The A 12 Civil Engineering squadron
explosive ordinance disposal flight
travels to Fort Irwin for a 96 hour
exercise in the austere training
environment known as the box . The
primary aim of these exercises was to
expose the EOD team to multiple levels
of stress so that if we have a problem ,
we have logistical issues , our guys
have to solve them themselves . So
that's the advantage really of training
out here is we are on our own and they
really felt they really felt that this
week
while the EOD training planners
scattered dozens of scenarios
throughout the National Training Center .
It was the box's challenging terrain
that maximized the value the team got
from the four days of training . Most
of the exercises were relatively small
and designed to test just one or two
specific EOD skills at a time . On the
final day . A dynamic event tied it all
together . The scenario in that one was
basically the team leader was called to
investigate a weapon cash . And on the
investigation , they set off a trip
wire , they were critically injured and
then their team members were suddenly
put into the position of team leaders .
Then they had to call in and a real
life nine line to the helicopter dust
off at Fort Irwin . See the helicopter
come down , they had to interact with
the pilot en route . We usually get
some sort of uh patient update kind of
figuring out what's going on with them
today . It was a arm and left leg
amputation . So what I'm thinking when
I see something like that is
immediately they're probably gonna need
blood products . So I would , would
notify our local hospital . Let him
know . Hey , I have this dude , he's
probably gonna need blood . Keep your
team alive . Keep yourself alive .
You're still in the danger zone or the
X as we call it and then , you know ,
stop the bleeding , take care of them ,
stabilize them enough to get them to
better care .