EOD named Air Force top team of year

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Stephen Delgado
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The Air Force and the Air Force Association named the Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal as team of the year, and the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron EOD Flight shares this award. 

The AFA, in coordination with major command level command chief master sergeants and the Office of the Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force, selects a specific Air Force career field each year for this recognition. 

"The announcement of this award delighted me," said Tech. Sgt. Sean DeVore, 56th CES EOD support NCO in-charge. "It shows people how diversified the Air Force mission is and that we have a mission other than aircraft. We work hard, and it's nice to be appreciated. A lot of what we do is not known." 

Sergeant DeVore has nearly 18 years of experience as an EOD craftsman. 

As with much of the armed forces, deployments are a constant part of the landscape with the EOD Flight.
"We have 43 authorized people, with 10 of them on deployments," Sergeant DeVore said.
EOD is not a field for the squeamish. 

"It is a high-risk job," according to Sergeant DeVore. "Our deployed Airmen in Iraq and Afghanistan have a variety of dangerous tasks. We disarm improvised explosive devices and clear routes for American forces. When an IED explodes, we handle the investigation of the site to get as much evidence as possible and to find out what the IED was made of. We also disarm bombs that don't explode. 

"It is our policy to decrease the risk as much as possible by using remotes first, but every situation is different. We have a three-man team in a deployed location, which consists of a driver, robot operator and a gunner. We don't get the chance to make a mistake." 

Furthermore, EOD has plenty of duties to keep them busy here. 

"One of our primary tasks is to clear the Barry M. Goldwater Range of bombs that don't detonate," he said. "The BDU 33 practice bomb turns into a chunk of metal after being used. We work with the 56th Range Management Office and recycle them. We will have a team of 12 people at the range to perform this task during part of April and most of May and June." 

There are important tasks EOD performs that are vital to the safety of the community at large and that support other agencies. 

"We work closely with local police departments and the Secret Service," Sergeant DeVore said. "EOD provides support for the Fiesta Bowl, and when the Super Bowl was played here last year, we were there to help. Recently, we had personnel go to Los Angeles to support the Secret Service for President Barack Obama's visit." 

Continuous training is the cornerstone of maintaining excellence and safety. 

The initial training after basic training lasts nine to 12 months, he said. The first part of the training is at Lackland AFB, Texas, and then it is on to Eglin AFB, Fla., for the remainder of technical school. The career field has changed dramatically since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. 

"We are much busier now and as a result, we're constantly training because of all the new challenges," he said. "We have a minimum of 16 hours of training a week. 

"The Air Force is pulling as many missions as the Army. A lot of people don't realize that we are performing these types of tasks. Operational risk management is vital to accomplishing our mission. We live by it." 

When the Air Force and AFA made the announcement of this award, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney McKinley had the following comments. 

"Every Airman can be proud of our fellow warriors in the EOD community and the tremendous job they are doing around the globe," he said. "Their dedication, skill and determination are securing and protecting the lives of fellow Airmen, Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and Coalition forces every day."