Team Little Rock EOD is the bomb!

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jessica Condit
  • 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. --  The ability to neutralize threats and take control of a hazardous situation is the first priority of any military team. From working in a medical clinic to flying in an aircraft, every Airman plays an important role in the impact of the mission encompassing them. The Airmen at the 19th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal team are no strangers to the demands of stressful situations and the critical decision-making skills required to successfully mitigate hazards.

The bomb squad readies for the challenges of their mission by performing critical training scenarios on base in order to be prepared for deployments and emergency calls. During deployment situations, the teams perform the same duties as the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps EOD teams and often fill other services' taskings because the different branches of service cannot always fill them. Performing these tasks during wartime situations, the Air Force EOD teams moved from being typically on-base support to moving outside the wire, excelling rapidly.

Not only do the EOD team members assigned to the 19th CES perform mission-essential operations for Little Rock Air Force Base and in the area of responsibility during deployment operations, the crew also responds to emergency calls from the local community.

"The DOD maintains the responsibility for its munition items from cradle to grave, so when old munitions are discovered it falls on us to ensure that the hazards they pose are mitigated and removed from the civilian community" says Master Sgt. Heath Mooney, 19th CES EOD flight chief.

Being the EOD support for Camp Robinson, Pine Bluff, Fort Chaffee, the 188th at Fort Smith as well as the Memphis National Guard and Columbus AFB, the EOD team does not count on down time.

With a response reach that spans the entire state, explosives dating as far back as the Civil War have been uncovered by the team. These potentially dangerous weapons are often found in housing, construction developments and public areas frequented by people.

"There are times where we've gone out around the state and we've found live items buried in the ground," said Mooney. "Burns Park is a great example. We found a couple of WWI shrapnel rounds. They were live rounds that were so old and deteriorated; we had to blow them up right there in Burns Park."

Team Little Rock's EOD team is together day and night. With a 24/7 on-call status, many long days, and countless deployments together, the members consider each other their family away from family. The time spent together builds lasting bonds. The level of trust and cooperation are essential to the success of any EOD mission.

"I've never seen anything like the caliber and camaraderie of people that do this job," said Mooney. "You literally trust these people with your lives."

With the level of stress associated with the job, the team still manages to make their days eventful, even while sitting at a desk doing paperwork. While the section has rules and checklists like any other unit on base, thinking outside the box in extremely stressful situations is pertinent to being a successful EOD technician, Mooney stressed.

Because of the stressful situations all EOD members face, each Airman is informed that the task of becoming part of the EOD team is voluntary. If at any point an EOD technician does not feel that they can be an effective team member, he or she has the ability to pull their volunteer statement without penalty and join another career field.

"Nobody's here because they have to be, everybody's here because they love this job and that's a testament to it," said Mooney.

Although the stress of the job might seem overwhelming to an outsider looking in, the EOD team collectively set their mentality to become positive with every situation and to make the best of their daily circumstances. Camaraderie is the key to trust and enjoying the time spent with the work family.

"The whole job is fun. It all boils down to teamwork, camaraderie and family. Like any family, we argue like cats and dogs, but that's what family does. By the end of the day, we're brothers and everything is fine," said Mooney.

While the EOD team does not directly affect whether the C-130's land or take off, the support that they provide is more subtle but important none-the-less. Community support is a cornerstone of Team Little Rock. At home, the EOD team supports the community by the work they do by safing and removing potentially dangerous ordnance items that may be found.

"When we go out into the community, we represent the base and that is something we take very seriously," said Mooney. "They don't know the meaning of an occupational badge. They just know the Air Force came out to help. In that respect, we're kind of an ambassador for the base, and we always want to have that positive impact."

The 19th CES EOD team is essential to Team Little Rock. The dedication EOD shows to the community encourages the community support of Little Rock Air Force Base. This dedication was recently recognized when the 19th CES EOD team was selected by AMC as the winner of the SMSgt Gerald J. Stryzak Award for Best EOD Flight.