Air Force NCO named EOD instructor of the year

  • Published
  • By Amy Ausley
  • AFCEC Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  An Air Force explosive ordnance disposal NCO was recently selected as 2012 Senior Instructor of the Year at the Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal here.

Master Sgt. Jeremiah Grisham was presented with a Navy Commendation Medal by the school commander as recognition for his performance and support of the training mission.

The school is jointly staffed by Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps personnel.

Grisham has been an instructor at the EOD school for three years. He said one of the highlights of his time at the school was working in the ground ordnance division.

"It's the first major step in a young EOD technician's career and it's the first division (at the school) where they have to put all the pieces together," he said. "Seeing them put those pieces together and achieve something they worked so hard for was very gratifying."

Grisham has deployed four times in his career, most recently as a team leader on a weapons intelligence team for a one-year deployment to Baghdad, Iraq, in 2008. He also deployed in 2006 as an EOD team leader to Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq.

Deployment taught him things he uses every day as he instructs students in the advanced improvised explosive device defeat course.

"It really gave me an appreciation for the design of IEDs and the technology that goes into matching and beating our (tactics, techniques and procedures)," he said. "It impressed upon me the importance of knowing how IEDs work and function and how they kill our Soldiers and Airmen. That experience gave me a profound respect for IEDs. I feel like I'm teaching my students something that will help keep them safe when they deploy."

His commander, Lt. Col. Jerry Sanchez, said Grisham's students benefit from his experiences during their deployments.

"This is a tremendous accomplishment," Sanchez said. "Master Sergeant Grisham has truly inspired and developed EOD recruits, as well as further developed EOD operators from all four services. He obviously brought his experience forged in combat, professionalism and expertise (to the schoolhouse) to prepare students for future challenges."

Grisham said it was a privilege to represent the Air Force in the competition.

"I was honored just to be selected to compete, so to actually win was a humbling experience," he said.

He is leaving the school for an assignment at Hill AFB, Utah, this month where he will run the EOD training section, but one thing's for sure, he's a person who loves what he does.

"I'd like to stay in as long as the Air Force will have me. I love being in the Air Force. I love wearing the uniform," Grisham said.

Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal is managed by the Navy and trains officers and enlisted members of all four U.S. services, certain Department of Defense civilians and select international military students.

The school is staffed with 189 active-duty, 61civilian and 167 contract personnel from all four branches of service and trains some 1,800 students annually. Students learn the most current procedures for a location, identification, render safe, recovery, technical evaluation and disposal of conventional surface and underwater ordnance, both foreign and domestic.

"Master Sergeant Grisham's recognition as instructor of the year is a good representation of what all Air Force instructors assigned (here) present to the joint community," Sanchez said. "He is the type of person we should have at all technical training schools, shaping our future Airmen."