The 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel at Balad AB, Iraq, are performing an on-base mission and an off-base mission, reports Air Force journalist Maj. Richard Sater. On base, they respond to unexploded ordnance on the flightline, perform damage assessments and everything else usually associated with a “traditional” EOD. The off base mission has airmen standing in for soldiers for such tasks as responding to a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device on a main supply route or clearing roads for safe traffic. Oddly, the 332nd’s EOD flight works directly for a Navy unit, which in turn reports to an Army task force.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
