EOD’s bomb blasters bash

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Stanley Coleman
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, SD --  After days of coordination, an early-morning trip to the disposal range and hours of unloading explosives, loud blasts with dark and white clouds of smoke echoed across the desert sands on the afternoon of Jan. 16 and 17. A lot of work went into those few seconds of big bang excitement.

The disposal operation: “Bomb Blasters Bash.” The people responsible: the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, the Royal Australian and British Air Forces, Army EOD and various volunteers from the military community in Southwest Asia.

The explosives destroyed included 500-pound bombs, grenades, flares and various munitions and fuzes.

“This was the first ammunition disposal request performed for 2006,” said Tech. Sgt. Anthony Blackmon, 379th ECES EOD Flight NCO in charge, deployed from Ellsworth. “We coordinated with the Army, British and Australians to pull it off.”

“We have a working relationship that includes destruction of expired explosives with the American forces,” said Warrant Officer John Radcliffe, RAAF EOD specialist. “The EOD team here is a good bunch of people.”

An ADR is required when there is an abundance of expired explosives in storage.

All explosives have an expiration date. If any explosive is in storage longer that its shelf life, it’s required to be destroyed.

The explosives are collected and transported to a disposal site where they’re destroyed by explosion.

The preparation for that explosion includes the unpacking of various explosive cartridges, projectiles, fuzes and flares as well as munitions. These items are placed together and covered with C-4 explosives. A charge is set off to destroy the explosives.

More than 30 military members were on hand to unload, unpack and surround the explosives with C-4, a plastic explosive that’s easily moldable to any form. More than 2400 pounds of C-4 was utilized.

“This is a once in a lifetime experience,” said Army Staff Sgt. Beth Bennett, a U.S. Embassy Liaison office administrative assistant and bomb blaster volunteer. “This is something you don’t get a chance to see at home station.”

Preparing explosives for disposal “breaks up the norm,” said RAF Corporal Ken Bibby, weapons technician. “Our primary duty involves storage and preparation for the Tornado fighter aircraft. Hoisting the heavy explosives and expired munitions out of storage is a bit of a spine crusher.”

Safety is the utmost concern. The required environmental conditions include wind conditions of less than 15 knots and the absence of lightning within five nautical miles. Use of cell phones was required to be at a distance of 50 feet or greater because of possible initiation of electrical explosive devices. No smoking was allowed within 100 feet downwind and the preparation of blasting caps was performed by EOD personnel.

Preparation of the blasting cap is the most sensitive part of the operation. Once the C-4 explosive is detonated by the blasting cap, the ammunition is destroyed.

“The amount of explosives determines the withdrawal distance of the team setting up the disposal operation,” said Sergeant Blackmon. “There’s no one set way to execute an ADR. A team chief looks at all of the circumstances and figures out the best way to perform it. We have a lot of flexibility in performing our job. We’re the only career field, depending on the situation, that can deviate from a technical order procedure without a waiver.”

“The exciting aspect of the operation is the power of the explosives and its blast effect,” added Sergeant Blackmon. “It’s an awesome experience to know that you created and unleashed that power.”