Exercising Control – A Day at the Range with EOD

Photo By Sgt. Uriel Avendano | Staff Sgt. Luke Doty, an explosive ordnance disposal technician with Marine Wing Support Squadron 371, based out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., takes notes on the day’s low-order munitions training at the Munitions Treatment Range, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014. For the EOD team, the day’s training entailed low-order techniques that control and mitigate the collateral damage of unexploded ordnance.  

YUMA, AZ, UNITED STATES

08.15.2014

Story by Cpl. Uriel Avendano 

Marine Corps Air Station Yuma

YUMA, Ariz. - As the morning sun shines on the desert landscape, scattered pieces of 155mm artillery shells reflect brightly across the ground of the Munitions Treatment Range, southeast of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. The once-deadly rounds were shattered courtesy of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, Marine Wing Support Squadron 371, during training conducted Aug. 7.

“We went out to the range with the intent to practice and verify procedures that we would use for low-order techniques,” said Sgt. Kendall Midcalf, an EOD technician with MWSS-371, and a native of Warren, Mich. “For me, the training’s something that should boost your confidence in your job. Even if it’s something we haven’t done for a while, when we go out and it goes without a hitch – that boosts your confidence.”

Low- order training is where EOD technicians force the explosives to detonate while trying to minimize the collateral damage as much as possible.

The perilous world of EOD is navigated with caution, discipline and knowledge. All of which, for EOD technicians, is honed through professional experience and hands-on training.

For the day’s training on low-order techniques, the objective was control. In a low-order scenario, where an unexploded piece of ordnance is found and presents a close proximity threat to population or property, EOD technicians are called on to mitigate the danger.

“There are different levels of explosions. The highest level causes the most amount of damage in the surrounding area and that’s what we try to avoid,” said Staff Sgt. Matthew Burke, an EOD technician with MWSS-371, and native of Cleveland, Ohio.

Trying to control an explosion has a lot of factors that need to be accounted for. The type of ordnance in question, how it’s made, and deciding which tools to utilize, are all factors EOD considers when protecting people and property.

The unit also worked with 81mm and 60mm mortars to increase the technician’s experience and training opportunities.

“Because there’s a whole scope of understanding in what we’re doing, there’s a lot of math and knowledge of explosive material. Each scenario would not be the exact same as the last,” said Staff Sgt. Luke Jacob Doty, an EOD technician with MWSS-371 and a native of Wyoming. “We hope to hone the skill-set that is learned and built upon after the completion of EOD school. We have skill-sets that are perishable over time and it’s important to stay current with them.”

To stay updated with their occupational field standards and deployment readiness, EOD technicians train as much as possible.

“It went really well today. No major hiccups,” added Sgt. Midcalf. “All the shots, except for one, accomplished what we wanted. I think the one that didn’t go was a test of a procedure, so – now we know.”

Exercising control – all in a day’s work for the EOD technicians of MWSS-371.

• Date Taken: 08.15.2014
• Date Posted: 08.15.2014 20:07
• Story ID: 139533
• Location: YUMA, AZ, US
• Hometown: CLEVELAND, OH, US
• Hometown: WARREN, MI, US
• Hometown: YUMA, AZ, US