Accomplishments
EODF
has had numerous opportunities over the years to display the traits
that have made the Air Force the institution it is today.
The flight has never lost a member during the performance of EOD
duties since World War II, in what can be a heart-stopping occupation.
EODF has been around, in one form or another, for a long time,
with personnel reported at several bases during WWII. Of note
was Leading Aircraftman David Moore who re-mustered from cook
to armourer at RAAF Base Pearce and performed EOD tasks in the
Pacific with US forces; he was awarded the US Bronze Star for
his bravery.
This small mustering has had more than its fair share of high
profile tasks in recent years.
EODF deployed a small team to East Timor for duty on Operation
Warden. They were required to provide initial EOD support to the
Air Force contingent.
Tasks carried out by the team included retrieval of WWII munitions
such as 150lb Japanese bombs with high explosive fill intact,
Mk IV British bombs, and Japanese mortars. Several hundred munitions
left behind by Indonesian forces were found buried around Dili,
including hand and rifle grenades, mortars and rockets, all of
which were destroyed at the temporary demolition range using Air
Force, Navy, and Army EOD personnel.
In 1999 a four-person EOD team was deployed to the Malaysian Island
of Pulau-Au to successfully recover EO from the crash site of
A8- 291 completing the final chapter to a tragic event and preventing
possibly another. The team had been given details from the initial
search parties of the condition of the site and what they could
expect.
The main concern was for the still unaccounted for Cockpit Escape
Module containing a large rocket motor.
With limited information the team developed some strategies and
plans to retrieve all explosive components with limited resources
available owing to the remote location of the crash site. They
pumped out water and used ropes and tackle to lift and pull pieces
of the aircraft apart to conduct a search for hazardous components.
In July 1994, nearly 50 years to the day that Catalina A24-45
was reported missing, EODF formed part of a nine-man team deployed
to the Indonesian island of Buru to recover the remains of the
airman and UXO from the aircraft.
In 1989 the Assistant Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police,
Colin Winchester, gained the dubious honour of being the most
senior police officer in the world to be assassinated. Air Force
EOD personnel were seconded to assist the AFP in its investigation
of the murder. EODF was chosen to deal with the task because of
the excellent reputation it had gained through the recovery of
sub-surface UXO, a skill still held in high regard. EODF support
to the investigation was ongoing and Australia wide.
EODF has also been involved in explosive trials at Woomera in
South Australia in recent years. As well, it is regularly tasked
to dispose of large quantities of unserviceable ordnance, with
some programs involving the destruction of up to 16 tonnes of
ordnance at a time, or tens of thousands of items ranging from
aircraft rounds to rocket fuses and pyrotechnics
The
future
EODF
and the ECSS sections are still in a building up and consolidation
phases and there is plenty of training and work to be done. The
task is enormous, with the current number of qualified EOD personnel
quite low; the lead-time to train an EOD technician can be up
to eighteen months.
The
formulation of policy, doctrine, the identification and procurement
of equipment, training of current personnel and the maintenance
of commitments to the Air Force and ADF are proving to be testing.
However, the need for EOD support to maintain air superiority
should never be underestimated.
Let’s face it an airstrip is a hard thing to move. And if
it has UXO on it then no aircraft are going to be flying until
it has been cleared with minimal damage to the surface or surrounding
facilities.
If you have a sense of humour and are keen for some adventure,
drop by your nearest EOD unit for a look and then head off to
the recruiters to sign up.
