FORT KNOX, Ky. –
The U.S. Army provides fair and equitable opportunities for all. With more than 200 career fields open to men and women, Soldiers have an opportunity to pursue their passions through a wide range of fields, including the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Branch.
Capt. Mckenzie N. Elliott, commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Special Troops Battalion, 1st Theater Sustainment Command, is a member of this small, tight-knit EOD community.
Her military journey began when she graduated from high school in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota in 2011. After which her Navy veteran father drove her to the recruiting station where she enlisted and served as a Sailor until 2015.
She then earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Palm Beach Atlantic University where she concurrently participated in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and received her commission as an Ordnance Officer – her first requirement to become an EOD officer.
EOD Training is designed to prepare future leaders to conduct explosive operations under the most adverse conditions. EOD specialists work with unexploded ordnance, improvised explosive devices, and weapons of mass destruction, with the goal of saving lives and property.
“I first learned about EOD when I was in the Navy,” Elliott said. “Then during my Cadet Summer Training, I interviewed and was accepted.”
“I really found myself working in EOD,” Elliott said. “The nine-month school was tough, both physically and mentally.”
EOD Phase 1 begins with the bomb suit test, designed to assess a Soldier’s physical and cognitive abilities while maneuvering in an 85-pound suit. Candidates then go on to receive instruction on subjects such as ordnance identification and explosive tools and techniques. Army officers and enlisted candidates train side by side throughout the duration of the course.
“Working in EOD is not your basic Army lifestyle,” she said. However, it came naturally to the commander who practiced working many scenarios.
She wanted a sense of purpose and to prove to herself that she could do it. “Deep down I wanted to be responsible for somebody and make a difference,” Elliott said.
Her first job as a lieutenant was as an EOD platoon leader at Fort Cavazos, Texas, where she led a group of 12 male Soldiers, and thrived.
“My gender was never an issue or barrier in leading men,” the company commander said. “You have to know who you are, and if you show that you are genuine, they’re going to see that and reciprocate.”
Elliott believes that women need men and men need women in the Army, and they also need to respect each other. “As long as you adhere to the same standards and morals, gender should not be a factor,” she said.
Furthermore, enlisted Soldiers and officers in EOD units possess similar technical skills. They are fully trained to conduct explosive operations as a team.
Today women make up approximately 19% of the total Army and 38% of the Army’s civilian workforce. Their numbers are much smaller in the EOD Branch.
“We’re such a close community that we take care of our own and most of us are on a first-name basis,” Elliott said.
The Elizabethtown, Kentucky resident said that being an EOD Soldier is serious. “You must love it with everything, or you must walk away. You can’t do it halfway.”
Elliott pulls from all her life experience and her education in psychology as the company HHC commander.
It doesn’t matter how small or large the problem is, Elliott is there for the Soldiers in her company. “The best part of being a company commander is when a Soldier comes to me with an issue or problem and I’m able to solve it,” she said.
She is also respected by senior officers, “Captain Elliott is a strong, caring, compassionate Army officer who leads by example, forming a values-based organization and an environment of trust within her company,” Lt. Col. Michael Cooper, commander, STB, 1st TSC, said.
Elliott’s message to anyone wanting to join the Army, “Do it. Take the leap and find out who you are!”