EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE — Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao returned to familiar ground May 2 as he visited the Kauffman Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training Complex at Eglin Air Force Base, the same schoolhouse where he completed Navy EOD officer training more than two decades ago.
Cao visited the facility while serving as the guest speaker for the 57th annual EOD Memorial ceremony, an event honoring fallen explosive ordnance disposal technicians who lost their lives in service to the nation.
During the visit, Cao reflected on his own time in the rigorous training pipeline after locating his graduation photo among the hundreds of artifacts and historical images displayed throughout the complex. Cao graduated from the EOD officer course on Sept. 13, 2001, just days after the attacks of Sept. 11 reshaped the future of military operations around the world.
Before the memorial ceremony began, Cao met with EOD Gold Star families, including the parents of fallen Navy Lt. j.g. Paul Fowler, whose name was added to the EOD Memorial wall in 2023.
The visit also highlighted the future of the EOD community. Cao toured the training complex to review planned expansions and modernization efforts underway at the schoolhouse. Leaders also briefed the Navy Secretary on how unmanned aerial systems are now being integrated into EOD training curriculum as explosive disposal teams continue adapting to evolving threats and technologies.
The Kauffman EOD Training Complex serves as a joint-service training center where military personnel from across the armed forces learn the high-risk skills required to detect, disarm, and dispose of explosive threats worldwide.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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