What can I do to prepare / study to reclass to 89D?

CPL Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 11:29:31 -0400

Currently, I’ve been an active duty 31B, Military police, for 3 1/2 years. I met some EOD soldiers while conducting law enforcement a while back, and after talking with them and seeing what they do on a regular basis, I fell in love with it. I’ve been in contact with my unit retention, and should be getting a school date very soon, but honestly I’m scared. I understand it’s a challenging MOS, and the AIT is absolutely no joke, and has a high attrition rate. I believe this is something I really want to do, and I want to do my absolute best at it. So in that note, what are some tools I can utilize to study for the AIT, or what are some things I can do to better prepare my self for the shift? It’s worth mentioning, that I’ve already passed a promotion board, as well as completed BLC, and understand that if I pass the school, I will pick up E-5 very quickly. I also understand, that I will be way behind my peers, and will have a lot of catching up to do, but I want to be the best I can be at this.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 20 at 2020 12:06 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 12:06:18 -0400

Can you do OJT with your local EOD unit? Where are you stationed?

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 20 at 2020 1:30 PM

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 13:30:29 -0400

The only thing you can do is try to make sure you have everything else taken care of when you get here. The less you have on your mind the better. Try not to stress too much and make sure you study a lot but don't overload yourself. If you make it past the Ft. Lee portion of the AIT the attrition rate drops significantly. Good luck and maybe I'll see you in class.

Response by TSgt David L. made Aug 20 at 2020 1:44 PM

TSgt David L. — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 13:44:12 -0400

I taught at NAVSCOLEOD (EOD School) for almost 6 years. There really isn't too much you can do to study up for EOD School. Make sure you can do math for Demo Division. You could learn the color codes for US and foreign ordnance. You could also learn the components that make up the key parts of bombs, missiles mortars and the other ordnance categories. I'm not sure if they still teach knot tying but you will need to know some knots for the Tools and Methods division also. You will be taught all of that but it would give you a little bit of an advantage.
Let me know if you have any other questions.

Response by SFC Charlotte Honsinger made Aug 19 at 2021 7:19 PM

SFC Charlotte Honsinger — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 19:19:18 -0400

You can sign up for the distance learning soldier skills tasks that 89D have to show proficiency in. You can study all the way up to the 890A level through the ALMS courses. It helps you before getting to the school. There are also some Ammo courses you can take through http://www.dau.edu for free. These are prerequisite Ammo and explosives classes that teach you a variety of things. Me, I was in a combat engineer unit as a 21H and got to do plenty of demolition, deal with UXO, and set up charges. I was a 0017 Explosives Safety specialist for over a decade as well. You have a great structured background for the field and a willingness to learn. Best of luck.