Peterson EOD trains for real world scenarios

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Dennis Hoffman
  • 21st Space Wing Public Affairs
It wasn’t even 9 a.m. and the outside temperature was already reaching the mid 90’s. Apparently it was a perfect day to do some training.

Now all that is left to do is make sure the oxygen tanks are full, the masks are fitted tightly around faces and then don full chemical suits locking in all the good heat.

While most were housed in the comfort of their buildings’ air conditioning, the 21st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight executed a training exercise at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., June 24, 2016.

“Today was a deployed chemical operation using the current intelligence we have of known terrorist groups,” said Staff Sgt. David Hartman, 21st EOD journeyman. “We ran a scenario based off of tactics, techniques and procedures they are using and enacted our own TTPs on how we would take care of the issue.”

Outfitted in bright-green chemical suits not stereotypically associated with the career field, the EOD team began disposing of the explosive ordnance.

“Our main goal when dealing with a chemical ordnance is stopping the spread of contamination and then getting rid of problem,” said Hartman. “There is a lot more to our job than just wearing the bomb suit. Sometimes we will have to dress out in a level A or B suit to protect ourselves from chemical splashes or persistent agents.”

From chem suits to bomb suits, EOD is often times under many stressors. Outside of racing the clock to quickly dispose of the ordnance, heat was the primary discomfort the team faced during the training scenario.

“There is a big difference between being in the level A suit versus the bomb suit,” said Hartman. “With the bomb suit there is a weight factor, and the level A suit has a heat factor -- it’s basically a really thick trash bag. It doesn’t breathe and it doesn’t let anything in or out. You are just sitting in your own sweat.”

Despite the heat, the 21st EOD Flight was successful in effectively disposing of the chemical ordnance involved in their exercise.

“My team was on it,” said Hartman. “I’m new to team leading, so I lean heavily on my guys so I can think about the next couple steps down the road and get everything in place. The training went really well.”

As for the future, EOD plans to continue to make their training a priority for the every growing threats abroad.

“Training, to us, is number one here,” said Hartman. “If we are not training we are not preparing for that next event that could possibly kick off and so we run as many trainings as possible with our schedule.”