Running for wounded teammates

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rachelle Coleman
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  The 354th Civil Engineering Squadron Explosive Ordnance Flight will hold their first Bomb Suit Run, a tradition for EOD flights throughout the Air Force.

Each year, Air Force EOD flights come together with the Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides funds and support to military EOD families caring for their loved ones at military medical facilities across the country.

The resources provided to the families are above and beyond the budgetary constraints of the Department of Defense's and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The resources of the non-profit organization are entirely obtained through donations and fundraising events. The resources provided can include plane fare, hotel rooms, food coupons and many other necessities such as babysitting services. Eligible families can also benefit from house or rent payments while they are visiting their family members.

"We are hoping to learn from this year's efforts," said Tech. Sgt. Heath Tempel, EOD technician, "so that next year we can generate more funds for the Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation."

The organization provides assistance to families of any joint-service EOD technician wounded in the line of duty. To date, they have assisted with travel costs, lodging, even rent for families displaced as they support their wounded family member.

This is the first year Eielson EOD will be holding 5k and the flight hopes to make it an annual occurrence.

"We decided to do this for a few reasons," said Sergeant Tempel. "We'd like the Fairbanks community to know what Eielson contributes to the fight."

The Air Force deploys in teams versus the Army, deploys in large units.

"Sometimes it's tough to understand what Eielson contributes to the war on terror," he said. "We are only one unit from Eielson, but the exposure can go a ways toward broadening the public's understanding of our role."

Although they have several reasons for doing the run, running the bomb suit is also a symbolic gesture. Several members, like Senior Airman Nikolas Cox, a 354th CES EOD technician, will be running the 3.2 mile run while wearing the approximately 75-pound bomb suit. As bomb suits are designed to protect its wearer from explosions, it is not designed for use as a warm-up suit, let alone for running any type of distance.

"Running in the bomb suit will be a good challenge," said Senior Airman Nikolas Cox, 354th CES EOD technician, "but I do it to support and honor my wounded brothers in arms." 

The run is open to for anyone who would like to participate. There is a little bit of good natured peer pressure, but in the end--it's for wounded teammates.

"We recognize the suffering of our wounded teammates with a little suffering of our own," said Sergeant Tempel. "It will be difficult to finish, but we will all finish together--this reflects another of our mantras in that we will never leave a man behind."