Airman designs new EOD vehicle

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Ashley Conner
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. (AFPN) --  An Airman here designed an explosive ordnance disposal vehicle that will serve as an Air Force benchmark.

The original design was drawn on the back of a napkin by Staff Sgt. Phillip Hauser with the 22nd Civil Engineer Squadron here and Air Force officials have purchased more than 30 of the $274,000 vehicles.

Sergeant Hauser worked with the vehicle’s manufacturer to ensure the smallest details were in place.

In the old vehicles, “there was never enough room for all the equipment. The new vehicle has much more space for equipment and room to work in,” Sergeant Hauser said.

“It is more efficient and professional,” said Staff Sgt. Jeff Schrader, another squadron EOD technician. “In the past we would show up on the scene in a multipurpose van and our gear was held together with bungee cords and rubber bands. It was like a clown car.”

The 38,000-pound truck runs on an 8cylinder Mercedes-Benz engine and is equipped with doors on either side to allow an EOD robot to exit with ease. The new design also features closed-in quartz lights strategically placed in the side of the vehicle, four halogen lights atop the truck and a light tower that extends 25.

“In the past we would be sitting in the dark in the middle of nowhere with a little (flashlight) trying to see what we were doing,” Sergeant Hauser said. “After 10 years of being an EOD tech, I knew what needed to be changed.”

The truck also is equipped with automatic tire chains, a lined explosive compartment as well as TV and infrared cameras that can project images to screens inside the truck.

Sergeant Hauser said he helped with every detail of the vehicle with insight from the Orlando Bomb Squad.

The bomb squad had a similar vehicle made and, “they were able to give us advice and tell us what worked and what didn’t,” Sergeant Hauser said.