SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --   The 4th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight has many capabilities ranging from disposal of hazardous explosives to assisting outside agencies like the Secret Service, FBI and local law enforcement agencies. Their skills are put to use for the benefit of servicemembers, the American public and even Olympic athletes.

Since EOD Airmen must work together to help save the lives of others, they receive extensive training. To learn their skill set, EOD Airmen attend a nine-month, joint-service technical training school. After graduation, the Airmen spend a year being upgraded through on-the-job training. They are then placed on an 18-month probation period where they are held to and tested by real-world standards.

There are rare occasions where EOD Airmen are called upon to step out of their normal role of preventing an explosion to simulating strafing runs for airpower demonstrations. These runs consist of filling numerous water jugs with fuel and placing a block of C4 underneath, which adds a fire effect to the demonstrations. The EOD Airmen connect the jugs together with detonation cord and set them off simultaneously with a charge.