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Vandenberg airmen train for explosive situations
Posted: Mar 12, 2010 3:39 PM by Ariel Wesler
Updated: Mar 12, 2010 3:39 PM
Nearly half of all the military personnel who enter the Explosive Ordinance Disposal or EOD program nationwide drop out. There are 10 airmen in an EOD program at Vandenberg Air Force Base. This morning they blew up 20 pounds of C4 to simulate some of the blasts experienced by those currently in the battlefield. This past year, 14 EOD personnel were killed while serving overseas in Afghanistan.
The Hurt Locker grabbed this year's Oscar for Best Picture. The film exposes the inherent dangers found in diffusing explosives in a war zone. At Vandenberg Air Force Base, some airmen go through intense training because one mistake could cost them their lives.
They say the movie is hyped for Hollywood and some of the situations are highly unrealistic, but the levels of stress and anxiety are quite accurate. Airmen say the movie helped bring much needed attention to the EOD squad. The EOD is understaffed across the country by about 25 percent.
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