Members of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group (EODGRU) 1 and members of the Ramsey County Sheriff Department's Dive Team increased operational readiness and interoperability during an exercise, during Minneapolis/St. Paul Navy Week 2017, on White Bear Lake, July 20.

"I think it's a good thing to work with the people of Minnesota, showing them exactly what we do and how we work with different agencies in their state," said Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Chris Gora. "It shows people what exactly it is that the Navy does, and anytime we're with a new agency, we're always taught new things."

Two days prior, the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office prepared for this exercise by removing the motor and all fluids from a donated Honda Accord, and placed it at the bottom of the lake.

"We're helping the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office locate a vehicle, raise it back to the beach, and making sure there are no explosive hazards in or around that vehicle," said Gora. "The key thing with this exercise is being able to get those communication lines open, being able to see what they need so we can help them out, and to see what we need so they can help us out. They have tons of experience, and prior military on their team. When you have assets like that, there's not a lot of room for things to go wrong."

This interoperability exercise was one of the 94 events planned for the 2017 Minneapolis/St. Paul Navy Week. Exercises between the Navy and other organizations, such as the Sheriff's Department, help to increase mission readiness for all members involved, while increasing interoperability, strengthening ties, and informing the public about the capabilities of the Navy and their local organizations.

The Navy Office of Community Outreach, Navy Recruiting District Minneapolis and Navy Operational Support Center Minneapolis joined with the Navy Parachute Team "the Leap Frogs" and Navy Band Great Lakes to showcase the Navy, July 17-23. Minneapolis/St. Paul Navy Week takes place in conjunction with the 2017 Minneapolis Aquatennial.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.