An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Nov. 9, 2020

N.Y. Army Guard partners with FBI for blast training

By Ryan Campbell New York National Guard

JAMESVILLE, N.Y. – Nearly 30 members from several agencies, including 21 Soldiers from the New York Army National Guard's 1108th Explosive Ordnance Company, trained with FBI agents to identify explosive ordnance at a rock quarry Oct. 26-30.

The FBI-led training was part of the Soldiers' preparations for deployment. They were joined by members of the Vermont Air National Guard, Puerto Rico National Guard, New York State Police and active Army personnel from Fort Drum, New York.

"It is a five-day course known as the Post Blast Investigator's School," said David Acquavella, a special agent bomb technician assigned to the FBI Albany Division. "We normally conduct the class for law enforcement and reserve a few seats for the military, so this iteration is unusual for the audience being almost entirely military personnel."

For the 1108th, this satisfied a training need they otherwise would not have during predeployment training, according to Maj. Salvatore Cautela, training officer for the 501st EOD Battalion.

"We asked the FBI for the training in lieu of equivalent training in Alabama during the 1108th premobilization training because the 111th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group could not provide the training," Cautela said.

Cautela said Soldiers learned how to identify what initiates an explosion, how to reverse-engineer the explosion and analyze the blast crater and debris for forensic evidence.

"The other units in theater are going to rely on the expertise of the EOD companies if anything were to happen," Acquavella said. "Anything we can do to help them prepare for the mission and support the other commands keeps them safe."

Demonstrations at the quarry allowed the students to see firsthand the lessons learned and best practices when it comes to dealing with explosives, FBI instructors explained.

"Those techniques we highlighted go way back over decades," Acquavella said. "Sometimes, the tactics change in order to bypass security measures, but the science of chemical reactions won't. Mixing A plus B under standard conditions is always going to give you C."

Cautela called the training "top-tier practice" for scene and evidence exploitation and skills proficiency for the 1108th. Not only will it help them overseas, he said, but the skills can also be used at home.

"The training provides the FBI requirement to support any post-blast federal case evidence in the event of CONUS EOD support to civil authorities," Cautela said.

The relationship between the FBI and the New York National Guard goes back many years, Acquavella said.

"FBI Albany has worked with the National Guard since before I was transferred here 10 years ago," he said. "We do a lot of joint training involving emergency response to explosive devices and weapons of mass destruction."

Acquavella said bomb squads from the New York State Police, Onondaga County Sheriff's Office and Syracuse Police Department facilitated the practical demonstrations.

"When I contacted our area bomb squads to enlist their support, everyone was very eager to help," Acquavella said. "Police officers are very patriotic to begin with, and many of us involved with the training are veterans ourselves.

"All of us involved are extremely grateful for the opportunity to assist," Acquavella said. "Doing this course for the benefit of deploying military personnel gives it an added significance that I hadn't fully realized until the class began.

"I have a ton of respect for everyone in our military and will do anything I can to help them in their mission."

 

 

Related Articles
The South African National Defence Force Chaplain General, Brigadier Gen. E.T. Maswe, left, and South African Defence Minister A. M. Motshekga, pose with New York Army National Guard chaplains Col. Douglas Brock and Lt. Col. Timothy Miller during the South African military’s annual chaplains symposium outside Cape Town, South Africa, in October 2024. Brock and Miller represented the United States at the meeting of 200 South African military chaplains.
New York Army Guard Chaplains Attend South Africa Symposium
By Eric Durr, | Oct. 30, 2024
CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Two New York Army National Guard chaplains represented the U.S. military at an annual meeting of South African military chaplains in Cape Town Oct. 14-18.New York National Guard State Chaplain (Col.)...

New York Army National Guard Sgt. Tyler Linendoll, an infantryman assigned to Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, cuts downed tree branches with a chainsaw following Hurricane Milton in Palmetto, Florida, Oct. 11, 2024. Soldiers from the 27th IBCT worked with members of the Florida Army National Guard to provide relief to communities impacted by the hurricane.
New York Guard Helps Floridians Recover from Hurricane
By Spc. Joseph Liggio, | Oct. 22, 2024
PALMETTO, Fla. – Forty-three New York Army National Guard Soldiers spent a week assisting the Florida National Guard’s response to Hurricane Milton.The Soldiers helped clear debris and set up fuel and emergency supply...

U.S. Airmen assigned to the 126th Intelligence Squadron support and train Airmen and Guardians of the 213th Space Warning Squadron at Clear Space Force Station, Alaska, June 21, 2024, as part of the Polar Surge partnership. The joint effort between the 178th Wing and 213th provides space surveillance data to the NORAD Space Control Center.
From Ohio to Alaska, Airmen Unite for Space Intelligence
By Master Sgt. Elisabeth Gelhar, | Oct. 22, 2024
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - From the heart of Ohio to the rugged Alaskan terrain, the Polar Surge exercise is uniting Airmen, Guardians and coalition forces in pursuit of unparalleled space intelligence support to operations. Polar...