EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — The inaugural Explosive Ordnance Women’s Leadership Summit took place August 8-10 at Eglin Air Force Base. It marked a significant milestone in the EOD career field as it celebrated 50 years of women’s contributions.
The summit brought together over 75 service members from across the globe, including both men and women from various career fields, for two days of leadership, mentorship, and camaraderie. This event marked the first time a forum focused on women’s leadership and mentorship in EOD was held.
“We’ve never had an EOD forum like this with a focus on women’s leadership and mentorship,” said Master Sgt. Giselle Irr, one of the event organizers.
“[In the past] we didn’t have a means to gather all the women together.”
A central figure in the summit was Linda Cox, the first woman to graduate from EOD school in 1974 and the first EOD woman to pin on chief master sergeant in 1994. Reflecting on her journey, Cox shared, “I had no idea what EOD was. When I went through, they didn’t even have a uniform for me. Now, we have women running teams and shops.”
Despite the progress, women remain a minority in the EOD field. In the Air Force, only 38 women serve as EOD technicians out of 1,337 Airmen, making up less than two percent of the career field’s population. Additionally, of the 50 Air Force instructors at the EOD schoolhouse, only two are women.
Chief Master Sgt. Diana Rogers, the second woman EOD Chief and the only one currently serving, spoke about the challenges women have faced and the progress made. She recalled being told, “Women don’t belong in this career field,” but despite this, she rose through the ranks and now serves as a role model for others.
“I hope to see more ladies rise to leadership positions. I firmly believe the next three female chiefs are sitting in this room today,” Rogers said.
Throughout the event, participants and speakers expressed a strong determination to continue breaking barriers and paving the way for future generations.
“When I went through school, they could have just let one woman slip through,” Cox said. “But when [the women after me] came along, they were the proof we belong, and maybe we could do this job after all. Now, we’re to the point where we can drop that word, maybe because we are the bomb techs.”
The summit concluded with a 5K ruck march, symbolizing the history and resilience of women in the EOD field.
Story by Jaime Bishopp
