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Fire in the hole!

  • Published
  • By Airman Crystal Charriere
  • 419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  Explosives, robots and classified missions: that's the "down and dirty" job description of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team in the 419th Fighter Wing. The EOD team's priority is to remove and dispose of explosives in a safe, environmentally friendly matter. Their job can take them around the globe, including Washington, D.C. to work with the Secret Service.

Recently, two volunteer reservists in the 419th went on assignment to do just that. They flew to D.C. for a week, with a mission to ensure the safety of several foreign dignitaries.

"I went because it was educational in terms of my career," said Senior Airman Michael Kupari, who has only been an EOD technician since 2010. "Supporting the Secret Service is part of the EOD's mission. EOD is always available, and we're always able to do the mission, so we're always called."

Schooling for their job can take them as close as Texas and as far away as Korea. EOD specialists can spend up to two years in training, and the dropout rate for EOD school is roughly 50 percent, according to Master Sgt. Eric Eberhard, 419th Explosive Ordnance Disposal. But their training doesn't stop after school.

"There are countless kinds of scenarios and equipment and explosives that we may encounter, so there's always something new to learn," Airman Kupari added.

Part of their daily job since 9/11 is to constantly participate in new training courses. There is always new knowledge needed to keep up with the enemy.

"Before 9/11, improvised explosives hadn't been used very much," Airman Kupari said. "When the war began it started to get bad. A lot of EOD techs hadn't had a lot of experience with improvised explosives, and countering them became our primary mission, so our training was adjusted to account for that."

When EOD specialists deploy, they do anything from responding to calls in an armored truck to walking on foot with Marine and Army infantry.

"There are so many things I like about this job," Airman Kupari said. "I wanted a job that wasn't easy and that I didn't know I could do. Plus I get to blow things up."

Airman Kupari said he plans to deploy soon. Many EOD technicians who deploy put themselves in danger to protect others. The Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation provides assistance to EOD technicians who have been wounded on deployment and their families.

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