Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Group One hosted an EOD Speaker Series event Nov. 2 with college football hall of fame great Herschel Walker.

Walker spoke about his past, both his victories and his struggles with an emphasis of perseverance and positive thinking. He also acknowledged that he has battled mental illness, sought treatment and has continued to succeed in sports and business.

Lt. Cmdr. Mark Letourneau, executive officer of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Expeditionary Support Unit (EODESU) 1 valued Walker's candid talk, "I found Mr. Walker's talk to be very inspirational and motivational; he is a humble man who never forgot his roots. His ability to connect with everyone through humor was great, and seeing him as a man, vice a hyped superstar, through his telling of his own personal hardships and how his drive, desire, and commitment pulled him through was exceptional."

The talk was the third in a series of engagements held throughout 2017 as part of the framework of the EOD Leadership Continuum Program.

The EOD Leadership Continuum reflects the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. John Richardson's Navy Leader Development Framework released in January 2017 which emphasizes the need for Navy leaders to demonstrate a deliberate commitment to grow throughout their naval careers.

The EOD Speaker Series is one facet of the EOD Leadership Continuum, a program created to develop leaders through professional education.

"The EOD Speaker Series provides the opportunity for us to extend the learning beyond our EOD Leadership Continuum phases by inviting individuals from different communities of interest to share their leadership lessons and insights with our force," said Lt. Cmdr. Brian Reitter, chief staff officer of EOD Group One.

The speaker series began March 3, with a talk from Cmdr. Grant Kidd, Department Head of Neurology at Naval Medical Center San Diego. Kidd spoke with the EOD audience about Traumatic Brain Injury: Care and Assessment and discussed the history of TBI, approaches to management, and options for continued care and resiliency.

On Aug. 22 the second talk was with Mr. Tom Dee, Vice Director Navy Staff; performing the duties of the Under Secretary of the Navy. He spoke about integrity and the importance of developing yourself and your team to accomplish the mission.

The EOD Speaker Series will continue to cover various topics aimed at developing versatile leaders in the U.S. Navy.

U.S. Navy EOD is the world's premier combat force for countering explosive hazards and conducting expeditionary diving and salvage.

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For more news from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1, visit www.navy.mil/.