Team training paramount for success of EOD missions

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kristina Overton
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Improvised Explosive Devices are never found at a set time or in perfect conditions. In Iraq or Afghanistan, it's common for these suspicious, unidentified objects to be found. When an IED is located, an explosive ordinance disposal team is called to disarm it and safe the area. To help ready Malmstrom's EOD team for an overseas encounter, the Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen ran a dismounted IED night-operation exercise Oct. 26 at Camp Grizzly and the EOD training range.

The scenario called for the EOD team to respond to a simulated ground foot patrol finding suspected device while they were clearing out an area. The two teams were expected to locate, disarm and interrogate IEDs for evidence. One of the IEDs was placed at the EOD range and the other was placed at Camp Grizzly. At about 7:15 p.m. in 30-degree weather, the members were loaded into vehicles with blocked out night-vision goggles so they couldn't see their destination, and dropped off in a random field. Given only grid coordinates, they had to do terrain navigation to locate the IED sites.

Senior Airman Kyle Brown, 341st Civil Engineer Squadron EOD training NCOIC, came up with the night operations scenario and said he believes it's important for EOD members here to get this type of training.

"I deployed to Afghanistan three months ago so I'm bringing back the experience that I had there, and recreating the scenarios that we did with the Army to prepare the members here for their deployments," Airman Brown said. "If we know what our adversaries are building or what to expect, then we can get that mind set in place and be better equipped to respond. The more familiar we are with these exercises, the more mission ready we are when we deploy."

When the EOD team deploys, they are linked with other services to run standard operations. By maintaining their training through the various exercises and ensuring they are able to handle all of their equipment, they will be able to operate under fire and take care of themselves and others in real-time situations.

"In these types of exercises, it's about working with whatever you have that you can carry with you," said Master Sgt. Cimmaron Reeves, 341st CES EOD superintendent. "A lot of times, especially here in the United States during peacetime operations, we use robotics. When we're deployed, if we're dismounted, it's very difficult to get robots in to where we need them. We do have super lightweight robots but their capabilities are very limited. We end up doing hands-on stuff, so that's what we train for. You have to train like you plan to fight."

For these standard ruck marches, the team carries typically only what they can fit in their bag. Some of the items they carry include body armor, a helmet, safety gear, a GPS, chemical lights, rope and different types of explosives.

The EOD office shuts down two days a week specifically for training. They conduct dismounted operations approximately 10 to 12 times and year, and do standard ruck marches twice a month. They also conduct additional training to included safing aircraft, weapons systems, chemical and biological weapons.

"Everything we do, we do together as a team- as a unit," Sergeant Reeves said. "The team concept is paramount in everything we do as far as these operations go. Being prepped and training regularly in impromptu scenarios helps build self assurance and self reliance amongst the team. What we do in training is never easy, it's never fun, but it's so they can survive in times of war -- which is going on right now. As long as they're getting this experience and they're learning, then we are doing our jobs and ensuring the survivability of our force."