"I'm a husband, father of 3 and an EOD technician. I served in the US Army as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician for 8 years before being medically retired for injuries sustained during my career. Following my tenure in the Army I have been involved in chemical weapons clearance, counter IED, humanitarian Demining, and other assorted EOD contracts.
Shortly before the invasion of Ukraine I was contacted by some friends who were in Kyiv anticipating the need for EOD technicians and we immediately began our efforts to train, advise and assist as many Ukrainians as possible on how to safely remove these explosive hazards from their land.
The work is hard, it's dangerous, and more often than not our partners are the first ones into an area after reclaiming it from the orcs.
We, like anyone else in Ukraine right now, need constant supplies. EOD tools by default are expendable because we aren't, but that doesn't mean they're cheap. We constantly need to replace ropes, carabiners and other tools used to we remotely move Russian ordnance, alongside landmine clearance equipment and PPE.
I am planning another trip to both do my part removing explosives from Ukraine, and to also distribute much need equipment to these heroes on the front lines walking towards unexploded bombs instead of running away from them. If you can bring yourself to donate, most materials can still be sourced in Ukraine and buying local means more now than ever."
