Tajikistan hosts final phase of regional explosive ordnance disposal training
From 23 June to 11 July 2025, the Regional Explosive Hazards Training Center (REHTC) of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan hosted the third and final phase of the regional Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Level 3 training. The intensive three-week program significantly enhanced the theoretical and practical skills of 16 participants (14 men and 2 women) representing Tajikistan’s Ministry of Defense, Border Troops, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense. The training also included participants from the Ministries of Defense and Border Troops of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, as well as representatives of the Tajikistan National Mine Action Centre (TNMAC) and the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA).
Participants received comprehensive training in humanitarian demining safety measures and in the removal, disposal, and destruction of explosive ordnance. The curriculum covered render-safe procedures and demolitions of a wide range of specific explosive ordnance types, along with specialized techniques such as tape and line methods, dearmer, and rocket wrench operations. All training was conducted in accordance with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS). This activity contributed to the objective of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (POiD)’s Integrated Co-operation on Explosive Hazards (ICExH) project, which aims to improve the overall safety and management of explosive hazards in Central Asia.
In line with the project’s goal of achieving self-sufficiency of the REHTC, the training was delivered by REHTC instructors, with monitoring and mentoring provided by the ICExH training officers and representatives of the Belgian Armed Forces (BEL ACOS). This approach demonstrated the REHTC instructors’ solid foundational knowledge and growing expertise in EOD operations, while the monitoring ensured quality management of the course and alignment with the project’s expected results.
A closing ceremony was held on 11 July, attended by the Acting Head of the OSCE POiD, Tatiana Turcan; the First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan, Major General Odinazoda Muso Nemat; the Director of the Tajikistan National Mine Action Centre, Major General Muhabbat Ibrohimzoda; and Captain Joshua D. McAnnally, Bilateral Affairs Officer to Tajikistan, from the Office of Military Cooperation (OMC) of the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan.
The OSCE POiD provided logistical and financial support for the training, with funding made possible through extra-budgetary contributions from the United States and Germany to the ICExH program.
The successful completion of the EOD Level 3 training marks a significant step in strengthening regional capabilities to address explosive hazards and fostering a safer environment in Central Asia.