Carroll County native celebrates 7 years in US Navy

Aug. 31—When Petty Officer 1st Class Taylor Woods joined the U.S. Navy seven years ago, he had a reason for choosing to become an explosive ordnance disposal technician.

"I joined the Navy because I wanted to do something that gave me a sense of purpose," the Brookston native told Stephanie Fox of the Navy Office of Community Outreach. "I chose the job of explosive ordinance disposal technician because I wanted to help bring people home safely and in one piece."

Woods is assigned to Explosive Ordnance Mobile Unit 12 in support of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. He grew up in Carroll County, attended Frontier Junior-Senior High School and graduated in 2011. Today, Woods relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Brookston to succeed in the military.

"My hometown taught me the value of hard work and discipline," said Woods. "Shout out to my family for being supportive throughout my time in the Navy."

Navy Expeditionary Combat Command was established in 2006 and is comprised of 20,000 active and reserve personnel serving around the world. They bridge the gap between sea and shore and support the fleet and joint force by clearing hazards, securing critical maritime terrain, building infrastructure, and protecting military forces. NECC includes Navy divers, expeditionary logistics, explosive ordnance disposal, expeditionary intelligence, and the Seabees.

"In many warfare communities across the Navy, there is a lot of focus on platforms and systems — ships, submarines, and aircraft, which are all a very integral part of our maritime force," said NECC Force Master Chief Rick Straney. "For us in the expeditionary forces, our people are our weapons system. They represent an inherently mobile option for commanders to use around the world in a variety of complex, remote, and austere environments. We focus a lot of our effort on ensuring our warriors maintain a level of proficiency and readiness that enhances the ability of those larger platforms to do what they do at the time and point of need."

With more than 90% of all trade traveling by sea, and 95% of the world's international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize the importance of accelerating America's advantage at sea.

"My proudest Navy accomplishment is the work I've done with other countries," said Woods. "It's very rewarding to learn from other countries and have them learn from us on ways to keep everyone safe.

"To me, serving in the Navy means doing the right thing. We do what is right regardless of any personal sacrifices we might have to make."