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Show - -- November 15. 2001 Ordnance Disposal Flight one 775th CES Explosive Protecting life, property is priority number by Sue Berk Hilltop Times staff Not too many people can say they blow up things and get paid for it. But the statement is true for the 775th Civil Engineer Squadron's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight at Hill AFB. When it comes to explosives, they're the experts, and protecting life and property is priority number one. "We do whatever we can to protect personal property and still get our job done," said Tech. Sgt. Markus Mikulcik, NCOIC of EOD Flight Operations. EOD's job is to identify, render safe, and neutralize explosive hazards that threaten the mission, its resources and its people. Their mission includes conducting clearance operacre Utah Test and Training ations on the nearly research and development, responding to Range, weapons worldwide deployment, of mass rapid destruction, weapons in dignitary protecU.S. Service Secret the supporting tion, and educating the base and civilian populace on the dangers of explosives. The 51 assigned technicians comprise the largest EOD unit in the Air Force. In addition, a munitions, medical technician and administrative specialist is assigned to the flight who directly contribute to its overall success, according to Senior Master Sgt. John Olive, EOD senior manager. """" I Range Mission - "The mission of the Air Force is to fly, fight and win," said Mikulcik. "The best way to train pilots in critical war skills is to use both realistic targets and an abundance of d live ordnance. Our job is to go out there and clear the ordnance items, making the area safe for continued pilot training and refurbishing of destroyed targets." With five major range complexes, more than 650 active targets, and 23,000 annual combat training flights, the range d becomes extremely dangerous due to the volume of ordnance. EOD also performs more than 200 escort missions per year for target maintenance, environmentalists, archeologists, biologists and other groups with a vested interest in the range. The unit also plays a major role in treating missile motors to ensure this nation's compliance with the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. "In the past year, we treated 3.6 million pounds of explosives on the Thermal Treatment Unit, saving the Depart- 'i "j - , i , " " - . "'"IT - j j i- dud-fire- unex-plode- ment of Defense millions of dollars in storage and transportation costs," said Capt. Christine Rilovick, EOD Flight commander. Alert Response Mission - Photos by EOD and Gary Boyle Training Training is key to the success of EOD's mission. Not only do EOD team members receive nine months of initial training, they undergo extensive refresher courses to stay current. In addition, they train others. Improvised Explosive Device awareness training is provided upon request. And, weekly Explosive Ordnance Reconnaissance classes are provided to base personnel Above, a plume of smoke and a fiery flash signal another successful detonation by Hill's EOD squad at the Utah Test and Training Range. A Remo Tech MK 6 robot, left, opens the door to a truck while searching for a fake bomb during a training exercise at Hill. Below, the MK 6 grabs hold of a practice pipe bomb while removing it from a vehicle. Due to recent heightened security measures, people are becoming more aware of their surroundings, causing a large volume of EOD suspicious package calls, both on' and off assigned to mobility positions. "We also go to local schools the installation. call with to one a four and or three brief the younger chilTypically, people respond informaAs chief team as team chief. the dren," Barger said. "We get gathers serving comout a robot, dress a guy up in tion and formulates a plan of attack with the mander, other team members prepare response equipment a bomb suit, and warn them bomb suit, and spe- that playing with that kind of to include such things as a robot, cialized tools "To safely remove the item using the remotest stuff or making their own pipe bombs is dangerous to them as well as us." means," Mikulcik said. "We will use an airman's input as much as a tech sergeant's," The group also takes their expertise out to the community. "We get together with the local bomb squads and law Mikulcik said. "There is no definition of an improvised explosive devise. It's whatever the bomber makes up in his mind. enforcement agencies to train so they know our capability," So we use whatever knowledge we can draw on from the Mikulcik said. Because EOD never knows what they may face, its equipyoungest guy to the oldest. "That's one great thing about our career field," he added. ment list is huge. The $8 million worth includes bomb suits vehi"We are considered the experts as far as explosives are conweighing 70 pounds each, portable cerned and the respect we get feels good." cles, robots, total bomb containment vessel, mine detectors, Since the group's expertise is well known, they are often other specialized tools and even armored personnel carricalled to respond to situations in the local community. "Our ers. And even though their safety record is outstanding, "we're primary job isn't to help the local authorities, but when called said. Mikulcik we without hesitation," respond upon The call to respond comes through the Hill Consolidated Command Post with the 75th Air Base Wing commander making the final decision whether EOD can support the call. Once on scene, EOD and local law enforcement work together to mitigate the potential hazard. "The most important message we would like to get out is first of all, put your name or an identification card on your bags and don't leave them unattended," Mikulcik said. "Even if a bag is forgotten, with a name on it we can make contact with the rightful owner to claim the item and terminate the response." The group also says people shouldn't take matters into their own hands. "We went out on a suspect package call and when we got there, someone had taken matters into his own hands and opened it," said Senior Airman Eric Barger, EOD journeyman. "He could've killed himself leave the package alone." "People should also respect the cordon," Mikulcik said. "It's a huge problem. The cordon is up for a reason. We are only trying to protect people. Safety is always our primary concern." v 'TO For example, recently people were asked to evacuate an area because a robot was removing a suspect package. Instead of leaving, people hid in their cars. The package ended up Above, Senior Airman Stuart Wylie, above, operates the MK 6 by radio robot has a video camera affixed to it that allows being moved near the cars, placing people at risk unneces- remote control. The In to to explosives without Jeopardizing their safeclose operators get sarily. Fortunately, the robot's camera spotted these innoAirman 1st Class Charles Warner puts on the EOD's ty. Right, someone could've been hurt, bomb suit with the cent bystanders. However, help of Wylie. The suit has steel plates In strategic Mikulcik said. locations and an air pump to ventilate the suit. U.S. Secret Service Regularly, EOD supports the Secret Service by searching trying to take more of the human factor out of it with for explosives in areas the president, vice president and robotics," Olive said. other dignitaries visit' Robots can perform many of our most hazardous and senWhen working with the Secret Service, the mission changes. sitive operations, however nothing can ever replace a livUsually when a bomb threat is called in, local law enforce- ing, breathing EOD technician, he said. Now the unit, along ment searches for the item and then calls EOD. In this case, with an Air Force Research Lab is developing a robotic platEOD members initiate the search and if something is found, form that uses Global Positioning Systems to navigate to a local bomb squad is called in to perform render-saf- e and disrupt aerial denial munitions and clear enemy mine pro-- : ' cedures. . fields. ; "We get to do so many neat things, especially with the VIP "We're looking at robotics and how we can use them to missions," Mikulcik said. "You wear a suit and tie, you're do our job more safely," Olive said. "We're also looking at lasers and a several other remote actually attached to the Secret Service, directly responsible for the VIPs safety, and you're treated as such." platforms so an EOD technician won't be needlessly exposed on-sce- y, s, w . - COPY V . . . o in r ;r : : to high-risordnance items. We're posturing for the future and how best to use technology." The flight will soon have help with its many tasks. A 419th Reserve EOD unit recently stood up and have collocated with the EOD Flight. It's a new mission for the command and Air Force, we're excited about the long-terpotential benefits of this program," Olive said. The EOD flight's accomplishments haven't gone unnoticed. They were recently selected for the second consecutive year as winner of Air Force Materiel Command Senior Master Sergeant Gerald J. Stryzak Award for being the best EOD flight in the command. k m |