What’s the difference between joining the bomb disposal as a sergeant in the rlc and joining the engineers as eod?

Hi Lee - Thanks for your question. I have added some information from the Army Jobs website about the two roles. I hope this helps.

Royal Engineer EOD & Search - Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and Search operators are the Royal Engineers' bomb disposal and high-risk search experts. Whether helping to make safe a World War II bomb found in a back garden, or locating and destroying improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on operations, you'll be working as part of a highly skilled team. We'll teach you everything you need to know to help you start your specialism in this field. You'll also be part of a friendly Sapper family, enjoying sports, Adventurous Training and more.
EOD and Search is part of the Trade Roles of the Royal Engineers. All the Royal Engineer soldier job roles are divided into 5 groups. When you apply to the Engineers, you will apply to the trade group rather than the specific trade.
The Corps of Royal Engineers allows the Army to work all over the world, whether it's involved in active combat or disaster relief. The Corps are ‘first in’, setting up bases ready for the rest of the Army to arrive and ‘last out’, closing down patrol bases and military camps. The Corps is at the forefront in disaster-relief operations, effecting rapid repairs to damaged infrastructure in stricken areas.

Entry requirements - Royal Engineer EOD & Search
Age:From 16 years & 6 months to 35 years & 6 months

Qualifications:
GCSE Grade A–D/9-3, or Scottish National 5 grade A-D, in Maths, English Language and one other subject.

Basic physical fitness assessment:
Mid Thigh Pull 50kg
Medicine Ball Throw 3m
MSFT (beep test) level 7.5

Training for the role
Step 1
Your initial military training teaches you how to be a soldier, covering everything from fieldcraft to how to handle a rifle.
If you join as a Junior Soldier (under 17 years and 6 months), you’ll do a 23-week basic military training course at Harrogate.
If you join as a Regular Soldier (over 17 years and 6 months), you’ll do the regular 14-week adult basic training.

Step 2
Then it's off to the Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment near Camberley, Surrey, for 12 weeks. Here, you learn military engineering skills, such as field fortifications, demolition, mine warfare and bridge building. Finally, you go to the Defence EOD, Munitions and Search Training Regiment, Bicester, for seven weeks. Here you will specialise in EOD and Search.

Qualifications you could get after training
Level 2 and 3 City and Guilds working in High Risk confined spaces (water)
Level 3 City and Guilds in emergency rescue and recovery of casualties from confined spaces (water)

Pay & benefits
Earn £18,687 a year during training. When you have completed 26 weeks' service or finished basic trade training – whichever comes first – your pay will rise to £23,496.


Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) Ammunition Technician - As an Ammunition Technician, you’ll learn to inspect, repair, store and destroy everything from rifle ammunition to guided weapons. You will work with Army Units and UK security services, deploying bomb disposal robots.
Progression to a Bomb Disposal Operator (with extra pay) is also possible. You’ll be given responsibility early in your career as you’ll become a Lance Corporal immediately after completing your training and your career could involve work in fields such as Weapons Technical Intelligence, Ammunition Stockpile Management and Improvised Explosives Device Disposal.
Ammunition Technicians are highly sought after by the commercial energetics industry and by organisations running training in explosives and bomb disposal.
The Royal Logistic Corps are the Army’s professional logisticians keeping the Field Army marching, its helicopters flying, its vehicles moving and its tanks and guns firing. We enable its deployment and supply it with everything it needs, wherever it operates, throughout the world.

Entry requirements - Royal Logistics Corps (RLC) - Ammunition Technician

Age: From 16 years & 6 months to 35 years & 6 months

Qualifications:
5x GCSE Grade A–C/9-4, or Scottish National 5 grade A-C, which must include Maths, English Language and either Physics, Science, or Integrated Science.

Basic physical fitness assessment:
Mid Thigh Pull 50kg
Medicine Ball Throw 2.7m
MSFT (beep test) level 6.6

Training for the role
Step 1
You'll start with your initial military training which teaches you how to be a soldier, covering everything from fieldcraft to how to handle a rifle.
If you join as a Junior Soldier (under 17 years and 6 months), you’ll do a 23-week basic military training course at Harrogate.
If you join as a Regular Soldier (over 17 years and 6 months), you’ll do the regular 14-week adult basic training.

Step 2
Next, you will complete your 29-week Class 2 Ammunition Technician course which is split between the Defence Academy in Shrivenham and the Defence EOD Munitions and Search Training Regiment in Kineton. You’ll learn how to inspect, test, move, store and destroy every type of ammunition and explosive. You will also earn your Cat B and C+E licenses at the Defence School of Transport in Leconfield.

Qualifications you could get after training
Driving Licences: Category B and C+E.

Level 4 Apprenticeship in Ordnance Munitions and Explosives.
The opportunity to study for an MSc in Explosives Ordnance Engineering (on a part-time basis).
A proven track record in the field that can gain the title of Engineering Technician (Eng Tech), Incorporated Engineer (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng).

Pay & benefits
Earn £18,687 a year during training. When you have completed 26 weeks' service or finished basic trade training – whichever comes first – your pay will rise to £23,496. You can earn extra pay once you reach the rank of Sergeant and you are qualified to conduct Bomb Disposal duties.

As with the above, for the Royal Engineers EOD you will begin to accrue extra pay as you progress through the ranks.

Hope this helps, please let me know if you have anymore questions.

Warm Regards,

SSgt Rob Needham

But is there a difference in the day to day comings and goings of a rlc bomb disposal operator and eod operator in engineers? Is the actual job different? Is there a difference in roles if we end up at war?

So for the Royal Engineer EOD there is 2 levels:

Level 1 - Which gives the operative the qualification to deal with conventional munitions (mines, air dropped weapons, projectiles etc)
Level 2 - This is for advanced operators giving them the competency to deal with Improvised devices (IED's)

RLC EOD (Ammunition Technician Officer (ATO))
As above but can also do one step higher;
Level 3 - Advanced Manual Techniques (AMT) - This basically gives the operator competency to deal with what is called 'Dirty Bombs' which includes Chemical Weaponry.

Warm Reagrds,

SSgt Rob Needham