Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy explosive ordnance disposal specialists participated in Exercise Sentinel Samurai at Kadena Air Base in Japan from August 17 to 21, according to the U.S. Department of War.
The annual exercise allowed the service branches to exchange expertise and improve their ability to respond jointly to shared threats. Joint EOD teams used drones, operated in trench systems and searched deep caves for simulated explosives while contending with heavy rain and difficult terrain.
Participants included airmen from the 18th, 35th and 51st Civil Engineer Squadrons; Marines from Marine Wing Support Squadrons 171 and 172 and the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni EOD team; and sailors from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 3 and 5.
Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Michael Vallejo, U.S. Pacific Air Forces EOD chief, said: "Explosive hazards don't recognize service branches; they threaten us all. Because EOD is a low-density, high-demand capability, Sentinel Samurai allows us to understand each service's capabilities and share different approaches to complex problems."
While all military EOD technicians receive foundational training through the same joint school, each branch applies those skills differently. The exercise brought those experiences together through shared scenarios, forcing technicians to adapt their tactics and procedures as they would during real-world responses. In one scenario, technicians recovered a simulated explosive device from a steep hill using a rope and truck, then had to reassess and rig the device differently when the rope snapped.