EOD as Force MultiplierForce Multiplier — What Does It Mean for the EOD Technician?

Force Multiplier — What Does It Mean for the EOD Technician?

EOD encompasses a wide variety of mission sets directly supporting countless operations around the world.  Some of these operations are EOD specific in which the EOD technician is the center of gravity.  These types of EOD specific operations can include route clearances, range sweeps or underwater mine searches/clearances.  What these mentioned EOD operations have in common is that the EOD technician is the dedicated focal point, and the support for these operations is geared towards EOD itself.  Another realm in which the EOD technician is employed is as support to a greater mission where the EOD tech serves as a “force multiplier,” enabling greater mission capability and success. Today, having EOD on the team and supporting anything and everything is a no-brainer. This concept exists not only for the EOD tech but also for the Mission Commander and those within the supported unit. However, in the past, this was not always the case.  EOD technicians used to have to fight to be included on missions as the EOD tech’s position on a mission was not always a given.   Whether there was a conventional infantry or a special operations mission that required support, EOD was at a time considered just some support entity, and the EOD tech’s mission brief or raised hand was simply “noted” by the Commander and/or Ground Force Commander.  This is no longer the case. Below, I would like to mention some key areas that EOD techs have worked hard at and excelled at over the years, enabling the essential level of EOD inclusion that exists today.

Joint Special Operations Publication 3-05.1 defines “force multiplier” as a capability that, when added to and employed by a combat force, significantly increases the combat potential of that force, thus enhancing the probability of successful mission accomplishment. That said, with the evolution of war over the last 20+ years, there is…

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Kurt Graebner

MSgt EOD, USMC (Retired)


Mr. Graebner served just over 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps.  In 1998, he began his journey in the U.S. Marine Corps as member of Security Forces and as a Rifleman in the Infantry.  In 2003, he transitioned to the EOD community and served as an EOD technician until retirement in the summer of 2018.  Mr. Graebner performed his EOD duties across the full spectrum of EOD mission sets supporting conventional Infantry operations, FORCE RECON, MARSOC and served as the SNCIOC for a MEU and a SPMAGTF finally finishing his career as a Senior Instructor at NAVSCOLEOD AIEDD Division.  Today, Mr. Graebner continues to serve the EOD Community with Point One.  He joined the company in the summer of 2020 and assists in Point One’s endeavors as a Senior Instructor and Exercise Manager in our Training group.