The Air Force explosive ordnance disposal school at Eglin AFB, Fla., is updating its training program to try to retain more airmen in the process, which has historically weeded out about 75 percent of the classes. The EOD division of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Readiness Directorate is upgrading the curriculum of three of its courses to keep more airmen, by changing what is taught in the Air Force’s preliminary EOD course to better prepare the airmen for the Navy’s course, also at Eglin, which is a requirement for all EOD technicians, according to Air Force Civil Engineering Center officials. Historically, about 125 out of 500 airmen pass the course, but the service needs at least 134 graduates per year, according to a release. The school also is changing the EOD career development course, moving away from written materials and more hands-on training with source references. Airmen will be tested on performance in training scenarios focused on aircraft, unexploded ordnance, improvised explosive device, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear responses. The $3 million makeover of the school will begin with classes in January 2016, according to the release.
Loved Ones Mourn 6 Airmen Killed in KC-135 Crash
March 16, 2026
Tributes to the six crew members that died in the KC-135 Stratotanker crash in Iraq have flooded social media since the Pentagon released their identities March 14. They were the first Airmen to die while supporting Operation Epic Fury against Iran.