Photo By Anna Berrettini | The Air Force activated the 360th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training Squadron during...... read more read more
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On 4 November 2025, under the clear skies of Florida’s Gulf Coast, the Air Force marked a milestone for the Explosive Ordnance Disposal community. A familiar guidon was cased, another was unfurled, and the service formally activated the 360th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training Squadron before an audience of Airmen, families, and joint service partners.
As the civil engineer enterprise’s first career field designated as combat arms by the Secretary of War, activating under a single squadron drives a laser focus on EOD readiness and proficiency. Until now, Air Force EOD training operated as a detachment of the 366th Training Squadron at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, a structure that split key elements of instruction and created divided lines of authority.
“We had prelim, seven-level school, and the breachers course under Sheppard Air Force Base…while the basic, advanced IED, and homemade explosives courses were here [at Eglin Air Force Base],” explained Lt. Col. Nathan Demers, 23rd Civil Engineer Squadron commander. “If we wanted something done at prelim, we had to ask up to the squadron commander, who would then ask down…It was a little bit fragmented.”
By elevating EOD training into its own squadron, every stage of professional development is consolidated under a single leadership structure. “We handle from cradle to grave, essentially, an Airman straight out of basic training all the way to our team leader and advanced courses,” said Maj. Tommy Vogel, 360 EOD TRS Deputy Commander.
Furthermore, the activation makes the training pipeline more efficient and easier to adapt to emerging threats. The 360 EOD TRS commander sits on the Technical Training Acceptance Board, and the senior enlisted leader chairs the Air Force’s EOD training working group. As Demers noted, “Those positions have tie-ins to intel and the strategic direction of EOD…they’ll be able to adapt more quickly to growing or changing threats and update curriculum sooner, quicker, better.”
This new structure elevates readiness by better preparing Airmen to meet the hazards that define both today’s missions and the ones rapidly approaching. “Even if [the squadron] saves one life by being able to more quickly train to a growing threat or concern, I think that would be worth it,” Demers said.
Chief Master Sgt. Robert Shuman, the squadron’s senior enlisted leader, emphasized that the activation also represents more than an organizational restructuring. “Today isn’t just about manpower changes or the unfurling of a new guidon,” he stated. “It's about unity and effectiveness. Unity of command, unity of effort, and unity of purpose.” By bringing instructors, students, and leaders under one roof, the new squadron structure strengthens the tight-knit community that has long been a hallmark of Air Force EOD. “It will make us stronger, more agile, and more lethal in the future.”
Throughout the ceremony, leaders, including Shuman, highlighted the historic significance of establishing a dedicated EOD training squadron. Official orders were read activating the 360th EOD Training Squadron at Eglin AFB. The orders also re-aligned the EOD Preliminary Course as a detachment at Sheppard AFB and Methods of Entry as an operating location at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, both under the command of the 360th EOD Training Squadron.
Lt. Col. Jay Marrou, commander of the 360 EOD TRS, reflected on the significance of the moment and the responsibility it carries for the next generation of EOD technicians. “It’s difficult to accurately convey how excited I am for this to happen,” he said, “and even more so how humbling an opportunity it is to be here at this time in the unit’s history.”
As the team looks ahead, Marrou underscored that the squadron’s mission begins immediately. “We’ve got all the tools here to focus in on them every single day,” he said, describing the blend of physical conditioning, academic rigor, and scenario-based training now aligned under one command. “Our job is to build the well-rounded EOD tech who is ready to succeed in that fight.”
As the new flag of the 360th EOD Training Squadron rose, it signaled more than the activation of a unit. It marked the beginning of a new era for Air Force EOD training. With unity of command, unity of effort, and unity of purpose, the squadron carries a renewed responsibility for cultivating the next generation of EOD professionals.
| Date Taken: | 01.12.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 01.12.2026 10:14 |
| Story ID: | 556047 |
| Location: | FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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