Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 12 and the Onondaga Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad staged a "Hollywood" explosion at the New York State Fairground June 6.

The explosion marked one of the first events during a week full of interaction between Navy Sailors and the city of Syracuse.

"These type of trainings and demonstrations give us a chance to learn the Navy EOD's tactics, procedures, tools and what they bring to the table," said Gregory Beckwith, sergeant with Onondaga County's Sheriff's Office Police Division and member of the bomb squad. "It's always a valuable experience when we get a chance to do something like this, and though it's our first time training with the Navy, we hope it's not the last."

To trigger the explosion, Sailors from EODMU 12 and the sheriff's office suspended four one-gallon jugs of gasoline in the air interlaced with a detonation cord. From there, they ran the detonation cord to a safe distance and remotely triggered the explosion.

"Working with the sheriff's department gives us the chance to build a relationship and familiarize ourselves with their procedures," said Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 1st Class John Wise, assigned to EODMU 12. "That way we're ready to react and respond if we get a call and lives are on the line."

EOD Sailors will continue to educate the public on their role in the Navy's mission during events scheduled throughout the week.

Navy Weeks are events held throughout the United States to help raise public awareness of the Navy in areas that are not typically exposed to a large naval presence. For more information on Syracuse Navy Week and a full schedule visit http://www.syracuse.com/.

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

For more news from Navy Recruiting District Pittsburgh, visit http://www.navy.mil/.