Col. Aaron C. Teller, Group Commander

71st Ordnance Group (EOD)

Col. Aaron C. Teller is a native of Hillsville, Virginia, and a graduate of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. He holds a Master of Arts in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, and served as a National Security Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Most recently, Teller served as the branch chief in the Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) G-8, overseeing funding for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and protection programs. His previous assignments include commander of the 79th Ordnance Battalion (EOD), deputy director of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command Proponent Office for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (TPO-EOD), deputy to the EOD commandant, fellow at the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG), S3 and executive officer (XO) of the 3rd Ordnance Battalion (EOD), deputy chief of operations at the 20th CBRNE Command, and commander of the 705th Ordnance Company (EOD) at Fort Polk, Louisiana. His command experience includes two deployments as the Task Force Hellhound commander while in command of the 79th and in support of the 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, during Operation Enduring Freedom, while serving as the commander of the 705th. Teller is also joint operational planner qualified from the Maritime Advanced Warfighting School.

Before taking command of a company, Teller was an honor graduate from the Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a deputy team chief of a military transition team where he was embedded within an Iraqi army infantry battalion as a combat advisor. He was commissioned in the Ordnance Corps with a field artillery branch detail. As a lieutenant, he served in the 1st Battalion, 321st Field Artillery (Airborne), and the 782nd Maintenance Support Battalion (Airborne) within the 82nd Airborne Division. Additionally, he deployed with the XVIII Airborne Corps as the ammunition officer for Multinational Corps – Iraq, and with the 1st Bn., 321st FA (ABN) to Hungary to form Task Force Warrior, where the mission was to train Iraqi forces.

His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Master Explosive Ordnance Disposal Badge, Combat Action Badge and Parachutist Badge. His additional schooling includes the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Course and College of Naval Command and Staff at the U.S. Naval War College.

Teller is married and has two daughters.