Explosive Ordnance Technician in Training and Combat
from The Spear Hosted by Modern War Institute at West Point
Dr. Charlie Faint sits down with EOD officer Michael Villahermosa in this episode for a wide-ranging conversation about combat, leadership, professional growth, and service. Villahermosa traces his path from an unsuccessful attempt at Special Forces selection to becoming an explosive ordnance disposal technician, deploying to Afghanistan during the surge, and eventually earning a Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal for Valor after taking charge of a ground element under fire and helping prevent fellow soldiers from walking into an ambush. Drawing on experiences as both an enlisted NCO and commissioned officer, he emphasizes calm leadership under pressure, competence, humility, accountability, mutual trust, and the importance of officers empowering their NCOs rather than micromanaging them. The discussion also explores his transition from NCO to officer through Green to Gold, his EOD Happy Captain social-media presence, the value of professional writing and the Harding Project, and his current work mentoring ROTC cadets. Throughout the episode, Villahermosa returns to a simple leadership philosophy: learn from mistakes, listen to experienced NCOs, remain humble, communicate calmly, and strive to become the kind of leader you needed when you were younger. Chapters (00:00:02) - Enter the Spear (00:04:02) - "There's Some Nepotism In Sports" (00:04:14) - EOD School: A Hard Job (00:09:39) - Private Ready to Deploy: What Kind of Things Are Running Through Your (00:12:56) - Captain McMahon Killed in Action (00:17:13) - NCOs on the Afghanistan War (00:18:32) - First Mission as an EOD Tech (00:21:43) - Support Relationships with the Maneuver Force (00:26:24) - In the Elevator With a Leader (00:27:23) - EOD Happy Captain (00:32:04) - Build cohesive teams through mutual trust (00:32:28) - EOD National Guard EOD (00:33:57) - Don't Make Abuses (00:35:36) - EOD Operations in Afghanistan (00:41:14) - BSMV Soldier on Disarming an ambush (00:47:34) - Silver Star Recipient on His Story (00:51:49) - Being That Calm Voice in the Storm (00:54:11) - The Bronze Star Certificate Signed By Major General Bill Rapp (00:55:37) - Green to Gold: One Soldier's Journey (01:01:11) - The importance of leadership in the army (01:05:31) - EOD Happy Captain: Social Media and Military Issues (01:10:44) - Veteran Suicide (01:13:47) - Read More: Who Are You Writing For? (01:19:09) - How to Solve a Problem by Yourself (01:19:40) - George Kirkpatrick on the Harding Project (01:23:05) - Lt. Gen. Michael Jones on Leading the 5th Brigade R (01:24:19) - West Point Service Academy Cadet (01:25:39) - The Lotter Institute Lecture (01:26:21) - The Spear
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What this episode covers
Dr. Charlie Faint sits down with EOD officer Michael Villahermosa in this episode for a wide-ranging conversation about combat, leadership, professional growth, and service. Villahermosa traces his path from an unsuccessful attempt at Special Forces selection to becoming an explosive ordnance disposal technician, deploying to Afghanistan during the surge, and eventually earning a Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal for Valor after taking charge of a ground element under fire and helping prevent fellow soldiers from walking into an ambush. Drawing on experiences as both an enlisted NCO and commissioned officer, he emphasizes calm leadership under pressure, competence, humility, accountability, mutual trust, and the importance of officers empowering their NCOs rather than micromanaging them. The discussion also explores his transition from NCO to officer through Green to Gold, his EOD Happy Captain social-media presence, the value of professional writing and the Harding Project, and his current work mentoring ROTC cadets. Throughout the episode, Villahermosa returns to a simple leadership philosophy: learn from mistakes, listen to experienced NCOs, remain humble, communicate calmly, and strive to become the kind of leader you needed when you were younger.
Chapters
- 0:02 Enter the Spear
- 4:02 "There's Some Nepotism In Sports"
- 4:14 EOD School: A Hard Job
- 9:39 Private Ready to Deploy: What Kind of Things Are Running Through Your
- 12:56 Captain McMahon Killed in Action
- 17:13 NCOs on the Afghanistan War
- 18:32 First Mission as an EOD Tech
- 21:43 Support Relationships with the Maneuver Force
- 26:24 In the Elevator With a Leader
- 27:23 EOD Happy Captain
- 32:04 Build cohesive teams through mutual trust
- 32:28 EOD National Guard EOD
- 33:57 Don't Make Abuses
- 35:36 EOD Operations in Afghanistan
- 41:14 BSMV Soldier on Disarming an ambush
- 47:34 Silver Star Recipient on His Story
- 51:49 Being That Calm Voice in the Storm
- 54:11 The Bronze Star Certificate Signed By Major General Bill Rapp
- 55:37 Green to Gold: One Soldier's Journey
- 1:01:11 The importance of leadership in the army
- 1:05:31 EOD Happy Captain: Social Media and Military Issues
- 1:10:44 Veteran Suicide
- 1:13:47 Read More: Who Are You Writing For?
- 1:19:09 How to Solve a Problem by Yourself
- 1:19:40 George Kirkpatrick on the Harding Project
- 1:23:05 Lt. Gen. Michael Jones on Leading the 5th Brigade R
- 1:24:19 West Point Service Academy Cadet
- 1:25:39 The Lotter Institute Lecture
- 1:26:21 The Spear
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