who served 11 years on active duty as a Navy EOD Officer. During his active duty time, he deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and spent significant time in Korea. He shares stories from his combat deployments, some funny and some serious. He also talks about the transition to a civilian job and what the Naval Reserves has done for him. I went through EOD school with Brian, some of the most memorable times I’ve had in EOD. We reminisce on th...
Feb 01, 2024•2 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Tod Neal, a 30-year Navy Veteran who retired as a Senior Chief EOD Operator, joins me for episode 36 of the podcast. Growing up in a Methodist children’s home, he had a tough childhood. While struggling with direction, he found toughness and learned he wouldn’t quit. Tod joined the Navy in 1991 and even before he joined EOD his courage under fire was tested. After finding out about EOD and being selected to go through training, Tod flourished. EOD was where he belonged. Being tested over and ove...
Jan 14, 2024•1 hr 39 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Adam Garrett joins me for the 35th episode of the Echo Oscar Delta Podcast. Adam served 15 years in Navy EOD before separating as a Senior Chief. He deployed four times to Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain, and an Aircraft Carrier. During the podcast, Adam shares stories from his time deployed overseas in a war zone, the initial training to become Navy EOD, and what factors led to his decision to separate and find his new path as a civilian. It was a great conversation with many nuggets for us all to t...
Jan 01, 2024•3 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 35
In episode 35 of the podcast, we do the first in the series, Bombs & Bourbon. Four EOD Operators who worked at the East Coast Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training and Evaluation Unit Two (EODTEU2), Final Training Exercise (FTX) division got together and talked about their unified purpose. We talk about what made the team so special, divulge some interpersonal secrets about the ongoings of day to day life in FTX, and just enjoy making fun of each other like good Navy EOD Operators do. -------...
Dec 17, 2023•1 hr 38 min•Season 1Ep. 35
In episode 33, Greg Wheelock, a retired Lieutenant Commander with a 25-year career in the U.S. Navy, as he shares captivating tales from his journey as a Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician. From his early fascination with EOD teams in Guam to shipboard deployments and shore duties in locations like Det Bermuda, Wheelock provides a firsthand account of the diverse and dynamic world of EOD operations. The conversation delves into the challenges of underwater demolitions, parachute i...
Dec 02, 2023•2 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 33
In episode 32 of the podcast, I sit down with EODCM (ret) Tara Asbury to talk about her career and beyond. Tara has been someone I have lookup up to for many years, reaching out several times for advice and perspective. In our conversations I got to learn a bit more about her. Amongst other things, we talked about what the driving force was in joining Navy EOD, the workups, deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa. We also touched on leadership goods and bads and ideas on how to balance the n...
Nov 20, 2023•2 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 32
EODCS James Hebert (Eh Bear) joins me in Episode 31 where he talks about a variety of EOD topics experienced over his 20 years of service. One subject that is brought up frequently in this episode is the importance of mental health. Eh Bear opens up about how doing the job he loves caused some lasting effects that were not talked about initially. His first IED call, an unlikely group reporting a weapons cache and the ensuing shenanigans, almost getting shot, along with stories from times with th...
Nov 06, 2023•2 hr 35 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Episode 30 is dedicated to EODC Jason Finan who was killed on October 20, 2016, in Mosul, Iraq. I talked with Shawn Bacon, Jason's Dad, about who he was as a boy and his likes, dislikes, and motivations. We discuss his military service from his family's perspective, as well as what it was like for his family when they found out the news. This episode was hard to do, but the purpose at the end I believe was served. After listening to this episode, if you didn't know Jason, you will start to feel ...
Oct 20, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 30
In podcast episode 29, we dive deep into the remarkable 27-year career of Lenny Lyon, a retired Navy Captain with extensive experience in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). Lenny's journey takes us through his numerous deployments to diverse locations, his introduction to the world of EOD during a college summer cruise, and his transition into the EOD pipeline. His training, which included SWAS, dive school, and ship duty, paved the way for his successful EOD career. A key takeaway from Lenny's ...
Oct 10, 2023•2 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 29
In this heartfelt podcast episode, Roy Sedano, a retired Senior Chief with over 23 years of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) experience, engages in a candid conversation about his journey in EOD and transitioning to civilian life. He shares his initial deployments, highlighting the importance of problem-solving skills in high-pressure situations. Throughout the discussion, the significance of EOD training and experiences in shaping his abilities to tackle challenges in various career paths beco...
Sep 30, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 28
In podcast episode number 27, Navy veteran Dan Bertozzi shares his fascinating journey through eight years of service as a Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician. He reflects on his appreciation for the Navy experience, the unique path that led him to EOD, and the various phases of his training, including dive school and EOD school. Dan provides insights into his deployments on an aircraft carrier, highlighting the excitement of working with aircraft and the camaraderie among sailors....
Sep 22, 2023•2 hr 26 min•Season 1Ep. 27
In this podcast episode, we delve into the remarkable military and civilian career of Sergeant First Class (ret) Randy Oakley who served for 23 years in the Army, including reserve time. He eventually found his way to the Navy for his civilian career as an instructor and then Nuclear Hazards Division Radiation Safety Officer at EOD Training and Evaluation Unit Two. Our guest shares their journey from the Montana Army National Guard to active duty, sparked by a chance encounter with an Explosive ...
Sep 10, 2023•2 hr 36 min•Season 1Ep. 26
In episode # 25, we delve into the experiences of Chris Garrett, a UK volunteer deeply involved in humanitarian mine action since 2014. Chris's journey began in Myanmar, where he clandestinely joined a group to clear landmines due to the absence of a legal framework. His interest led him to Ukraine in the early stages of its conflict in 2014. Despite language barriers and resource limitations in Ukraine's institutions, Chris joined a volunteer battalion and later the National Guard's foreign rec...
Aug 30, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Episode 24 of the Echo Oscar Delta Podcast is the first in a new series, Beyond the Blast. In this series, we talk with LT Mathias Porter about his collegiate swimming and what led him to transition into Crossfit. Once he made that transition, he started to excel. This year he qualified for the North American East semi-finals, ultimately increasing his ranking to 26th. Join me for an engaging talk about his life outside of EOD. Buy an Echo Oscar Delta Hat: https://www.etsy.com/EchoOscarDelta/lis...
Aug 20, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 24
