Glenville-Based New York Army National Guard Bomb Disposal Soldiers heading to Canada for Training

Soldiers are available to meet with press Tuesday to talk about mission and demonstrate equipment.

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A memberr of the 1108th Ordnance Company training in Kuwait in 2010.

GLENVILLE, NY (06/02/2014)(readMedia)-- Twenty-five New York Army National Guard Soldiers who specialize in bomb disposal will be heading to Goosebay, Ontario on Saturday to help their Canadian Forces counterparts remove old bombs from a former training area.

Members of the 1108th Ordnance Company (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) will be available to talk to reporters about their upcoming mission and demonstrate equipment to be used at Goosebay on Tuesday morning.

WHO: Three members of the 1108th Ordnance Company : 1st Sgt. Kevin Conklin, and two other Soldiers.

WHAT: Reporters will be able to examine a military robot used to disarm bombs, replicas of typical improvised explosive devices, and a bomb suit used by EOD soldiers. 1st Sgt. Conklin will also outline the mission members of the 1108th will conduct as part of Exercise Northern Frontier 14.

WHEN: June 3, 2014, 10 a.m.

WHERE: Scotia Glenville Armed Forces Reserve Center, 251 Rudy Chase, Glenville, NY 12302

Coverage opportunities:

Stills and Video of exercise participants providing a description of gear and techniques used for ordnance removal. Opportunities to interview Subject Matter Experts on authorized explosive ordnance disposal training.

BACKGROUND:

The New York Army National Guard's 1108th Ordnance Company is a unit whose members are specially trained to deal with mines, unexploded bombs, and other types of demolitions.

On Saturday June 7 they leave to participate in Exercise Northern Frontier-14 in Goosebay, Ontario. They will be assisting the Canadian Forces in clearing 5,750 pounds of unexploded bombs and ammunition from a former Canadian Army weapons range. The range is slated to become a new maneuver training area Canadian Forces.

The Soldiers will be in Canada for two weeks.

In Iraq and Afghanistan EOD personnel played a critical role in keeping the supply lines that American forces relied on to clear by eliminating IEDs and other types of explosive weapons. The unit deployed to Kuwait from 2009 to 2010. The 1108th is one of five EOD companies located in five states which are under the control of the New York Army National Guard's 501st Ordnance Battalion in wartime.