NAVAL AIR STATION FORT WORTH JOINT RESERVE BASE, Texas -- They are ready 24 hours a day.
To be ready at a moment’s notice, 301st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight technicians must maintain and improve their skills. To do so, they train in conditions similar to what they might face in a real-world situation.
One such training opportunity was Raven’s Challenge X April 18-22 at Fort Wolters, Texas.
Raven's Challenge is a series of interoperability exercises that are designed to give military EOD technicians and public safety bomb squads the opportunity to merge their resources and perform counter improvised explosive device operations together in a realistic environment.
This annual exercise, which began in 2004 run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives National Center for Explosives Training and Research along with military components and civilian agencies, has increased. With more than 1,000 participants, it is now the world's largest exercise of its kind.
This year, the exercise will occur in four locations over a span of approximately two months, with the first one at Fort Wolters.
Tech. Sgt. Joseph Lagrone, 301 EOD technician who is in charge of training for the unit and participated as an exercise controller, explained the importance of this kind of training.
“For these guys to get this kind of training is invaluable,” he said. “To work with public safety bomb squad guys and see the different tactics they bring to the table…it’s invaluable.”
Types of scenarios EOD technicians encountered include a civilian bus with passengers on board with a device strapped to one of them, a vehicle-borne IED situation, and cabin with an IED in it, among others.
The newest Airman to the unit, Senior Airman Ryan Wilson, an EOD apprentice, participated in the exercise with a team comprised of 301 EOD and Army technicians.
“It’s a lot different training than we usually get, because we have more resources convening in one place and time,” Wilson said. “It [the exercise] puts out new crises scenarios that we haven’t run across yet.”
When a real-world situation occurs, the 301 EOD, which area of responsibility covers 62,000 Texas square miles, may need to collaborate with other agencies, such as a local bomb squad or the Federal Bureau of Investigation, depending on the situation.
“They see out of country, we see in country,” Ricky Hendrix from the Plano Police Department Bomb Squad said.” Communications have changed over the years where it is just an internet site away from seeing people build things here the military has seen out of country, so it [collaboration] is critical for us.”
Lilla Pistorio, a management and program analyst for the FBI critical incident response group counter-IED section, shared what it’s like to work a crises in a joint environment.
When an incident happens, FBI phones ring off the hook from bomb technicians wondering what they are looking for, Pistorio said. By focusing on the components, tactics, techniques, and procedures the enemy is employing, the bureau is striking a really good balance of sharing needed information.
With government agencies, local bomb squads, and military personnel from multiple branches training and collaborating together, Raven’s Challenge X provides an avenue to increase the level of preparedness of all involved.
Whether it’s training or in a real-world situation, 301 EOD personnel stand ready to answer the call of their country - day or night.