EOD Airmen awarded Bronze Stars for Iraq duty Published Nov. 2, 2006 By Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol Air Mobility Warfare Center Public Affairs FORT DIX, N.J -- Two Air Force explosive ordnance disposal Airmen from the Air Mobility Warfare Center's 421st Combat Training Squadron were presented the Bronze Star in a ceremony here Oct. 10 for actions and service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Maj. Gen. Scott Gray, AMWC commander, presented the awards to Tech. Sgt. Vandiver Hood and Staff Sgt. Michael Tesch. Sergeant Hood deployed to the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq, from Aug. 29, 2005, to March 15, 2006, as an EOD team leader. According to his Bronze Star citation, Sergeant Hood provided "direct combat support" to 368 Soldiers and supervised five NCOs and six Airmen. "As an EOD leader," the citation reads, "Tech. Sgt. Hood executed more than 164 missions to render, safe, exploit, recover and destroy improvised explosive devices, unexploded ordnance and weapons caches within a 2,200 square mile area." In one line of the citation, it shows Sergeant Hood, while supporting Army combat teams, rendered safe and destroyed 36 IEDs along strategic convoy routes. Throughout his time in Iraq, Sergeant Hood recovered and destroyed 1,661 ordnance items totaling 2,708 pounds of explosives. Sergeant Hood said it was an honor to receive the Bronze Star; however, he said he just wanted to get his job done in Iraq to help make sure those he supported made it home safely to their families. He also said he never thought much about the danger involved. "If I gave too much thought to something like that I don't know if I would have been able to do my job," he said. " When I was working on an IED, or my team was taking fire, we just continued as best we could to eliminate the hazard as quickly as possible. The thoughts that go through your head during that time are not to worry about what is happening, but to look for a solution, attack, and push through." Sergeant Tesch received his Bronze Star for service as an EOD technician while assigned to the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, Sather Air Base, Iraq, from Jan. 21 to June 1, 2006. According to Sergeant Tesch's citation, while in the Iraq theater, he supported the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division, the 447th Air Expeditionary Group, and the Iraqi Ministry of Transportation. "He responded to the busiest area of operations in Iraq covering 500 square miles surrounding and including Baghdad International Airport," the citation reads. Sergeant Tesch was "invaluable" in the safe resolution of 437th EOD missions, including 226 IEDs and 47 unexploded ordnance responses. According to the citation, Sergeant Tesch also put his life on the line to save others during 114 of those missions. Sergeant Tesch, like Sergeant Hood, said the dangers he encountered in Iraq were part of the challenge that shaped his life and his mission there. "Every time I encountered an IED with my team, at first, I was nervous," Sergeant Tesch said. "As my time in Iraq passed, I would not say we got complacent; however, it seemed to get easier. Until people got hurt or killed that were close, then it was back to the basics and that uneasy feeling was back. We did our job well though." Sergeant Tesch added that the success rate of countering IEDs in Iraq is going well. "I would say our success rate in Iraq with IED's was spectacular," he said. "EOD is not a job for everyone ... I am proud of what our team accomplished during my deployment." After the awards were presented, General Gray may have highlighted the biggest significance of both NCOs receiving the Bronze Star. "The work these men did saved lives," the general said. "I am very proud of what they have done for the Air Force."