Don't Bomb the test

12/1/2003 - KUNSAN AIR BASE, South Korea -- Senior Airman Eric Barger (left) and Airman 1st Class Greg Locke stretch while wearing their bomb suits during physical training. Barger and Locke ran 1.5 miles in the 65-pound suits to become more familiar with the limitations of movement while wearing them. Both airmen are assigned to the 8th Civil Engineer Squadron's explosive ordnance disposal flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Cat Trombley)

Disarming munitions

TALLIL AIR BASE, Iraq -- Senior Airman Dustin Heines, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, prepares to disarm an unexploded munition. Heines is assigned to the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's EOD flight, and is deployed from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Chris Stagner)

BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Iraq -- A detonation of seized ordnance and disarmed explosive devices is executed by the 447th Expeditonary Civil Engineering Squadron explosive ordnance disposal technicians here Nov. 15. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Lisa M. Zunzanyika)

BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Iraq -- Master Sgt. Bradley McKinney prepares a detonation site here, where seized ordnance and improvised explosive devices were destroyed, Nov. 15. McKinney is an explosive ordnance disposal technician with the 447th Air Expeditonary Civil Engineer Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Lisa M. Zunzanyika)

2003-11-04

Fire in the hole

KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq -- Staff Sgt. Lonny Ellison (left) and Latvian First Sgt. Renars Vandinskis tape down C-4 plastic explosives that will detonate unexploded ordnance. EOD technicians destroyed 12 Iraqi 107 mm rockets found in downtown Kirkuk on Nov. 4. Such rockets have recently been fired toward military installations in the area. Six Latvian servicemembers are integrated into the 506th Air Expeditionary Group EOD team to form a coalition force tasked with locating and destroying unexploded ordnance. Since July, the team has destroyed more than 3 million pounds of Iraqi ordnance. Vandinskis and Ellison are both EOD technicians with the 506th Civil Engineer Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Alicia M. Sarkkinen)

Fire in the hole

KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq -- Latvian First Sgt. Renars Vandinskis hands Staff Sgt. Lonny Ellison a 107 mm rocket to be destroyed. Explosive ordnance disposal technicians destroyed 12 of the rockets found in downtown Kirkuk on Nov. 4. Such rockets have recently been fired toward military installations in the area. Six Latvian servicemembers are integrated into the 506th Air Expeditionary Group EOD team to form a coalition force tasked with locating and destroying unexploded ordnance. Since July, the team has destroyed more than 3 million pounds of Iraqi ordnance. Vandinskis and Ellison are both EOD technicians with the 506th Civil Engineer Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Alicia M. Sarkkinen)

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Master Sgt. Todd Payne, 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal flight chief, calls into the Kirkuk Air Base air traffic control tower to get clearance to detonate unexploded ordnance. The EOD personnel destroyed 12 107mm rockets found in downtown Kirkuk, Iraq, Nov. 4, 2003. Such rockets have recently been fired toward military installations in the area. (USAF photo by: Airman First Class Alicia M. Sarkkinen)

nonexplosive situation

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Airman 1st Class Daniel Schmidt (right) and Senior Airman Jason Harrison remove a suspicious package from the post office here Oct. 27. The explosive ordnance disposal inspection determined the package contained nothing harmful. Base postal workers are trained to notice and report suspicious packages. Both airmen are assigned to the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron's EOD flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Karen Z. Silcott)

Nonexplosive situation

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Airman 1st Class Daniel Schmidt (right) helps Senior Airman Jason Harrison into his bomb suit before entering the post office here to investigate a package Oct. 27. The explosive ordnance disposal inspection determined the package contained nothing harmful. Base postal workers are trained to notice and report suspicious packages. Both airmen are assigned to the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron's EOD flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt Karen Z. Silcott)

Operation Iraqi Freedom

KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq -- Staff Sgt. James Jay Cook III uses the remote control detonator to set off the explosives Oct. 25. Cook and other 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron explosive ordinance disposal airmen have disposed of more than 1 million pounds of captured emeny munitions here. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Alicia M. Sarkkinen)

EOD eliminates 'explosive' problems

TALLIL AIR BASE, Iraq -- Tech. Sgt. Tom Cowern documents an Iraqi M-73, a 60 mm high-explosive filled mortar before detonation. Cowern is part of the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's explosive ordnance disposal flight here. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Karolina Gmyrek)

EOD eliminates 'explosive' problems

TALLIL AIR BASE, Iraq -- Tech. Sgt. David Featherstun lines up Soviet, O-832 DU, 82 mm, high-explosive filled mortars for demolition. Featherstun is part of the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's explosive ordnance disposal flight here. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Karolina Gmyrek)

 Disposing enemy ordnance

KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq -- Senior Airman Bryan Rodriquez (left) and Airman 1st Class Eric Schmedicke raise a toast to a successful detonation of more than 48,000 pounds of recovered Iraqi munitions at a remote explosive ordnance disposal range near here. Both airmen are assigned to the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's explosive ordnance disposal flight here. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Keith Reed)

 Disposing enemy ordnance

KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq -- Airmen of the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's explosive ordnance disposal flight here add a 500-pound bomb to the pile of mortars, rockets, antiaircraft artillery shells, grenades and other recovered Iraqi weapons to be detonated. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Keith Reed)

Disposing enemy ordnance

KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq -- Staff Sgt. Doug Baker (foreground) and Latvian navy Warrant Officer Guntars Jeromans prepare to destroy more than 180 120 mm mortar rounds. Baker carefully loads PE-4, a British plastic explosive, into a 1,000-pound "dumb bomb" to detonate the load of more than 10,000 pounds of recovered Iraqi ordinance. Baker and Jeromans are both assigned to the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's explosive ordnance disposal flight here. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Keith Reed)

Disposing enemy ordnance

KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq -- Staff Sgt. Doug Baker (foreground) and Latvian navy Warrant Officer Guntars Jeromans prepare to destroy more than 180 120 mm mortar rounds. Baker and Jeromans are both assigned to the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's explosive ordnance disposal flight here. EOD members regularly dispose of more than 10,000 pounds of ordnance twice a week. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Keith Reed)

Torch Warrior Brings AETC Officers to Little Rock

Staff Sgt. Angelia Fogle of the 314th Civil Engineer Squadron explains the capabilities of the explosive ordnance disposal robot to Capt. Erin Brewer of the 41st Flying Training Squadron at Columbus AFB, Miss., during Torch Warrior activities Sept. 18 at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. (U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Jon Quinlan)

Airmen clean up Iraqi stockpile

KIRKUK, Iraq -- Staff Sgt. Justin Alonzo (left) and Master Sgt. Dale Griffin work with explosive ordnance disposal technicians from Latvia to prepare Iraqi high-explosive mortar shells, Bangalore torpedoes and 122 mm surface-to-surface rockets for demolition. Alonzo and Griffin are EOD technicians deployed to nearby Kirkuk Air Base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Maj. Robert Couse-Baker)

 Airmen clean up Iraqi stockpile

KIRKUK, Iraq -- Master Sgts. Dale Griffin (right) and Jerry Dunn remove an Iraqi training mortar from a neighborhood near a former Republican Guard facility here. Griffin and Dunn are explosive ordnance technicians deployed to nearby Kirkuk Air Base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Maj. Robert Couse-Baker)

Airmen clean up Iraqi stockpile

KIRKUK, Iraq -- Master Sgts. Dale Griffin (right) and Jerry Dunn examine Iraqi munitions during a search of a former Republican Guard facility here. The search uncovered both inert and live ordnance, all of which was subsequently removed and destroyed. Griffin and Dunn are explosive ordnance technicians deployed to nearby Kirkuk Air Base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Maj. Robert Couse-Baker)

KIRKUK, Iraq -- Master Sgt. Dale Griffin examines a few of the 621 smoke generators discovered on a former Republican Guard facility here. The devices were removed and destroyed. Griffin is an explosive ordnance technician deployed from March Air Reserve Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo by Maj. Robert Couse-Baker)

CWEAT in the house

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Staff Sgt. Tony Newbern (left) and Master Sgt. Eddy Dominguez find unexploded ordnance imbedded in the roof of a building. Despite the presence of the ordnance at the assessment site, Combined Weapons Effectiveness Assessment Team members continued their evaluation. Newbern and Dominguez are explosive ordnance disposal specialists deployed to Iraq from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Roger Burdette)

Marking the Danger Zone

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Staff Sgt. Tony Newbern marks the location of unexploded ordnance with a yellow ribbon and notes the coordinates using a Global Positioning System receiver. Explosive ordnance disposal specialists traveling with the Combined Weapons Effectiveness Assessment Team in Iraq report ordnance information to an Army team for detonation. Newbern is deployed to Iraq from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Roger Burdette)

Bomb Dump

KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq -- Tech. Sgt. Michael Land of the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron guides a forklift into a demolition pit here June 15. The explosives ordinance team disposed of five separate 1,500 pound-pits by placing approximately 110 pounds of C-4 on each set. The munitions were gathered from around the local area and the base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. James A. Williams)

Bomb Disposer

KIRKUK AIR BASE , Iraq -- Tech. Sgt. Michael Land with the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron stacks munitions for disposal June 15. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. James A. Williams)

Explosive detonation

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM (AFPN) -- Staff Sgt. Neil Jones places C-4 explosives on munitions destined for detonation. Jones is assigned to the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's explosive ordnance disposal team. The team detonated 400 projectiles, marking the first large disposal from Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq. EOD personnel recovered the munitions from various local fighting positions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Jill Whitesell)

Demolition Man

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- Staff Sgt. Will Kellum, 96th Civil Engineer Squadron, Explosive Ordinance Disposal, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., prepares to demolish unexploded ordinance at Baghdad International Airport May 7, 2003. The Baghdad airport is a primary base of operations for U.S. troops, cargo and humanitarian airlift for Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby)

One of 305

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- Members of the 407th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Squadron and Marine Wing Support Squadron 371 from Yuma, Ariz., unload mortar rounds found near an Iraqi school south of An Nasiriyah on May 5. The units found 305 mortar rounds during a sweep. They are deployed to Tallil Air Base in southern Iraq to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Quinton T. Burris)

Quite a cache

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- Members of the 407th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Squadron and Marine Wing Support Squadron 371 from Yuma, Ariz., line up mortar rounds found near an Iraqi school south of An Nasiriyah on May 5. The EOD specialists found 305 mortar rounds during a sweep. They are deployed to Tallil Air Base in southern Iraq to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Quinton T. Burris)

Buried danger

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- Tech. Sgt. Christopher Sheets digs out mortar rounds buried near an Iraqi school south of An Nasiriyah, Iraq. Sheets and other members of the 407th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Squadron joined members of Marine Wing Support Squadron 371 from Yuma, Ariz., for a sweep that found 305 mortar rounds May 5. The units are deployed to Tallil Air Base in southern Iraq to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Quinton T. Burris) Download Full Image | E-mail a friend

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- Senior Airman Ian Garcia takes a break at Bashur Airfield in northern Iraq. Garcia is part of a six-man explosive ordnance disposal team at the base. He said he put up the sign next to a mud hole because he was tired of seeing people walk by frowning, and he wanted them to smile. Garcia is deployed from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Keith Reed)

Joint EOD team

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- U.S. and Royal Air Force Explosive Ordinance Disposal personnel conduct an unexploded ordinance sweep at an undisclosed on April 6. The U.S and Royal Air Force are deployed here in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Quinton T. Burris)

EOD teamwork

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- Marine Corps Master Sgt. Roy Dickison (left) and Staff Sgt. Edward Lockhart and prepare a smokeless powder bag to burn rocket propellant. Both men are explosive ordnance disposal technicians at a forward-deployed location. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Karen J. Tomasik)

Disposing munition

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- Staff Sgt. Ryan Hoffman prepares to dispose of a missile system and unserviceable munitions by using C4 explosive. Hoffman is an explosive ordnance disposal technician with the 386th EOD team at a forward-deployed location. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Karen J. Tomasik)

Careful work

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- Staff Sgt. Edward Lockhart (left) and Senior Airman Nick Last remove rocket propellant for disposal. Both airmen are explosive ordnance disposal technicians with the 386th EOD team at a forward-deployed location. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Karen J. Tomasik)

Danger zone

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- Master Sgt. Joe Cross, Explosives Ordinance Disposal Craftsman, ropes off a safe area far from an uncontrolled natural gas fire in the AR Rumaylah Oil Field in southern Iraq. Cross is with the 384th EOD Flight, Bahrain. Operation Iraqi Freedom is the multinational coalition effort to liberate the Iraqi people, eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and end the regime of Saddam Hussein. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. James P. Johnson)