EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – The first Explosive Ordnance Women’s Leadership Summit was held Aug. 8-10, celebrating 50 years of women in the explosive ordnance disposal profession.

The event brought together military members from around the world for two days of leadership, mentoring and camaraderie.

“We’ve never had an EOD forum like this one with a focus on female leadership and mentorship,” explained Master Sgt. Giselle Irr, one of the event’s organizers. “(In the past) we haven’t had a way to bring all the women together.”

More than 75 military personnel attended the summit – not only female EOD technicians, but also men and women from all career fields.

Linda Cox, the first woman to graduate from EOD school in 1974 and the first EOD woman to be awarded Chief Master Sergeant in 1994, was a central figure at the event. Looking back, Cox said, “I had no idea what EOD was. When I got there, they didn’t even have a uniform for me. Now we have women running teams and running businesses.”

Despite these advances, women remain a minority in ground combat. In the Air Force, only 38 of 1,337 soldiers are women explosive ordnance disposal specialists, representing less than 2% of the profession. In addition, of the Air Force’s 50 instructors at the explosive ordnance disposal school, only two are women.

Chief Master Sgt. Diana Rogers, the second female EOD chief and the only one currently serving, spoke about the challenges and progress women have made in combat leadership against nature.

She recalled being told during her speech at the summit: “Women do not belong in this profession.”

Nevertheless, she rose through the ranks and today serves as a role model for others.

“I hope to see more women rise to leadership positions. I firmly believe that the next three female CEOs are sitting in this room today,” Rogers said.

Throughout the two-day event, participants and speakers expressed their determination to continue breaking down barriers and paving the way for future generations.

“When I was in school, they could have just let a woman pass,” Cox said. “But when (the women after me) came along, they were proof that we belonged and maybe we could do this job after all. Now we’re at the point where maybe we can drop the word, because we’re the bomb technicians.”

The event culminated in a 5km march, a symbolic gesture to honour the history and resilience of women in this field.