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USEUCOM 2025 OHDACA workshop
U.S. Army Col. Rick Galeano, the USEUCOM Civil-Military Operations Division Chief, left, talks to Director-General Margo Klaos, Director of the Estonian Rescue Board, about the importance of the country’s explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) projects, which are supported through the Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid (OHDACA) program. The EOD project centers respond to daily calls for removal of explosive remnants of war (ERW) and conduct training for Ukrainian EOD personnel on the safe removal of ERW material.
Photo by: Photo courtesy of Estonian Rescue Board
U.S. European Command hosted a workshop Feb. 3-7, 2025, in Tallinn, Estonia to lay the groundwork for upcoming projects in 18 different European nations for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 under the Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid (OHDACA) program.
“This is the only civil-military program available to EUCOM that enhances host-nation legitimacy and empowers governments to improve their capacity to provide effective education, health and disaster preparedness to the civilian population," said U.S. Army Col. Rick Galeano, the USEUCOM Civil-Military Operations Division Chief and second-time conference host.
The workshop included breakout sessions and presentations to provide programmatic guidance and share recent policy updates.
As part of the workshop schedule, attendees visited some completed projects, including an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) center at the Estonian Rescue Board and an amputee center.
At the EOD site, workshop participants learned of the continual removal of explosive remnants of war (ERW) that are discovered across the country daily. With four different response centers that have been established across the country, Estonia continues to dispose of large quantities of unexploded ordnance on land and at sea.
“Estonia is instrumental in implementing train-the-trainer programs routinely training Ukrainian EOD personnel on the safe removal of ERW,” Jose Colon, the USEUCOM Humanitarian Mine Action program manager, said. “And to counter a disturbing new trend of illegal fireworks usage, the Estonian Rescue Board has implemented a public awareness campaign of safety and reporting of unexploded ordnance.”
Another stop showcased a veteran amputee center, deemed to be the only one of its kind in the Baltics. The center is staffed by a dedicated cross-functional team to support the physical and emotional rehabilitation of younger and older veterans and soldiers.
According to one of the facility’s prosthetic rehabilitation specialists, the center has helped the motivated Ukrainian soldiers return to the frontlines in as little as three weeks after receiving an artificial limb, demonstrating the far-reaching effect of partnership.
“With the ongoing war in Ukraine and its persistent threat to European stability, a whole-of-government effort where we leverage interagency strengths in support of building capacity increases Allied and partner-nation resilience,” said Galeano.
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