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Explosion Ordnance Disposal Training, Evaluation Unit 2 Earns Alfred P. Sloan Award

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110205-14
2/5/2011

By Mass Communication Specialist (SW/AW) Kristen D. Loeding, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- The commander of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) presented Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Training and Evaluation Unit (EODTEU) 2 with the 2010 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility at an awards ceremony in Virginia Beach, Va., Feb. 4.

Rear Adm. Michael Tillotson, commander, NECC, presented the award, which recognizes public and private organizations for innovative and effective workplace flexibility practices.

"It's fantastic to be recognized," said Lt. Cmdr. Oliver Herion, the executive officer of EODTEU 2. "Our team at all levels, officer, enlisted and civil service employees, work hard on the programs that benefit the command and its personnel."

Based upon a rigorous scoring methodology, the Sloan Award judges determine if an organization ranks in the top 20 percent of the nation's employers in terms of programs, policies and culture for creating an effective and flexible workplace.

"One of our recent command flexibility initiatives that benefits a majority of our personnel was the establishment earlier this year of an internal college degree program," said Herion. "This program allows command members to take college classes within our workspaces after-hours, and, on average, complete an associate's degree within 18 months."

Sailors can first focus on their job at EODTEU 2 then walk down the passageway to attend their college class without the worry and time for a commute from work to college.

"These courses are flexible for us to attend," said Gunner's Mate 1st Class (SW) Mary Strade, who is taking advantage of offered college courses to earn her associate degree. "The command is very supportive. If it wasn't for the command implementing the college program we wouldn't be able to work on our degrees."

The primary mission of the unit is to provide advanced pre-deployment training to Atlantic Fleet explosive ordnance disposal platoons and mobile diving and salvage companies. The shore-based unit's training calendar is more than 300 days, which includes many long workdays, including night shifts and week-long evolutions.

"In an effort to give the staff some downtime, the operations department schedules two weeks in July without training," said Herion. "This gives the staff time to take leave, to take a breather, get some administration items done before they start the training cycle again."

The Sloan Awards are part of When Work Works, a national project on workplace flexibility and workplace effectiveness from Families and Work Institute in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for a Competitive Workforce and the Twiga Foundation.

Sloan Award honorees become part of a national flexibility leadership network representing employers of all sizes and from all sectors to share best practices, exchange ideas and serve as models for other employers and community leaders. Exclusive learning opportunities will be shared with this network throughout the year.

"I feel great about this command, every member is involved in training or training support and preparing EOD Sailors for fleet support operations," added Herion.

"This command goes above and beyond to help us be successful," said Strade. "Whether it's here or after we get out of the Navy, they want us to be successful. It's a very positive command."

The NECC force, to include components such as EODTEU 2, brings traditional Navy capabilities across the challenging littoral areas of the battlespace, effectively building security and partnerships.