MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. -- The 452 CES/EOD conducted a training exercise here Jan. 27 to practice emergency response to threats from improvised explosive devices (IED). Last week's training wraps up the unit's annual tour.
EOD spent its first week at Camp Roberts near Pasa Robles, Calif, according to Senior Master Sgt. Dale Griffin, 452 CES/EOD flight chief.
"They went on the impact range and swept for dead ordnance, dead rounds, then, they blew them up and disposed of them," said SMSgt. Griffin.
The scenario simulated being deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan where EOD received a call that an IED was discovered.
A team of three - a team chief, a driver and a robot operator - responded to the call. EOD uses two robots: the HD-1, nicknamed "Wall-E," and the larger FS, which the unit nicknamed "Johnny 5," after the robot in the movie "Short Circuit." The robots are designed to disarm and destroy IEDs.
Once the team was on the scene, they conducted a security check of the surrounding area and prepared to deploy the HD-1.
"The operator runs the robotic device," said SMSgt. Griffin. "It's set up to manipulate items, move items and deliver charges. That way, any work we do on devices that we don't know what they're made of, we can work on remotely.
"It has three cameras so we can zoom in on things and it's got a gripper on the end of it, so we can perform some of our work from a safe distance."
After HD-1 had surveyed the scene, Tech. Sgt. Chris Campbell donned the 55-pound "EOD-8" suit, which provides protection in the event the IED detonates. Two people are needed to help TSgt. Campbell put it on.
EOD's goal is to disengage the device, yet preserve the components as evidence for the Weapons Intelligence team, who uses it to profile the enemy.
SMSgt. Griffin said that EOD uses a variety of techniques besides the HD-1. The key is to stay unpredictable. The success of their work depends on their ability to adapt to different situations and switch up their procedures, he said.
"EOD training consists of IED, conventional ordnance, chemical ordnance and aircraft emergency training," said SMSgt. Griffin.
"EOD also provides mission assistance to the Secret Service for VIPs, serves as technical advisors of military ordnance to the local sheriff's departments and engages in training with them," he said.
"In our field, you can say you can never get too much training. Not enough can get yourself and possibly others killed."