EOD Air Commandos conduct night training

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Joseph Pick | Explosive ordinance disposal Air Commandos with the 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron conduct explosive ordinance cache training at Eglin Range, Fla., March 9, 2017. During the training, EOD Airmen cleared more than a mile of roadways and disabled simulated caches of explosive ordinance. Explosive ordinance cache training is conducted quarterly to ensure EOD Air Commandos are ready to execute operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joseph Pick)  

HURLBURT FIELD, FL, UNITED STATES

03.09.2017

Story by Airman 1st Class Joseph Pick 

1st Special Operations Wing

Under a moonlit sky, on a cool and humid night, six explosive ordinance disposal Air Commandos with the 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron performed a three hour, explosive ordinance cache training at the Eglin Range, March 9.

Simulated cache training is conducted quarterly to ensure Hurlburt’s EOD Airmen are ready to execute operations worldwide.

The EOD specialists began their night with a Humvee ride from Hurlburt Field to the Eglin Range. Upon reaching the range, they hiked more than a mile down a dirt road, searching for simulated caches.

EOD specialists are trained to detect, disarm, detonate and dispose explosive threats.

“As new Airmen, we generally train on certain types of equipment to become certified, but throwing it all together into an actual mission lets you see how each piece of equipment helps us do our job,” said Senior Airman John Nipp, an EOD journeyman with the 1st SOCES.

During the training, EOD specialists cleared roadways using different tools such as metal detectors and disabled simulated explosive ordinance caches. Explosive ordinance can include bombs, improvised explosive devices and mines.

“This training is important because it’s a mission we are tasked with a lot down range,”, said Staff Sgt. Joshua Zifzal, an EOD craftsman with the 1st SOCES. “We can be tasked at any time so we need to maintain our skills.”

By training during all times of day, Air Commandos ensure that they are ready to execute a mission at any time, any place.

“In the real world, it’s a good possibility that we’d hit a suspected cache at night,” Nipp said. “With that possibility, we need to be efficient and ready.”

• Date Taken: 03.09.2017
• Date Posted: 03.17.2017 14:44
• Story ID: 226978
• Location: HURLBURT FIELD, FL, US