Real-time information crucial to EOD mission

  • Published
  • By Teresa Walker
  • 56th Range Management Office
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Real time information is crucial if you're responsible for clearing Improvised Explosive Devices in Iraq. Tactics, techniques, and technology constantly change in that fluid environment.

The primary mission for the explosive ordnance disposal specialists assigned here is to clear the Barry M. Goldwater Range of training munitions. In addition to that, according to Master Sgt. Scott Jones, 944th Fighter Wing EOD program manager, an estimated 80 percent of the 42 active duty and 16 reservists assigned here have been deployed to Iraq so far. Each of them had new information to bring back to the EOD community about how the enemy operated and new IED methods being used against coalition members.

"Here in the United States, we follow a certain procedure when encountering an explosive device," Sergeant Jones said. "We work with the Phoenix Police Department for example, and they secure the area and nobody comes in. We've got that control. But over there (Iraq), you can go into a town, and there's people standing around with cameras in their hands, using cell phones, you don't know who the bomber is; we don't have the ability to control that scenario like we do here in the states."

A-T Solutions, Inc. provides anti-terrorism training based on real-time information about the IEDs being used in Iraq. A team of instructors spent a week here educating EOD specialists from the 944th and 56th Fighter Wings, Phoenix Police Department, Maricopa County Sheriff's Department, and the Arizona Army National Guard. 

Headquartered in Virginia, with three other offices nationwide, the company instructors are mostly retired military and have backgrounds in explosive ordnance.

"Most of us are retired Navy, I'm the only Air Force guy," said Art Foltz, a master training specialist with A-T Solutions. "The timing was right for us to establish the company. We get real-time updates on what's going on in Iraq. Everything changes so fast over there."

The course is designed to be in depth about electronics and circuitry and it allows EOD specialists to understand an IED through X-ray set up and interpretation, which enhances their capability to disarm the IEDs and save lives. It combines theoretical instruction and practical application of tools and techniques used against IEDs and other terrorist devices.

"What we're learning here are the most recent developments," said  Army Sergeant 1st Class Bradley Murphy, assigned to Camp Navajo Army National Guard Depot. "Some of us have just gotten out of school, but some of us have been out of school for more than 10 years so what we learned then is hardly applicable today. Equipment, tactics, technology have all evolved tremendously."

EOD works and trains every three months with the local bomb squads to keep everyone up to date about any new techniques each has encountered. Because the burden of deployments has mandated the use of reservists, the EOD community has dual members. A member of the police department might also be a member of a reserve unit as well so sharing information and training together has exponential benefits. 

Also, the migration from active duty into the reserves has helped maintain a solid knowledge base about evolving techniques and methods.

Sergeant Jones said that although all four services attend the same school to be trained, when it comes to equipment, the Air Force leadership does a great job taking care of EOD by providing them with the most up-to-date, sophisticated equipment. Some of the other services don't have that advantage.

"Additionally, the biggest and best feature of having the Goldwater Range available as a training area, is that because of it's size, there is no limit to the amount of explosives we can use and the type of training we do," he said.

The Barry M. Goldwater Range is approximately 1.7 million acres located in southwestern Arizona. The Air Force has land management responsibility for one million acres on the eastern portion and the Marine Corps manages 700,000 acres in the western portion.