EOD takes break for Safety Day

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Rae Perry
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  Safety within the Air Force community is vital, especially for those that work in explosive environments.

As directed by the Headquarters of the Air Force, the 4th Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) flight here took a step down from normal operations to educate their Airmen about safety both at home and work.

"The first [part of the day] was time for us to focus on explosive safeties, general demolition procedures and storyboards from the area of responsibility," said Capt. Taylor Valentine, 4 CES EOD flight commander. "We review all Air Force scenarios that lead to Airmen being wounded-in-action and killed-in-action which occurred in Afghanistan since the last Safety Day."

It is important for EOD technicians to review the ways in which other Airmen were injured so they can learn how the enemy is operating in order to increase the technicians' battlefield survivability while on future deployments.

EOD Airmen train and deploy for six months and return home for six months which means they have little time at home to spend with their families, so the second phase of the day covered resiliency.

"After a shop lunch, which the majority of the military members' spouses attended, we had several visitors come to speak with us about resiliency," Valentine said. "The spouses stayed for this portion of the day as they are all so critical to our mission."

The afternoon included briefings from Military Family Life and Health Consultant, Flight Medicine, The Casualty Assistance and Care Consultant as well as Mental Health to discuss traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"The briefings that were held on this year's EOD safety day reassured my wife that in any situation (deployed or not) she never has to deal with any major problems alone" Airman 1st Class Graham Speight, 4 CES EOD technician, said. "The Airman and Family Readiness Center briefing was the most beneficial to us. Being new to the Air Force, this briefing showed my wife and I different options and resources that are available. My wife's presence in the briefings allowed us to openly discuss the information and ask questions as needed."

EOD Safety Day is a time for the EOD career field to step back from the dangerous mission it is tasked with and to take a tactical pause to make sure Airmen are still operating by the most efficient and safest means possible.

"It allows EOD [technicians] and loved ones to gain vital information about the different programs that are available on-base in the event of a traumatic event, at home or in the current conflicts," Valentine said.

Next year, instead of holding the annual EOD Safety Day during the month of November, it will be extended to a week-long event in coordination with the Department of Defense EOD that happens in May.