EOD Airmen stand-down for safety

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Dillon White
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  To most Airmen, the terms improvised explosive device and unexploded ordnance are often found in Airman's Manuals or computer-based training courses. To Airmen wearing the explosive ordnance disposal badge, they are much more familiar. 

Eight EOD Airmen have made the ultimate sacrifice since 2005 during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, another 33 have been injured. 

EOD operations tempo has increased since the beginning of OIF and OEF and Airmen are now deploying on a one-to-one schedule rate, deploying six months and returning home for six months, with most EOD Airmen on their third or fourth combat tour, said Major Gen. Del Eulberg, U.S. Air Force civil engineer, U.S. Air Force Headquarters. 

"These factors have driven the need for us to direct a 'tactical pause' to focus on standard operating procedures; tactics, techniques, procedures and the health of our EOD warriors," General Eulberg said. 

By General Eulberg's direction, the 341st Civil Engineer Squadron EOD flight held a first-ever safety stand-down day Nov. 7, to review lessons learned and speak with subject matter experts from the base chapel and mental health about topics ranging from signs of traumatic brain injury to family life and faith. 

Airmen shared personal stories about responding to IEDs and daily life of a deployed EOD Airman, from washing their Army Combat Uniforms in ammo cans with bottled water while at combat outposts how to deal with the loss of fellow EOD Airmen. 

The Airmen also discussed differences between deployed operations and those they conduct at home station, from handling explosives to driving on a highway in a deployed location versus state-side. 

After the team shared stories of fallen comrades, they discussed their successes.
EOD Airmen have neutralized 9,000 IEDs during OIF and OEF, said Senior Master Sgt. Ken Pettibone, Air Force Space Command EOD functional manager. 

"The numbers we don't have is how many lives we saved," Sergeant Pettibone said. "I know it was way more than we lost." 

The career field is a close-knit family, said Master Sgt. Brion Blais, 341st Civil Engineer Squadron EOD flight chief. 

"Most EOD Airmen know one another either from tech. school, deployments or being stationed together," Sergeant Blais said. "When someone is killed or injured, it hits home. Today's stand-down helps us look at incidents and determine what we can do differently to be safer and prevent accidents from happening in the future."