DVIDS – News – 45th EOD Airmen conduct survival, ACE exercise
CAPE CANAVERAL NATIONAL SEASHORE, Fla. – Airmen assigned to the 45th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight conducted an exercise designed to develop resilience and adaptability for near-peer conflict while advancing the DoD’s strategy for Great Power Competition Dec. 9-12 at Cape Canaveral National Seashore, Florida.
The exercise, Operation Island Hopper, challenged participants to operate with minimal resources while implementing the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment concept. ACE emphasizes dispersing forces across multiple locations to enhance survivability and maintain combat power, ensuring the unpredictability needed to outmaneuver adversaries in contested environments.
“This exercise reinforced the uncertainty of freedom of movement in an area of responsibility and taught us how to adapt to new circumstances,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. William Riddle, 45th EOD flight chief.
The exercise simulated conditions Airmen may face during near-peer conflicts, where adversaries disrupt supply chains, extraction, and communication. Initially focused on executing ACE in a remote environment, the training evolved into a survival scenario when simulated enemy activity denied the team’s extraction.
“This left the 11 participants unexpectedly stranded for an undetermined length of time, presenting a unique opportunity to experience the mental resilience required when operating in a deployed environment,” Riddle said.
For several days, the Airmen faced the challenges of surviving in austere conditions while maintaining mission readiness when access to friendly forces was rendered unavailable.
“Rescue back to base was denied more than six times, which took a mental toll on the participants,” Riddle said. “They were required to establish shelters, ration food and water, create drinking water from saltwater, and conduct patrol and security operations until waterways were cleared for rescue.”
The ability to operate under these conditions directly mirrors the demands of GPC, where contested environments and degraded resources are expected realities.
“These skills are essential for persevering in environments where resources are scarce, and adversaries actively seek to disrupt our operations,” Riddle said.
In addition to honing survival skills, exercise OIH emphasized the importance of teamwork, resourcefulness, and mental toughness under stress.
“The Airmen shared resources, shelters, and even clothing to ensure the entire team remained capable of carrying out their duties,” Riddle said. “This tested our resourcefulness as a team and improved some of our junior Airmen’s ability to survive in austere environments.”
The experience also reinforced bonds between team members, which Riddle described as critical to mission success.
“Our lethality as a force does not always come from the cutting-edge equipment we carry,” Riddle said. “It often comes from the bonds created in these settings and the mental toughness developed through training like this.”
This exercise aligns with the DoD’s GPC strategy by preparing Airmen to adapt to challenges presented by near-peer adversaries and provided hands-on experience with ACE principles, equipping the 45th EOD Airmen to maintain operational capability in contested, degraded, and operationally limited environments.
“These scenarios prepare us for the unpredictability of modern warfare, where adversaries aim to disrupt our freedom of movement and degrade our operational capacity,” Riddle said. “By training to survive and thrive in these conditions, we ensure mission success in any environment.”
The 45th EOD Flight provides first-responder support for all launches from CCSFS and Kenedy Space Center, Florida. Additionally, they are responsible for the location, identification, render safe, and disposal of hazardous unexploded conventional, chemical and biological ordnance as well as improvised explosives.
Date Taken: | 12.23.2024 |
Date Posted: | 12.30.2024 20:09 |
Story ID: | 488258 |
Location: | CAPE CANAVERAL NATIONAL SEASHORE, FLORIDA, US |
Web Views: | 16 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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