PATRICK SPACE FORCE BASE, Fla. — U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians trained for explosive clearance operations designed to support remote airfield operations during island hopping missions against a near-peer adversary.
Army EOD technicians from the 38th Ordnance Company (EOD) trained with EOD Airmen during Joint Operation Island Hopper on Patrick Space Force Base in Florida.
The joint service EOD airfield clearance operations training supports the U.S. Air Force strategy of agile combat employment by enabling air operations from smaller, dispersed and remote island airfields in a fight against a near-peer adversary.
During the training, the EOD teams supported a joint task force with the mission of reclaiming the fictional Malabar Atoll Airfield from enemy forces to gain further operational access.
The training was conducted with live explosives on Patrick Space Force Base at the Malabar Training Annex. The area was closed and solely reserved for the EOD training.
The Army and Air Force EOD technicians cleared all explosive hazards from the airfield’s critical infrastructure and gathered technical intelligence during the 48-hour training operation.
Due to the expeditionary conditions of the mission, the teams had limited logistical support.
Sgt. 1st Class Edwin G. Vazquez from the 38th EOD Company said the training will make both the Army and Air Force EOD techs more capable of enabling joint service combat operations.
“The exercise allowed both Soldiers and Airmen to share knowledge and experience in a modernized training scenario. Both components gained a critical insight into the operational capabilities of the other branch while gaining constructive criticism on their own tactics, techniques and procedures,” said Vazquez.
Originally from Phenix City, Alabama, Vazquez has served in the Army for 12 years and he earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama.
The Fort Stewart, Georgia-based 38th EOD Company “Bangers” are part of the 184th EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group and 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. military’s premier all hazards command.
From 19 bases in 16 states, Soldiers and Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command take on the world’s most dangerous operations in support of joint, interagency and allied operations.
The Air Force EOD technicians came from the EOD flight in the 23rd Civil Engineering Squadron (CES) on Moody Air Force Base, Georgia; the EOD Flight from the 6th CES at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; the EOD flight on Homestead Air Force Base, Florida; and EOD Flight from 45th CES on Patrick Space Force Base, Florida.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Samuel T. Johnson, the 2nd Platoon leader from the 38th EOD Company, said joint training helped the EOD techs to hone their lifesaving and mission-enabling skills.
“Joint service training is essential to the EOD field. Being afforded the opportunity to train and work alongside other branches is a key factor in identifying shortfalls in current capabilities of each branch of service,” said Johnson, a native of Glendale, California, who earned his bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology from the University of California-Santa Barbara.
“As we move into a new generation of warfare, being inclusive with the other branches will broaden the capabilities of all services,” said Johnson.
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