By Capt. Timothy Perez
380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA (AMCNS) -- Four members of the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordinance disposal flight here recently returned from Talil Air Base, Iraq, where they assisted in identifying and destroying abandoned and captured Iraqi munitions.

The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing began sending EOD troops to assist in Iraq at Kirkuk Air Base during Air Expeditionary Force Blue.

"Our continued support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on the ground is just as important as our flying is to mission success," said Col. Patrick Sheets, 380th AEW commander.

Each crew consisted of two airmen. Master Sgt. John Ford and Airman 1st Class Steven Stone arrived Jan .14, and remained until Jan. 31. Staff Sgt. Joshua Mal and Airman 1st Class Delbert Guile followed on Jan. 31. All four are airmen are from the 437th Civil Engineer Squadron at Charleston AFB, S.C.

"Our objective was to provide assistance and technical support to both U.S. Air Force EOD and Italian EOD troops already in place," said Sergeant Ford, EOD flight chief.

According to Sergeant Ford, the Italian EOD team led the way outside of the air base perimeter, and the U.S. Air Force was responsible for all EOD operations inside the perimeter.

"The Italians were great," said Sergeant Ford. "We worked together to complement each other."

During his and Airman Stone's trip, the Italians were clearing a large bomb dump about 10 kilometers outside the air base near the town of Al Nasiriya. They were also clearing an area near a main supply route that ran through the area.

"It was nicknamed Girabladi, and it was about two square kilometers," said Airman Stone. "The Iraqi's had tried to use it to destroy many different kinds of munitions, but they had not done a very good job of it. Everything was scattered about in the open and by the road. Anyone could have come by and picked it up, or accidentally set it off," he said.

Working long hours and long days, Sergeant Ford and Airman Stone were able to help clear more than 110,000 rounds of ordinance.

Sergeant Mal and Airman Guile worked mainly on the air base itself during their trip.

"We were responsible for clearing all the roads 50 feet in each direction," said Sergeant Mal. "The primary danger was submunitions, and the smaller they are the more sensitive they are."

Submunitions consist of anti-tank or personnel bombletts, rockets, fragmentation bombs and fuses.

According to Airman Guile, submunitions have to be treated differently than large bombs as they are more likely to detonate because of mishandling.

"We had to do what is called a 'render safe procedure' and handle each one individually, where as in a bomb dump you gather everything together in one place and blow it up," he said.

Sergeant Mal said this was experience was great.

"Most of our comrades have never performed an actual render safe procedure. Now we will be able to lend our experience to help others prepare for what they may face on deployments," he said.

Sergeant Ford said he is proud of what his team has accomplished.

"This was the youngest crew I have ever brought on a deployment," he said. "They now have experiences some 15- or 20-year NCOs have never had, and they will use that to lead in the future.