There are few MOSs (military occupational specialties) I hold in higher regard than EOD (explosive ordnance disposal). Along with route clearance teams, I have a very special place in my heart for EOD teams of all services. They're constantly exposed to the very worst the enemy has to offer, and they do their jobs specifically to keep other troops alive and unharmed.
Other than basic familiarization training, I had little concept of the tools and methods used by EOD to identify and clear IEDs. As it turns out, their tools weren't really standardized or ideal for field use for quite some time. As described by Forward Solutions LLC's SSgt David Lyon, there was a "severe lack of tools and materials available to EOD Technicians for dismounted operations in Afghanistan and similar theaters."
So SSgt Lyon developed and tested a complete kit, over the course of five deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, that was compact, effective, and reliable. It's called the LION EOD Kit and includes tools like a variable speed rope reel, a grappling hook, vise grips, strap cutters, forceps, carabiners or D-rings of various sizes, and a 9 ring. If you know what these things are for, you're probably in EOD; if you don't, you probably haven't spent 52 weeks training in Florida. More info can be found here.
A lot of the gear on the market - not EOD stuff, but gear in general - is made for guys deploying by guys who haven't. That doesn't make it bad gear, because a lot of it is ideal for its intended use, but when an EOD Marine has successfully cleared over 300 improvised explosive devices with the kit he designed, I tend to sit up and take notice.
If you're interested in the kit, email David at info@forwardsolutionsconsulting.com or call him at 877-801-4541. He's very keen on seeing it get out to the field.
