EOD Airmen play key role in Balad mission

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Ryan Hansen
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  When the command post announces “Attention on the net, this is Panther, alarm red is in effect,” Airmen here don their protective gear and take cover. The base is under attack.

Airmen of the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal flight work to quickly get the mission back on track.

Once alarm red is called, the EOD Airmen must respond to the point of impact to see if the munition detonated or if it needs to be disarmed or destroyed.

“We get to do here what we’ve actually been trained to do,” said Chief Master Sgt. Mike Bernard, EOD flight chief, who is deployed from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. “From rocket attacks, to mortar attacks, to roadside (improvised explosive devices), to vehicle-born IEDs, that’s what we get here.”

Because of the base’s location in the Sunni triangle, this makes the EOD troops some of the busiest on base, officials said.

“We do a lot of stuff here that a lot of EOD people don’t get the chance to do,” said Master Sgt. Justin Anderson, the flight’s chief of flight operations, who is deployed from Hurlburt Field, Fla. “We get a lot of business here.”

Not only do the Airmen respond to on-base attacks, they also work with Soldiers to go off the base.

“You get a great feeling going ‘outside the wire’ rendering (harmless) extremely dangerous items that were designed to kill or hurt coalition forces and the locals,” Sergeant Anderson said. “After we’ve safely removed those hazards, we know that we’ve saved lives.”

It is this opportunity to help others that draws many of the EOD technicians into the career field.

“I think that’s why each one of us joined this job,” said Senior Airman Ryan McClary, an EOD technician deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga. “What we do on a daily basis is help everyone around us.”

“We went out on a call one time where a rocket was launched towards the base but came up short and landed in an Iraqi’s backyard,” said Senior Airman Melanie Russian, an EOD technician also deployed from Moody. “We were able to (take care of it), and it was a great feeling knowing that we were there to help.”

Not only are the EOD technicians helping base personnel and the locals, but also the junior ranking technicians are gaining experience that will help them the rest of their careers.

“With the type of experience they are getting here, no amount of training could give them that,” Chief Bernard said. “We’re creating some of the best EOD techs in the world, and that will serve the Air Force well for years to come.”

Regardless of military service, all EOD technicians attend the same school. That background helps them when they are working in a joint environment here.

Often Soldiers will call in Airmen and vice versa when dealing with an IED or unexploded ordnance.

“It’s a great joint relationship because maybe they have some experiences that we don’t have,” said Army Staff Sgt. Brian Bradley, an EOD technician.

“Even though we all come from the same lineage, we all bring a little something different to the job,” Sergeant Anderson said. “But, EOD techs are a tight-knit group.”

So as the call goes out, “Attention on the net, this is Panther, all clear, all clear, all clear,” and the mission carries on, people here know EOD Airmen have done their job, and done it well.

“This is what we live for,” Chief Bernard said. “It doesn’t get much better than this right here.”