EOD MOBILE UNIT 1: USS GRIDLEY DDG-101

• Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit One (EODMU-1) Heritage: EODMU-1 traces its roots back to World War II, when the U.S. Navy established specialized units to handle unexploded bombs, mines, and torpedoes threatening ships and harbors. • West Coast Pioneers: EODMU-1 is based in San Diego, California, and has long been the primary EOD unit serving the U.S. Pacific Fleet, supporting ship deployments, intelligence missions, and anti-terrorism operations. • Combat Deployments: EODMU-1 personnel have served in every major conflict since WWII, including Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan, often working under dangerous conditions to clear roadside bombs (IEDs) and mines. • Underwater Missions: EODMU-1 specializes in underwater ordnance disposal, using divers and advanced robotics to neutralize sea mines and underwater explosives, ensuring the safety of naval and commercial shipping. • USS Gridley (DDG-101) Namesake: The USS Gridley is named after Captain Charles Vernon Gridley, who commanded the USS Olympia during the Battle of Manila Bay in the Spanish-American War. Admiral Dewey famously ordered, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley." • Arleigh Burke-class Destroyer: Commissioned in 2007, USS Gridley (DDG-101) is part of the advanced Arleigh Burke-class, equipped with the Aegis Combat System, Tomahawk missiles, and state-of-the-art radar and sonar. • Joint Operations: EODMU-1 frequently embarks on destroyers like USS Gridley during deployments, providing expert bomb disposal and counter-IED support for maritime security operations. • Humanitarian Missions: Both EODMU-1 and USS Gridley have participated in humanitarian operations, such as disaster relief in the Pacific and removing unexploded ordnance in former war zones to protect civilians. • Advanced Training: EODMU-1 sailors endure some of the military’s most rigorous training, including dive school, parachute operations, and handling chemical, biological, and nuclear threats. • Decorations and Awards: USS Gridley has earned multiple Navy “Battle E” Excellence Awards for outstanding performance, while EODMU-1 members have received numerous valor medals for acts of heroism in combat zones.