#IAMIMSC: Maj. Patrick Kucera
Duty title and unit: Joint EOD Technology Division Chief, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Naval Surface Warfare Center-Indian Head, Maryland
Primary duty responsibilities: I chair the Department of Defense’s Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Board and work with the other services to pursue new technologies to increase joint EOD capabilities across our full mission spectrum.
What’s the best part of your job?
I enjoy working with the other services, learning their unique mission sets and solving complex issues to produce needed capabilities.
What’s a recent project that gave you a great sense of accomplishment?
We’ve been working on a challenge we have concerning Insensitive Munitions, or IM. If these munitions do not function as designed, EOD is required to dispose of them and they are made to withstand the tools and techniques we typically use. Through a comprehensive analysis and research, development, test and evaluation effort, we repurposed a Marine Corps breaching tool to successfully dispose of IM. Additionally, we approved a 3D printed tool for immediate fielding across the globe to the joint EOD community.
Which AFIMSC value do you identify with the most and why?
In my current role at a joint technology center, innovation is a top focus. We’re always looking at our challenges from new perspectives and trying new approaches. We’re open to new and different ideas to tackle issues and continually push the envelope of technology applications to prepare for future mission demands.