934th to stand up EOD flight

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Williams
  • 934th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Minneapolis, St. Paul --  After a decade of discussions, plans have been finalized for the 934th Civil Engineer Squadron to stand up an explosives and ordnance disposal flight.
Though it will be a five-year process before the flight becomes fully operational, according to Lt. Col. Les Canarr, 934th CES commander, the first of six active guard and reserve slots has been advertised and the eight traditional reserve slots are authorized for next fiscal year.

"It's going to be an exciting new mission. It is a high-demand, low-density career field," said Colonel Canarr. "The career field has some unique requirements for hiring so I think it's going to take time to get the right people into the right positions."
The biggest obstacle in standing up the new flight is finding space. With specialized equipment like bomb suits, vehicles, robots, and protected bomb lockers, finding adequate space and obtaining the use of a proper training range is a logistical challenge.

"They come with a huge demand for space. We have been searching around in earnest on where we are going to put them," Colonel Canarr said.
Current approved EOD ranges exist at Camp Ripley, Minn., and Fort McCoy, Wis., but travelling to those locations round-trip each UTA may prove ineffective from a training standpoint.

Master Sgt. John Kline, 934th CES operations NCOIC, has been active in the search for the first hire, but admits it's difficult because of how small the career field is and the stringent manning requirements.

"This is a difficult career field to get into. The training is about nine to 10 months with a year-long seasoning training. It has one of the highest wash-out rates," Sergeant Kline said. "The key to this whole thing is the first hire. We can't just hire for the sake of hiring. We have to be very careful."

Why is Air Force Reserve Command locating a flight here when there are other bomb squads present with local law enforcement?
"We do have bomb squads in the area but nobody handles military munitions," said Colonel Canarr. "If an old munition were found in the community, we will be able to offer that service locally in the community, so it will be a win-win for them."
"Military munitions are definitely different," Sergeant Kline said. "I think there will be some networking and training events with civilian law enforcement because the training is much different."

Changes will be forthcoming in the next few years, once the logistical challenges are overcome. New buildings will be constructed, new equipment will arrive and new people will be added to the CES.

"The EOD guys at headquarters are pushing us hard," said Colonel Canarr. "But it will be exciting. I'll do the best I can to give them a good home and good training."
Individuals in the ranks airman through staff sergeant who can meet the stringent physical requirements, obtain a top secret security clearance and are interested in cross-training into the EOD flight may contact Sergeant Kline at (612) 713-1945.