349th EOD takes honor for second year

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Ellen Hatfield
  • 349th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE,Calif. --  The 349th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight has been named the Air Force Reserve Command Flight of the Year for 2010. This is the second year in a row EOD has won the title.

EOD Airmen perform their duties under the most dangerous conditions to keep deployed troops safe.

These highly skilled technicians deal with manufactured munitions and improvised explosive devices, as well as being experts in handling chemical, biological, incendiary, radiological and nuclear materials.

While deployed 709 man-days last year, the team cleared more than 6,500 kilometers of roadway in Iraq. They performed 72 counter IED combat missions, clearing the kill zones and collecting evidence. They destroyed 1,600 unexploded ordinance and IED components, saving countless lives.

The team also trained the Iraqi Police Counter - IED Division, preparing the way for Iraqi sovereignty.

The flight also led hazardous device countermeasure teams at the Pentagon, ensuring the safety of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and other high-ranking officials. They directed vital support for Air Force One, supported the arrival and departure of 46 foreign heads of state for the Nuclear Security Summit, as well as provided counter IED team leaders for President Barack Obama during the G20 Economic Summit.

1st Lt. Doug Ropel, flight chief, spent more than 200 days at Andrews AFB, leading the EOD flight for active-duty counterparts. Tech. Sgt. Ken Schnorbus to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to help stand up the deployment transition center, a center that provides redeployers who were often exposed to high-intense, high-risk combat zones an opportunity to decompress before going home. A number of the 349th EOD Flight Airmen have received Combat Action Medals. Master Sgt. James Britt also was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions while deployed.

"EOD continues to be one of the most heavily tasked career fields in the Air Force," said Lt. Col. Wayne Williams, 349th Civil Engineer Squadron commander. "As of several months ago, we've lost 14 brave EOD Airmen while supporting deployed operations in Afghanistan and Iraq."

"I always like to brag about my EOD team - they're the best!"