JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Explosive ordnance disposal Airmen conducted training on Joint Base Andrews, Md., June 4, 2015.
EOD's responsibilities include countering improvised explosive devices, dignitary support sweeps, air base recovery, and flightline support for any aircraft carrying munitions that may be damaged.
"The large part of our mission on Andrews is Secret Service support," said Staff Sgt. Luke Mefford, 11th Civil Engineer Squadron EOD training and quality assurance technician. "We actually perform the most Secret Service support missions out of any other EOD unit in the Air Force."
To maintain readiness for both stateside and deployed scenarios, JBA EOD technicians must constantly undergo various forms of training and exercises.
"The biggest challenge that [EOD] has now, is how do we transition from 14 years of wartime to peace?" said Senior Master Sgt. Jeremiah Grisham, 11th CES EOD superintendent. "How do we retain and motivate Airmen that joined to go to war so we don't lose their experience and keep them sharp for the future?"
To keep his Airmen inspired, Grisham searches for specialized training opportunities. These include air assault school, advanced robotics training, mountain warfare classes and other fast-paced wartime exercises EOD Airmen might find interesting.
Mefford and Senior Airman Aaron D'Angelo, 11th Civil Engineer Squadron EOD technician, participated in a short-notice exercise to simulate a possible situation they could face while deployed.
Tech Sgt. Kevin Cummings, 11th CES EOD NCO in charge of training, set the scenario to the technician's disadvantage, burying multiple devices for them to find, and attaching them to pressure plates that could be set off by shifting only a few ounces of weight on the device.
Though their ingenuity was put to the test, Mefford and D'Angelo successfully located, uncovered and disposed of the buried devices.
Mefford credits their success, both during this exercise and in the field, to teamwork and camaraderie.
"The basis of this career field is trust," Mefford said. "If you can't trust the guy next to you, you can't work with him."
D'Angelo mirrors this sentiment.
"You need to be able to notice the tiny, little differences in your teammate's mood or what they're thinking while you're on an operation," D'Angelo said. "Even if they're your team lead, it's your responsibility as a member to make sure they see your point of view before making a final call. If you don't, you could wind up in a situation you don't want to be in."
Having a high degree of knowledge of their coworkers and being in such a close environment fosters camaraderie throughout the career field, Grisham emphasized.
"Friendships and espirit de corps are never something that's difficult to forge in EOD. These guys are like brothers," Grisham said. "Being EOD is about contributing to something larger than yourself and knowing the people on your left and your right are doing the same thing. They'll always be there for you and you'll always be there for them."
Mefford claims his coworkers motivate him to continuously improve.
"If you're not pushing yourself or your teammates to improve, you need to step aside. If we're not pushing ourselves to be better, it causes complacency." Mefford said. "Complacency is what causes people to get hurt and even die."