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WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- From the front lines, explosive ordnance
disposal Airmen have been clearing the way during Operation Iraqi
Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom for the past 12 years,
providing safe passage for all other warriors to follow.
As
of Sept. 3, 2014, Air Force EOD officials reported mission complete
for OEF as the last of six EOD flights left Kandahar, Afghanistan
Sept. 11, 2014 and arrived at the Deployment Transition Center on
Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
U.S. Air Force and Slovakian explosive ordnance disposal personnel unload a trailer and carefully place ordnance for a controlled detonation June 12, 2013, near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, Slovakian and Australian EOD personnel participated in a joint mission to dispose of excess military ordnance. (U.S. Air Force photo
by Senior Airman Scott Saldukas) |
"There's something special about
our EOD Airmen -- day after day, these heroes willingly put their
life on the line to protect others,” said Air Force Chief of Staff
General Mark A. Welsh III. “Many of them paid a great price for that
courage; there's simply no way we can honor them enough. I can't
express how proud I am of these warrior professionals and their
combat record. They make every Airman proud.”
Since EOD
responded to the first explosive incident report for OEF on Sept.
27, 2002, Airmen have completed 19,847 missions, responded to 6,546
improvised explosive devices, conducted 2,665 post blast analyses,
and executed 5,093 unexploded ordnance incident responses.
Additionally, Airmen from Air Force EOD have received more than 100
Purple Hearts for their actions and service in OEF, OIF and
Operation New Dawn.
Air Force EOD Airmen have
completed 55,847 missions and responded to 19,946 IEDs, the number
one killer of U.S. combat troops, while supporting all three
operations during the past 12 years.
Because the deployment
cycle for EOD Airmen was very high paced and grueling, Chief Master
Sgt. Martin Cortez, the career field manager noted that EOD
specialists depended on the support of their families at home.
“Knowing we didn't accomplish this alone, I think about our
families, their sacrifices, keeping the home front going, growing up
with dad or mom (in several cases both) gone on multiple trips to
the AOR (area of responsibility) and the stress they went through,”
Cortez said. “Looking back over the last 12 years, 13 since 9/11, I
am amazed by what our teams have accomplished down range during OIF
and OEF ... it's humbling to be part of such a professional group.”
Air Force EOD is now taking the next step forward to improve on
lessons learned and improve their capabilities, to be ready when
they are called on once again.
“As this chapter ends and a
new one begins, we must reset our force to be ready for the next
call when our capabilities are needed,” said Maj. Joshua Connell,
the Air Force EOD program director. “We will always remember our
sacrifices with reverence, and speak of our successes with pride and
exuberance, so that everyone who hears the stories will remember the
contributions our Airmen have made.”
However, the success of
Air Force EOD has come at a cost, with 20 Air Force EOD Airmen; 12
from OEF and eight from OIF/OND, made the ultimate sacrifice and
will be remembered by their families, the EOD community and the Air
Force until the end of time.
"It is with profound pride that
we express our solidarity with the operators on the ground that
executed those missions and our gratitude for their service," said
Brig. Gen. Timothy S. Green, the Air Force director of civil
engineers. "I will always be saddened by the 20 EOD Airmen that we
lost and will continue to be inspired by the resilience of the many
wounded warriors and their families."
The following are the
list of EOD Airmen who paid the ultimate sacrifice:
OEF
- Tech. Sgt.Phillip Myers deployed from Royal
Air Force Station Lakenheath, England, killed in action April 4,
2009
- Staff Sgt. Brian Berky deployed from Ellsworth Air
Force Base, South Dakota, KIA Sept.12, 2009
- Tech. Sgt.
Anthony Campbell deployed from Scott AFB, Illinois, KIA Dec. 15,
2009
- Tech. Sgt. Adam Ginnet deployed from Aviano AB, Italy,
KIA Jan. 19, 2010
- Senior Airman Michael Buras deployed from
Nellis AFB, Nevada, KIA Sept. 21, 2010
- Senior Airman Daniel
Johnson deployed from Vandenberg AFB, California, KIA Oct. 5, 2010
- Tech. Sgt. Kristoffer Solesbee deployed from Hill AFB, Utah,
KIA May 26, 2011
- Staff Sgt. Joseph Hamski deployed from
Spangdahlem AB, Germany, KIA May 26, 2011
- Tech. Sgt. Daniel
Douville deployed from Eglin AFB, Florida, KIA June 26, 2011
- Tech. Sgt. Matthew Schwartz deployed from F.E. Warren AFB,
Wyoming, KIA January 5, 2012
- Senior Airman Bryan Bell
deployed from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, KIA Jan. 5, 2012
-
Airman 1st Class Matthew Seidler deployed from Peterson AFB,
Colorado, KIA Jan. 5, 2012
OIF/OND
- Tech. Sgt. Walter Moss deployed from
Mountain Home AFB, Idaho KIA March 29, 2006
- Master Sgt.
Brad Clemmons deployed from Eielson AFB, Alaska, KIA Aug. 21, 2006
- Capt. Kermit Evans deployed from Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona,
KIA Dec. 3, 2006
- Tech. Sgt. Timothy Weiner deployed from
Hill AFB, KIA Jan. 7, 2007
- Senior Airman Elizabeth Loncki
deployed from Hill AFB, KIA Jan. 7, 2007
- Senior Airman
Daniel Miller deployed from Hill AFB, KIA Jan. 7, 2007
-
Senior Airman William Newman deployed from Joint Base Pearl
Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, KIA June 7, 2007
- Tech. Sgt. Tony
Capra deployed from Detachment 63, KIA April 9, 2008
By Staff Sgt. Carlin Leslie, Air Force Public Affairs Agency
Air Force News Service
Copyright 2014
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