Approximately 7,000 personnel serve in the U.S. military who are considered to be the ultimate bomb squad. These Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians were highlighted in the award winning Hollywood movie, The Hurt Locker and perform what is know today as the most dangerous occupation in the military. Over the last 14 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the military EOD community has had 132 technicians killed in action and over 200 severely wounded leaving many of them exiting the service facing challenges for them and their families. The EOD community is a very close knit family and spans across all four branches of service, the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force and both the active duty and veteran EOD family is supported by the nonprofit organization called the EOD Warrior Foundation.
“Our mission is to improve the quality of life for the EOD family by providing emergency financial relief, scholarship opportunities, physical, social, and emotional support,” explains Nicole Motsek, the executive director of the EOD Warrior Foundation. “Carrying out our mission requires us to raise nearly $2 million in 2016. To achieve our goals, we have fundraising events held worldwide throughout the year, so there are many chances for everyone to get involved.”
A list of upcoming EOD Warrior Foundation events that are open to the public are provided below:
· February 6, 2016: 9th Annual Polar Bear Plunge – Fredericksburg VA
Location: Fredericksburg Public Boat Dock, 207 Sophia Street Fredericksburg, VA
Registration begins at 9:00 a.m., plunge is at 11:00 a.m. $25 per person (ends January 17th) late registration is $50 per person.
· April 16, 2016: Inaugural British & American EOD Charities Gala – London, England UK
The EOD Warrior Foundation and Felix Fund Bomb Disposal Charity are excited to announce the Inaugural British & American EOD Charities Gala.
Location: Gibson Hall, Bishopsgate, London, England
Time: Reception is at 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:00 p.m.
Price: $300 per person
The EOD Warrior Foundation (EODWF) serves the EOD community by providing financial assistance and support to active-duty and veteran wounded, injured or ill EOD warriors, families of our wounded and fallen EOD warriors and by maintaining the EOD Memorial.
The foundation offers four pillars of support and handles each request on a case-by case basis. The immediate and ongoing assistance and resources provided by the foundation to those in the EOD community are intended to provide support above and beyond the budgetary constraints of the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
I. Emergency Financial Relief
II. Education
III. Hope and Wellness
IV. EOD Memorial Care
Their support includes financial assistance and additional services such as morale events, peer-to-peer support, educational programs, connections to resources and sustained contact with our EOD warriors and their families. The foundation believes that the EOD family is for life. Our ongoing mission is to disarm the challenges of the EOD family by providing our support with compassion and caring to every individual we serve.
The EOD Warrior Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that was established through the March 1, 2013 merger of the EOD Memorial Foundation and the Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation to streamline and increase our capacity to support the EOD community. To learn more about the EOD Warrior Foundation, visit their site at: www.eodwarriorfoundation.org.