While they are EOD, these guys aren’t training for dive school. No, this is all about water survival and they are using their PT time to focus on a threat that has taken the life of one of their own. Air Force EOD techs don’t attend dive school.
Photo – SSgt Sara Csurilla
Here you can see members of the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron during PT. “We do the pool training because the only Air Force EOD officer to have died in the current conflicts was Capt. Kermit Evans, who passed away when he was forced to bail out from a helicopter over a lake in Iraq,” said Capt. John Fuson, 380th ECES EOD officer in charge. “This just proves that we must be ready for any situation at any time while deployed. In addition to the survival point of the training, pool PT provides an added avenue for fitness and calorie burning.”
EOD techs also conduct CrossFit training in order to maintain top shape for dismounted operations with the US Army. In a DVIDS news article explained, “We do this training because we have to be able to pull our weight, carry our gear and, if necessary, carry a teammate to safety in any situation we may encounter, whether that be rucks on dismounted patrols, water survival, or surviving a blast from an [improvised explosive device]. Mental and physical recovery is significantly more effective when one is physically fit.”
Tags: EOD
That was a tragic accident the saddest part was the Helo landed on the beach after the Capt bailed out of the back. His passing was all on the air crew for making him bail out.