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Gen. Mike Minihan, Commander of Air Mobility Command, visits the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station June 8, 2024.

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EOD conducts equipment familiarization training

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Andrew Caya
  • 914th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. --  The recently stood up 914th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight underwent some initial training during this month's Unit Training Assembly here at Niagara.

Master Sgt. Keith Hartloff, 914th EOD flight chief, conducted the training with one of the flight's newly assigned reservists, Senior Airman William Staley.

Currently waiting for the date when he can go to his technical training school, Airman Staley, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantryman and mortarman, was put through some rigorous training by Sergeant Hartloff .

The Airman was shown how to don the 80-pound protective suit that EOD service members wear and was taught on how it will protect him when needed.

The protective suit is made out of kevlar and ceramic plate as well as nomex, and it will protect the wearer from the heat of an explosion, fragments and the concussion of the blast,, said Sergeant Hartloff. It also has a back protector so the wearer's spine and back won't bear the brunt of the suit's weight if thrown from an explosion.

If the suit mask fogs up, that could mean trouble for the EOD Airman. To combat this problem, the suit also comes with an air hose that attaches to the helmet and runs down the back to bring air inside the helmet for the EOD technician.

While encased in so much protection, hearing orders and commands from the flight chief may seem tough, however the helmet comes with a radio amplifier.
Because the controls for both the air intake and radio for the helmet are attached on the technician's hip, they can be easily controlled by the technician, making the suit less stressful to wear.

On some missions, when the threat of human life or limb is imminent, having an EOD technician walk into a lethal zone is not feasible. This is when the Airmen of EOD use a robot in their stead.

The U.S. military uses several different robots to complete the EOD mission and according to the Niagara EOD flight chief, the base is looking to acquire a few more of these life-saving machines in the future.

While in the suit, Airman Staley also had to utilize a remote controlled robot for an extended amount of training.

"Staley is doing really well with the training for only using the equipment one day," said Sergeant Hartloff. Hartloff has deployed six times to southwest Asia and has had to work with many different robotic platforms of the EOD mission.
The 914th Civil Engineering Commander Lt. Col. Gerald Hromowyk stated that the Niagara EOD Airmen will help augment their active duty counterparts in a high operations tempo career field. "Active duty is pretty taxed with deployments," he said.

In addition to alleviating their over-stretched active duty counterparts, the 914th EOD flight is committed to supporting Western New York by offering its personnel and expertise to the local community when needed, said Sergeant Hartloff.

In order to become an EOD technician, Airmen must attend approximately 27 weeks of technical training at Eglin Air Force base, FL.

Airman Staley took all of the weekend training in stride and is looking forward to his time as an EOD Airman. "I can't wait to blow some stuff up!" he said with a laugh.
According to airforce.com, after their technical training, EOD technicians safely handle live explosives on a daily basis. The profession is varied in mission and scope. EOD work begins in dangerous situations and ends in producing safe solutions.

Technicians apply classified techniques and special procedures to lessen or totally remove the hazards created by the presence of unexploded ordnance. EOD Airmen detect, identify, render safe, recover and dispose of United States and foreign explosives and ordnance that are unsafe. This includes conventional military ordnance; criminal and terrorist homemade items; and chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.

In order to complete the EOD mission safely and completely, recruiters are looking for a certain type of personnel for this career field.

"It's a tough job and we need the right people dedicated to the mission," said 914th Airlift Wing Line Recruiter Tech. Sgt. Jacob Miller. "The people we recruit for this job need to be spot on with discipline."

For Airmen interested in the EOD career field, contact 914th Airlift Wing Recruiting at 716-236-2207.