Omaha native deploys as EOD, defuses bombs, denies terrorist victory

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Denoris Mickle | U.S. Air Force explosive ordnance disposal technician, Staff Sgt. Dustin Frey, from the 155th Nebraska Air National Guard, Lincoln, Neb., conducts a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance, March 14, 2012. Frey is deployed to the 966th Air Expeditionary Squadron EOD flight who supports Combined Joint Task Force Paladin. EOD members are experts in chemical, biological, incendiary, radiological, and nuclear materials and devices. The unit helps insure freedom of operations in a deployed environment by applying special procedures to totally remove hazards created by unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices.  

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN

03.21.2012

Story by Staff Sgt. Sara Keller 

United States Air Forces Central       

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - Staff Sgt. Dustin J. Frey, explosive ordinance disposal technician, recently deployed to the 966th Air Expeditionary Squadron at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, as a part of Combined Joint Task Force Paladin.

Frey, an Omaha, Neb., native, joined a team of fellow EOD techs in Afghanistan from the 155th Civil Engineer Squadron with the Nebraska Air National Guard.

As an EOD tech, it’s his team’s responsibility to mitigate, render safe, and/or destroy any conventional or unconventional explosive threats as well as chemical, nuclear or biological hazards inside and outside the wire. Their operations can be performed 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Some of these tasks include mitigating improvised explosive devices, provide post blast analysis and perform route clearing packages.

By providing their EOD capabilities, Frey and his EOD team members make it possible for service members deployed to Kabul to complete their missions with confidence; knowing EOD is only one call away.

“We can’t do our job without EOD, there’s just no way,” said Tech. Sgt. Eric Fox, team leader with the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Quick Reaction Team or Reapers. “For example; we called them out for a rocket we found, and it’s the same type of ordnance I’ve seen used in IEDs in the past. By them coming out and destroying it, that’s one less IED [the enemy] can use against BAF or us. Not to mention the multiple IEDs they can save our lives from by diffusing it, before the enemy can diffuse them on us.”

There is not a day that goes by where EOD is not called on to respond.

Frey said this makes him feel like he is contributing to Operation Enduring Freedom.

“[I feel like I’m contributing to the war effort] by continuously to neutralize the terrorists explosive attacks,” said Frey.

To be an EOD tech, Frey went through a rigorous nine-month course where he had to pass more than 50 tests that challenged not only his intelligence and attention to detail, but his physical endurance and mental capacity.

There are countless situations where Frey has to rely on this extensive training and his ability to think on his feet in order to keep himself, his team and others safe. But he said he has his favorite parts of the job.

“My favorite part about my mission here is the satisfaction of removing explosive threats from the battlefield to protect our service members,” he explained.

Before joining the ANG three and a half years ago to become an EOD tech, Frey served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves for nearly nine years.

“I learned abut EOD on my first deployment to Iraq with the Marines, and I knew I wanted to do the job,” Frey said. “With the motivation to do the job, I switched services and I’ve happily been with the Nebraska ANG since.”

Frey said he stays with the ANG because EOD Guard positions are absolutely critical.

“The ANG places EOD capability throughout the country, provides quick response to explosive emergencies and effectively supplements active duty manning in the war effort,” he explained.

“There are less than a thousand active duty EOD techs and maybe half of them are deployable at any given time. Without Guard positions to take on some of the deployments, our active duty EOD brothers would spend a lot less time at home and more over here in harms way.”

Frey’s team duties include maintaining his team’s robots, radio communications and prepping explosive charges.

This is Frey’s second deployment, and when Frey is not working as an EOD tech with the U.S. Air Force he puts his extensive knowledge to use by working as an Unexploded Ordnance Technician for a environmental company.

• Date Taken: 03.21.2012
• Date Posted: 03.21.2012 13:49
• Story ID: 85549
• Location: BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF