Colonel Michael J. Davis,Commander, 52ndExplosive Ordnance

Disposal (EOD) Group, explains his work in these words: “The EODGroup is basically the Army’s bombsquad. We have battalions and compa-nies scattered throughout the UnitedStates on a variety of military installa-tions. EOD soldiers respond to thethreat from unexploded ordnance andhomemade bombs commonly calledimprovised explosive devices (IEDs).

We also conduct bomb searches forthe Secret Service supporting the pres-ident, the vice president, and the firstlady. Currently, EOD soldiers alsoserve in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo,Qatar, and Saudi Arabia as part ofthe War on Terrorism.”

When asked how the Army haschanged his life, Davis replied, “It iseasier to simply say that the Army ismy life.” His career in the Army spansmore than 25 years. Davis enlisted as an infantryman but eventually

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Ordnance is military

equipment, such as

bombs, artillery shells,

missiles, and mines.

Classified means

available only to

authorized persons

for reasons of

national security.

A CommandingPresenceInterview With Colonel Michael J. Davis

by Meg Chorlian

IS PRESENTIS PRESENTThe pastThe Past

The destructive power ofan improvised explosivedevice can be awful.

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attended Officer Candidate School,from which he graduated with a com-mission as a second lieutenant. Thenext stop was EOD School. Along theway, he has been promoted from lieu-tenant to his current rank as colonel.

What made you decide to join the Army?I was about to graduate from theUniversity of Tennessee with a degreein education. The prospect of goingdirectly from one classroom as a stu-dent to another as a teacher withoutexperiencing more of life seemedwrong. I decided to enlist in the Armyfor a couple of years, pay off my col-lege loans, and see a bit of the world.

What is a typical day like for you?I typically start the day with someform of physical training lasting aboutan hour and a half. I like to run, sothat is usually part of my workout. Ithen check my classified and unclassi-fied messages, which can take severalhours depending on how many havecome in since I last looked. Since myunits are geographically dispersed,I spend a lot of time traveling by air to visit units and have meetings withother EOD-related organizations.Wherever I go usually involves meet-ing with people, attending briefings,and interacting with other militarymembers.

Have you fought in anywars? If so, were you everwounded? I served in Afghanistan and Iraq for

periods of time as part of the GlobalWar on Terrorism.

Colonel Michael J. Davis speaks at theactivation ceremony for the 242nd EODBattalion at Fort Carson, Colorado.

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No, thankfully, I have never beenwounded. More than 80 of the soldiers in my command have been wounded,however, some severely. Also, EOD hassuffered 13 soldiers killed in action inAfghanistan and Iraq. We are fightingagainst an enemy that uses IEDs as its primary weapon. Making IEDs safe is our job, so it is a dangerous time for us.

What have been the greatest rewards of being in the Army? This may sound clichéd, but the oppor-tunity to serve the nation is certainly agreat reward. Perhaps a better way to sayit is that I get a great deal of satisfactionknowing that what I do matters to thecountry. Over the years that I haveworked in EOD, I have responded tomany incidents both in the United Statesand around the world. I am confidentthat I have saved lives along the way.

What sacrifices have youmade to be in the Army?The requirement to move from place toplace every couple of years in the Armyis a demanding sacrifice. It is tough topick up everything you own and movefrom one post to another. My wife hashad to give up jobs and my children havehad to change schools frequently. My sonis completing his junior year in highschool, and this is at least the seventhdifferent school he’s attended. We havelived in several states as well as Europe.Sometimes the moves were welcome, but

other times we would have much pre-ferred to stay where we were.

Other sacrifices relate to my lack ofcontrol over my schedule. My duties comefirst and take priority over family events,even though the family event may havebeen planned long in advance. I’ve had tomiss birthdays and other special events.

What are issues that a soldier in 2006 faces thatare different from the issuesyou faced in 1980? Whatare some challenges the Army faces today?The Army is better today than it was in 1980. The Cold War with the SovietUnion was ongoing then, and it appearedthat it would continue for decades. Likemany people, I was surprised by the col-lapse of the Union of Soviet SocialistRepublics (USSR). It changed our world.The more recent rise of fanatical Islamicterrorists is a serious threat and is morechallenging because of its nature. It waseasy in Germany in 1980 to look acrossthe Berlin Wall and see the evil. It is much harder to identify the enemy todaybecause of its ability to blend into the culture of surrounding places like Iraq.

The biggest issue facing many of mysoldiers is their repeated requirement todeploy to Iraq or Afghanistan. Many ofthem have deployed more than once, andnot only is it dangerous, but it is especiallyhard on their families.

Do you have any militaryheroes? Who are they, andwhy do you admire them?Thucydides was an ancient Greek generalduring the Peloponnesian War involving

40

A member of theExplosive OrdnanceDisposal (EOD) Group iscovered from head totoe in a protective bombsuit. And he has a bomb-fighting partner — therobot by his feet.

An example of an improvised explosive device (IED)(FAR LEFT MIDDLE), and the damage it can do. ThisU.S. Army Buffalo armored vehicle (FAR LEFT) wasdestroyed (LEFT) when it hit an IED while on patrol.

Deploy means to

place troops or

weapons in a position

ready for action.

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Athens and Sparta. He wrote the mostcomprehensive history of that war. Hishistory is remarkable since it was writtenmore than 2,400 years ago. Yet, it still haslessons for today with respect to culture,warfare, and democracy. Another hero ofmine, also from the Peloponnesian War,is the Spartan general Brasidas. I admirehim because of his bravery and his seem-ingly unfailing ability to be where Spartaneeded him to be, to judge the situationproperly, and to take decisive action.

What is the most importantthing for our readers to under-stand or appreciate about theU.S. Army and the men andwomen who serve?It is widely acknowledged that men andwomen serving in the Army are there for a variety of reasons. Some enter theservice to get a job. Some enter to savemoney for college. Some come into theArmy looking for adventure. But regard-less of the reasons that brought theminto the Army originally, they serve todaybecause of the recognition that the Waron Terrorism is real, and their servicemakes a difference! They have found aprofession that serves mankind and alsomakes them happy.m

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Chain of Command

by Mimi Boelter

This list provides a quick glance at the U.S. Army’s chain of command,

including rank abbreviations, from lowest to highest.

Enlisted

Private (PVT/PV2)Private First Class (PFC)Specialist (SPC)Corporal (CPL)Sergeant (SGT)Staff Sergeant (SSG)Sergeant First Class (SFC)Master Sergeant (MSG)First Sergeant (1SG)Sergeant Major (SGM)Command Sergeant Major (CSM)Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA)

Warrant Officers

Warrant Officer (WO1)Chief Warrant Officer (CW2),

(CW3), (CW4), or (CW5)

Officers

Second Lieutenant (2LT)First Lieutenant (1LT)Captain (CPT)Major (MAJ)Lieutenant Colonel (LTC)Colonel (COL)Brigadier General (BG)Major General (MG)Lieutenant General (LTG)General (GEN)General of the Army (GOA)

Department of

Defense Leadership

Sergeant Major of the ArmyVice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army Special Assistant to the Secretary

of the ArmySecretary of the Army

Sandstorms in Iraqmake the workdone by EODsoldiers difficult.

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