Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) 5 Todd Enders, an explosive ordnance technician with 31 years of service, is confident in the next generation of expeditionary warriors, because it takes one to know one.

Enders can be classified into that rare breed of veteran who has carried a warrior ethos from day one of his military career forward, as he trains the next generation.

"Instilling a warrior ethos will win the long fight because you have to train for the hardest day of your life, and test yourself every day," he said.

The warrant officer's experience boasts 19 years of overseas service, including a tour aboard USNS Kilauea (T-AE 26), steaming with the USS Midway Battle Group, where he was able to obtain his explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) flight deck qualification. Enders also supported Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and many more.

Though he has made his last combat deployment, Enders is still taking an active hand in supporting the Navy mission. He is currently taking his years of EOD experience and applying it in the classrooms at Officer Training Command in Newport, R.I. There he serves as the Limited Duty Officer (LDO)/CWO Academy assistant director and class officer, as well as a small arms instructor and range safety officer

"Mentoring and guiding new mustangs is why I remain on active duty," he said. "I remain relevant in leading and training my fellow officers to live the Oath of Office that they solemnly swore to uphold. Life without a sense of responsibility is useless."

Not only does Enders help the next generation of mustangs, but he also assists the seasoned LDOs and CWOs as he mentors them with sound leadership vision for their collective futures.

"I pass on lessons I learned the hard way, while at sea," he said. "I also tell them that it is their responsibly to execute the vision from their senior leadership, and ensure their department or division is manned, trained and equipped to execute the missions for which they can be tasked to execute."

Enders added that within the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC), that there is a large diversity of talented LDOs and CWOs that work alongside their expeditionary counterparts, who are really impacting the mission day in and day out.

"NECC is the force provider of choice, and its forces will always get the call to do the mission that others say they can't be done, or are not willing to step up to the challenge," he said.

Enders said on Veterans Day, he paused to appreciate the shared military experiences he has endured, and also considered his ancestors who have served in our nation's wars.

Relatives of the Enders' family have chosen to wear the cloth of our nation and have fought in every conflict, from the Civil War to today. While growing up he was often told stories of relatives who fought in the Civil War, and others who served in World War II, such as an Army combat engineer who was awarded the Silver Star, or another who served in Vietnam. In fact, the Enders' mark on our nation is so profound that even a city in Pennsylvania is named after their family.

"Veterans Day is about relationships, family, and sacrifice, whether you served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or you were their mother, father, brother, sister or distant family member," said Enders. "This is our day to remember our veteran family, and pray for and give our utmost respect to never forgetting those who remain missing in action, the wounded, and those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice."

At the end of the day when asked what veterans have in common, Enders answered, "the willingness to go into harm's way for the sake of their country's morals, ethnics and values."

For more news from Navy Expeditionary Combat Command , visit http://www.navy.mil/.