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Explosive ordnance team cleans up range

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman John Gordinier
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Anyone near the Poinsett Electronic Combat Range during certain times of the year may hear C-4 explosives being detonated by the 20th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit.

The EOD unit cleans up the range by picking up fired and faulty ordnance, including dummy bombs and other munitions, placing it in a pile and then using C-4 to destroy them.

EOD's main mission is to protect people, equipment and property from unexploded ordnance, improvised explosive devices and other explosive hazards, said Senior Airman James Knight, 20th CES EOD technician. Another aspect of their mission is to clean up range munitions every 75 days, according to Air Force range policy.

"We do this to make it a safe place for every one and to prevent the range from becoming too cluttered," Airman Knight said.

The main ordnance on the range is BDU-33s, which are practice dummy bombs dropped from aircraft, said Senior Airman Eric Charlton, 20th CES EOD technician. Since it's a practice bomb, it uses a spotting charge instead of explosives. When the BDU hits the ground, a plunger is depressed, which ignites the charge, creating a flash and smoke to show the pilot where the bomb struck.

For a typical range-cleaning day, planning starts earlier in the week, Airman Knight said. The team chief or his representative will survey the range area to determine how much explosives will be needed and how long the job will take depending on the amount of ordnance.

Range-cleaning day usually begins early in the morning just after sunrise. There, they are organized into five-person teams with each team forming a line across the range. From this line, they walk across the range, collecting and inspecting ordnance along the way, Airman Knight said.

"While collecting, we separate the ordnance into scrap and dud piles," Airman Knight said. "The dud piles are taken to our blow pit for destruction. We also add any classified materials and unserviceable munitions that have been given to us as well."

At the blow pit, the ordnance and classified materials are lined up in a formation, he said. The technicians then grab crates of C-4 explosives, piling it on top of the ordnance.

After the C-4 is set in place, a time fuze is cut to about six feet, said Senior Airman Tyler Reiser, 20th CES EOD technician. When the fuze is lit, there is a certain amount of time before the C-4 ignites. A 6-foot fuze gives EOD technicians approximately four minutes to get out of the way before detonation.

EOD technicians are more than a quarter of a mile away when the explosion occurs. Three seconds after that, the blast is heard and the concussion is felt.

After the explosion, what is left of the ordnance is rechecked and separated to be dealt with at a later time, Airman Knight said.

Every time EOD goes to the range it is always a good time to train, whether it is brushing up on procedures or talking about the responsibilities of the range, he said.

There are always new Airmen coming into the EOD shop, Airman Knight said.

After the explosion, new EOD Airmen are drenched with coolers of water and wrestled to the sandy ground by other technicians.

"This is called a 'sugar cookie' and it is an EOD tradition," Airman Charlton said. "We do this to every EOD technician on their first time at the range. It signifies a job well done, 'welcome to the team' and a successful range clearing day."