Indian Head, Md. –
Cmdr. Edgar Britt relieved Cmdr. Matthew Myers as commanding officer of Expeditionary Exploitation Unit One (EXU-1) during a change of command ceremony onboard Naval Support Facility Indian Head, July 10.
Established in 2006 as a detachment under the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division (NSWC IHEODTD), EXU-1’s growth, increased responsibilities, proven capability and actionable contributions to combatant commanders and partner nations on battlefields across the globe led to the Secretary of the Navy’s approval in March 2017 to establish EXU-1 as an Echelon V command, culminating in a formal establishment as a standalone command in 2018, with Myers serving as its first commanding officer.
“Team EXU-1, I am honored to have been called your skipper,” Myers said during his closing remarks. “I am proud of what we’ve accomplished in these past two years and hope you give the same respect to Ed.”
Britt brings considerable EOD experience to his new role as EXU-1’s commander as he served as EOD branch chief to the Joint Special Operations Command, executive officer of EOD Mobile Unit 12, and most recently as the officer in charge of the Naval Special Weapon and Development Group Research and Development Directorate.
“It is an honor to relieve Matt of his command today,” Britt said. “He has left some big shoes to fill and I hope to continue his momentum.
EXU-1 leads NSWC IHEODTD’s mission to collect, process, exploit and analyze improvised and conventional weapons, ordnance and components; and to provide near real-time technical intelligence to tactical commanders, the EOD community, service components, the Department of Defense, national-level intelligence agencies, and allied and partner nations.
“Taking command of an organization is not a reward for prior service: it’s a responsibility,” Britt said. “I don’t take it lightly to come here. It is a unique time with unique challenges, but I will not let them dominate us.”
EXU-1’s dedicated professionals are forward deployed in seven foreign countries and one U.S. territory, covering exploitation requirements in the U.S. 5th, 6th and 7th Fleets. Though modern capabilities have evolved since the early days of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, the mission remains the same, “Defeat the Device, Attack the Network, and Train the Force.”
NSWC IHEODTD — a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command and part of the Navy's Science and Engineering Establishment — is the leader in ordnance, energetics, and EOD solutions. The Division focuses on energetics research, development, testing, evaluation, in-service support, and disposal; and provides warfighters solutions to detect, locate, access, identify, render safe, recover, exploit, and dispose of explosive ordnance threats.
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