For 1st Lt. Naomi Dawood, defusing potentially explosive situations is all in a day’s work. Literally. Dawood is an explosive ordnance disposal platoon leader with the U.S. Army. In early 2022, she provided support for Exercise Justified Accord 2022, a three-week peacekeeping exercise in Isiolo, Kenya.
A platoon leader for the U.S. Army’s 720th Ordnance Company, Dawood worked with military partners from Kenya, Djibouti, Uganda and Rwanda and demonstrated the tricks of her trade: the deployment, disarmament and disposal of explosives.
“The goal of the exercise was to foster positive relationships and promote readiness in the region,” Dawood said. “Training partner forces was extremely rewarding. Listening to their stories and sharing cultural differences was an awesome experience.”
After the exercise wrapped, Dawood returned to western Germany, where she is stationed. In addition to confronting explosive hazards, she also protects U.S. dignitaries by supporting VIP missions.
To become an EOD officer, Dawood underwent a selective process before enduring a grueling 42-week training program. “I was drawn to explosive ordnance disposal because it has a direct positive effect,” Dawood said. “Being able to dispose of explosive hazards in both a stateside and deployed environment is a rare, yet important skill set that I am proud of.”
Her degree in human biology provided her with the science background to better understand explosives, but she found the training program very “mentally demanding.” In past educational experiences, her ability to retain and apply information didn’t come with life-or-death implications.
While at MSU, Dawood was a member of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, which taught her to follow a stringent routine and added atypical responsibilities to her undergraduate experience.
“It taught me to care for others in a way that I had never done before,” she said. “Sharing experiences like physical training at 6 a.m. or running through the Michigan snow during a military science lab creates bonds unlike others I’ve had in the past. I was accountable for my own actions and my own successes which pushed me to advocate for myself and the things I wanted to accomplish. All of these experiences collectively prepared me to be the leader that I am today.”
“It's important to me to elevate the voices of women in the military, because if not us then who?”
A native of Wisconsin, she enrolled without knowing anyone in the state of Michigan, let alone on campus. The experience taught her to live outside her comfort zone, adapt to an ever-changing environment and have empathy for those adjusting to life in a foreign land.
“It translates to my life in the military, especially being stationed in Germany,” Dawood said. “Every day is a welcomed challenge, whether it be the language barrier, cultural differences or regular Army life.”
She carries Spartan values with her today. Determination, resilience and optimism drive her as one of the few women in the U.S. Army to serve as an EOD technician.
“It's important to me to elevate the voices of women in the military, because if not us then who?” Dawood said. “Seeing the successes of those who came before and those around me are inspiring and push me to be the best leader I can be. While it may not be as apparent some days, there is sometimes the inherent doubt in the abilities of women in the military.
“Celebrating and amplifying successes encourages other women to continue on, which is an impact I hope to have on other women as I progress in my career.”
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Photos by Sgt. Neysa Huertas Quinones, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa