Experience, unity, family keeps EOD civilian a part of Team Seymour

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Aubrey White
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  For the past 24 years, one member of Team Seymour has served the Air Force in the explosive ordnance disposal career field as both an Airman and now a civilian.

Retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Michelle Barefield, 4th Civil Engineer Squadron EOD resources contractor, began her journey in this perilous occupation in 1989 when she worked at a car dealership and thought she needed a change.

"Everybody's story starts differently; why they came into the military and why specifically they chose Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)," Barefield said. "The longer you're in EOD you realize every tech's story (is similar). Everybody thinks it's the best job you could possibly have and you make lifelong friends, even after you've retired."

Initially, a hopeful Barefield wanted to work in the medical career field because her mother, father and sister were all Air Force medics, but she was told by her recruiter the wait for a medical job would be more than a year. Instead of waiting it out, she decided to take a chance which she soon realized proved more than worth the risk.

"Some people know exactly what EOD is and they volunteer for it up front; that's the only thing they want to do. I had no idea what it was," Barefield explained. "(The recruiter) said, 'Well if you want to go in right away you can do this job.' I really had no idea what (EOD) was about, but I said 'Yes.' It was probably one of the best decisions I've ever made."

According to airforce.com, EOD specialists employ tools like C4 explosives and robots, as well as classified techniques to dispose of explosives whether they are decommissioned missiles on base or roadside bombs in the field. This is a dangerous job which requires a great deal of knowledge and exacting attention to detail, but it's also an incredibly important one that only the best of the best can accomplish.

Barefield immediately went off to basic military training, then to EOD technical school in Indian Head, Md., where she encountered the unknown head-on.

Facing a high failure-rate in a male-dominant occupation, Barefield said the preliminary course was tough at first but she reassured herself and continued on.

"The more I got into it and the more I found out what I was going to be doing, I thought it sounded fun and challenging," she said. "I (never had to repeat the course). I embraced it and I loved it. We still have pretty high percentages that don't make it through school, and it was the same when I was going through, so I was pretty proud."

After finishing the first phase of training in Maryland, Barefield successfully completed the second phase at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. and received an assignment to Japan. Without much concern for where she would be stationed, she agreed to switch orders with a fellow graduate who didn't want to go to Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. Once again taking a risk with her career, it soon became apparent to Barefield she made the right decision.

"It's a good thing we (switched) because that's where I met my husband (Jeff Barefield)," she said. "We got married there and we've been married ever since."

The newlyweds spent a year in Korea before receiving a joint-spouse assignment to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.; a place they still call home today.

Barefield and her husband were shortly greeted in North Carolina by a wave of EOD technicians heading off to serve in Iraq.

Although she already spent a year in Korea working as an EOD technician, Barefield was inexperienced in her new position running the logistics portion of her unit. Luckily, she said, her husband was there to help her along the way.

"In the beginning, Jeff was one of my mentors." she said. "When we first came here, everything I learned about EOD logistics, my husband taught me because he worked in logistics in Korea. I would always ask him questions and he would say 'Why don't you just go figure it out on your own and if you can't, then come back, ask me and I'll help you.'"

Her determination, along with advice from her husband, helped her persevere for nearly a year while the rest of her unit was deployed.

After having the opportunity to become well-versed in EOD logistics, Barefield deployed in support of multiple contingency operations in Iraq, Former Republic of Yugoslavia and Southwest Asia over a 10-year time period.

Within days of arriving in Iraq, she and her EOD unit were tasked to dispose of an improvised explosive device (IED), which ultimately killed one of her teammates and injured another. As a technical sergeant, she took charge of the scene and provided first aid to the injured Airman, however, that tragedy was only the first in a series of misfortunes.

While enroute to another reported IED, her team was targeted and several vehicles hit IEDs. Barefield quickly leapt into action, ensuring the safety of her colleagues and helping recover wounded personnel from the remains of burning vehicles.

On another day, insurgents attacked the team using small arms fire and once again, Barefield selflessly put her fellow EOD members before herself and returned fire. Her actions permitted the others to return to the safety of their armored vehicle.

"Everything I learned in my career was useful in those situations," Barefield said during a 2007 interview with Air Force News. "I was one of the lucky ones, I came out unscathed. The training ... regardless of what you think of training in peacetime at home station ... can apply when you are put in a situation like that."

Barefield was awarded the Bronze Star for her actions in Iraq.

"When I came back from Iraq, I was invited to attend the State of the Union Address with President Bush, so that was really one of (my career) highlights," she said. "I also received (an immediate) promotion to master sergeant (under the Stripes for Exceptional Performers program). That was pretty amazing."

Though all of her achievements and accolades certainly stand out when reminiscing about her career, Barefield affirms that the companionship which grew between her and other members of the EOD career field is something she holds close to her heart still today.

"The camaraderie and closeness of the unit make the job that much better, and it crosses services," Barefield said. "You hope to run into (fellow EOD technicians) again on a deployment, on a secret service mission or somewhere down the road."

Because she has served at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base for the past 24 years, Barefield, her husband and two daughters have called base personnel and the surrounding community family. She also hopes to have a spot in the 4th CES EOD flight for years to come.

"All the experiences I've been through made me into the person I am today," she said. "It was a great 20 years (as an Airman) and hopefully I'll have 20 more great years as an EOD contractor."