U.S. Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians teamed up with U.S. Marine Corps, Polish Land Forces and an observer from the Royal Australian Air Force for Operation Sentinel Samurai, a week-long EOD joint force exercise across Misawa Air Base and Draughon Range showcasing the power of international cooperation Sept. 16-20, 2024.

Team Misawa’s regular training events with allies and partners contribute to U.S. Forces Japan efforts to strengthen regional security and effective collaboration for potential threats throughout the Indo-Pacific theater. With teamwork at the forefront, the exercise not only sharpened skills, but also forged stronger bonds among allied forces, preparing them for the real-world challenges of explosive ordnance management in an increasingly complex security landscape.

Operation Sentinel Samurai included EOD technicians from the 35th Civil Engineer Squadron (CES), Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni (MCAS), and the Polish 16th Airfield Renovation Battalion, who participated in various ordnance detection and disposal scenarios in both daytime and nighttime operations, racing against the clock to identify and neutralize simulated explosive threats in urban and austere environments.

“I think one of the biggest things my team members have learned is that the Air Force EOD community trains a certain way and they’re always learning from another Air Force EOD technician, so being able to learn from other nations and services gives them a breadth of experience,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. James Wagnild III, 35th CES EOD flight lead exercise coordinator. “It gives them more tools to pull out of their tool bag, different ways of thinking and different avenues they could approach the same scenario.”

The exercise challenged participants with simulated threats ranging from disarming improvised explosive device booby traps to disposing of unexploded ordnance. Participants split up into four teams: two Air Force, one Marine Corps and one Polish Land Forces. By observing each other’s approaches to different scenarios, technicians broadened their perspectives and potential skillsets for handling explosives.

“I think it’s great to be able to see each other’s techniques, tactics and procedures,” said U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Cesar Martinez, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron MCAS Iwakuni EOD response element leader. “It’s great to see what Air Force EOD can do and to share our knowledge and see what works best, building a strong relationship.”

The exercise focused on a wide range of EOD tactics:

•Gathering intelligence by using radiography to detect explosives prior to controlled detonations in a dug crater.
•Assessing homemade explosive labs by identifying and disarming booby traps, and determining the types of explosives produced.
•Safely detonating explosives surrounded with sandbags to prevent damage to nearby structures.
•Managing a hostage situation involving actors wearing explosive vests while working swiftly to disarm ordnance under high stress.
•Utilizing an M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System to shoot simulated munitions
•Conducting post-blast investigations to gather intelligence on detonated explosives.

Operation Sentinel Samurai’s joint and bilateral environment ensured units from different backgrounds maximized the effectiveness training, emphasizing the importance of interoperability in contingency events.

“All exercises are very important to EOD teams,” said Polish Land Forces Capt. Michal Adamiak, 16th Airfield Renovation Battalion EOD team leader. “This exercise gave us the opportunity to train with the U.S., exchange experiences, learn their procedures, cooperate, and understand how to use their equipment. If we fight together, we'll know how each other operates.”