SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii - Four explosive ordnance disposal teams from throughout U.S. Army-Pacific gathered, here, to compete in USARPAC's EOD Team of the Year competition, July 13-17.

The USARPAC level EOD TOY competition is conducted each year in order select the premier USARPAC EOD Team that will compete in the Department of the Army EOD TOY later this year.

This year the 303rd EOD Battalion hosted the competition in which the Army's best EOD teams were represented from 8th Theater Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Alaska and U.S. Forces Korea.

The weeklong competition tested and assessed the four teams on an array of events ranging from basic Soldier common tasks to EOD skill level knowledge and proficiency.

"It definitely forces you to the next step in the problem-solving process," said Sgt. Ryan Essenmacher, team leader, 706th EOD Company, 303rd EOD Bn., 8th Military Police Brigade, 8th TSC. "It challenges you to work adaptively, efficiently and to delegate appropriately in order to achieve the mission, all while under extreme time and resource constraints."

Essenmacher said that while this was his third time competing, it was his first time to do so as a team leader.

"I wanted to do it as a personal challenge and to validate to myself that I know what I am doing and that I am ready to take on the responsibilities of a team leader," said Essenmacher.

In addition to testing the teams' technical and tactical skills, the EOD team competition is also an event that helps to foster and develop leaders.

"This builds stronger leaders because the team leader that is in charge has to be a strong leader, he has to control his team and the scene," said Master Sgt. Chad Vervaet, operations noncommissioned officer in-charge, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 303rd EOD Bn. "He is controlling everything around him."

Vervaet added, "This is just a test of that leadership."

The teams were put through many challenges testing their technical and tactical skills. Events ranged from the Army Physical Fitness Test, to marksmanship with five different weapons, ordnance identification, unexploded ordnance procedures, improvised explosive device procedures, a written test and information brief.

"We wanted the scenarios to be as realistic as possible," said Command Sgt. Maj. Brant Shyrigh, senior enlisted adviser, 303rd EOD Bn. "Some of the scenarios were even based on real-world situations."

In one event, a UH-60M Black Hawk flew each team onto the scene. Shyrigh said the teams really had to dig deeper and to continue to drive-on each day.

"It really puts you in situations, that unless you've been deployed, you really don't get to do," said Staff Sgt. Dustin Bussard, team leader, 74th EOD Co., 303rd EOD Bn. "You get pushed to the edge and find out what you really are made of."

The competition was grueling and fiercely competitive with each team running neck to neck. In the end, it was 74th EOD Co., who took first place and will continue on to represent USARPAC at the Department of Army level EOD TOY later this year.

Shyrigh said it was a tight race and praised the other teams for their hard work.

Shyrigh encouraged the other teams and said, "This year may not have been your year, just keep training and come back next year."