JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Purple clouds of smoke twisted and swirled through the air on the east side of Joint Base Andrews, April 17. Intermittent explosions could be heard echoing off nearby buildings.
Though those near by may have wondered what the commotion was, 11th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians were busy training members of District of Columbia Air National Guard's 113th Wing on the use of M18 smoke grenades as well as ground burst and booby-trap simulators.
"We're often associated with the people who come out during suspicious package incidents," said Senior Airman Brian Mink, 11th CES EOD technician. "But, that takes up just a small part of what we do."
Training the JBA populous takes up a larger part of their time, with courses that range from unexploded ordnance training to land navigation.
"If units want to take their training to the next level, they often come to us and we will teach them how to use [different explosive devices] and how to stay safe while doing so," said Mink.
Airman 1st Class K'Shawn Joseph, 113th Wing Operations Support Flight, was training for a similar reason, but would have an added bonus after attending.
"We came out for annual training," he said. "After we complete this course with EOD, we'll be able to teach and qualify others on what we've learned."
EOD must have a vast amount of knowledge on a plethora of explosive devices in order to train others to use them safely.
The Operations Support Flight isn't the only unit from the 113th that EOD works with. One of their primary missions is acting as the response unit for F-16 Fighting Falcons, the aircraft used by the Air National Guard wing here in defense of the Nation's Capital Region.
With a payload of two 2,000-pound bombs, a 20mm multi-barrel cannon with 500 rounds of ammunition and external stations that can carry up to six missiles and electronic countermeasure pods, the role EOD plays is critical in returning the aircraft to normal operating procedures in the event of an emergency.
According to Mink, the 113th trusts EOD to know how to handle explosives and in turn EOD trusts the 113th to teach them everything they need to know about the aircraft they'll be working around.
"They work with us so that if there is an emergency our turn around is faster and they can get the aircraft back where it needs to be," said Mink.
The training received by the 113th is reciprocated to EOD with their own specialized training.
"Because they handle the birds we'll go to egress classes with their survival guys, receive training from the bomb loaders to understand their procedures, and learn from the crew chiefs about different parts of the aircraft and the best ways to move around it," said Mink.
EOD specialists also employ tools like C4 and robots to dispose of explosives, whether they are decommissioned missiles on base, or roadside bombs in deployed locations.