The Forgotten Warriors

 

EOD people are special.

By our badge and our creed we have chosen to be uncommon.

While the average person takes pains to avoid stress,

Our function exists solely because of stressful situations.

 

Our reality involves situations only dreamt of in Hollywood –

Fields of explosive ordnance whose very purpose is to maim and destroy;

improvised devices designed to detonate in any one of ten different ways;

the unnerving business of trying to outwit the terrorist minds

behind weapons of mass destruction…

We live and work in a world where the disturbance of a switch can

introduce our bodies to the laws of physics.

 

We provide security to thousands of people who know nothing about us.

By risking our lives we ensure the safety others – but we are not afraid.

Our banners are clichés like “Initial Success or Total Failure”,

“It’s Better to Sweat in Peace Than Bleed in War”, and

“You Crash, We Dash”.

 

We’re part of an organization that generally considers us to be step children,

wanted only when the situation is dangerous and already out of control –

forgotten about in times of peace but indispensable when shit hits the fan.

In short, we are an insurance policy the Air Force prays it never needs.

We’re not dismayed by this attitude.

It’s our heritage to stand tall in the face of adversity -

proud and capable of thinking and acting for ourselves in any situation.

 

Throughout the world, badge-wearers form a brotherhood.

Our legacy is a proud one and our roots run deep.

A memorial wall honors our dead,

and stories of their heroism honor their memory.

The deeds of brothers and sisters passed remind us of

who we are as we look toward the future.

It’s our vision, and it’s our dream – we’ll make it as big as we want.

 

We’ll not apologize for being warriors!