EOD Warrior Athlete Working Group: Recommendations for an Evidence-Based, Forcewide, EOD Warrior Athlete Program
Abstract
Bottom Line Upfront: U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) operators must perform optimally under the harshest conditions, yet there is no program to build and sustain physical readiness and performance across the EOD career. Thus, there is an urgent need to implement an EOD Warrior Athlete Program. Process: Eleven active-duty stakeholders of the EOD community teamed with 15 scientists from the Naval Health Research Center and San Diego State University Doctoral of Physical Therapy Program to outline a comprehensive EOD Warrior Athlete Program. This team was named the EOD Warrior Athlete Working Group. Operational Requirements for EOD Warrior Athlete Program: The Working Group outlined specific physical (e.g., muscular strength, aerobic endurance), mental (e.g., performance under extreme stress), and environmental operational requirements (e.g., extreme temperatures, dehydration) for all EOD Warrior Athletes. Critical Elements of the EOD Warrior Athlete Program: Three Critical Elements of the EOD Warrior Athlete Program were identified: 1) Exercise Physiology and Nutrition, 2) Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation, and 3) Combat Mindset. Implementation Plan for EOD Warrior Athlete Program: The Working Group then identified three Phases of Implementation. They include 1) Assessment (establishes baseline markers of readiness, which will then be used to inform targeted educational approaches and individualized training), 2) Education (disseminates force-wide instructions to optimize physical and mental readiness), and 3) Individualized Training (scientifically-derived training programs meeting the needs of each EOD Warrior Athlete). Cost Estimation and Candidate Funding Lines: Scalable cost estimation was provided, and three overlapping funding lines were identified.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 12, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA615864
Entities
People
- Christian Munden
- Jeremiah Stump
- Joseph Haywood
- Kevin Dewey
- Napoleon Deciutiis
- Peter Beville
- Randy Leppell
- Robert Mendenhall
- Ryan Anderson
- Thomas C Robinson
- Wayne Mcelmoyl
Organizations
- Naval Health Research Center