MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. — The 5th Civil Engineer Squadron’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal flight hosted Hydra Fury 24 at Minot AFB, June 4-6. The joint training exercise was attended by representatives from Air Force EOD flights, Naval School EOD, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Nuclear Emergency Support Team and the Department of Energy, and was intended to test the agencies’ ability to work together and effectively respond to a variety of incidents.

“This is an opportunity to proactively revolutionize tip-of-the-spear functionalities between Minot and our integrity partners,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Andrew Krueger, 5th CES EOD flight superintendent.

The exercise consisted of accident and incident protocols that required collaboration amongst the different agencies, reach-backs to headquarters and national-level teams, crime scene preservation, evidence collection and consequence-management protocols. The synergy between these agencies ensure the mission set is upheld, protecting the nation.

Each agency briefed their individual roles in keeping the nation and its interests protected. A technical exchange was set up as a way for each agency to hear more about, ask questions, and see the latest in EOD technology. The FBI also conducted a Radiological Dispersal Device Containment demonstration. Hydra Fury 24 consisted of three scenarios that tested different aspects of the EOD mission. Improvised Explosive Devices were used to simulate potential threats against first responders.
Teams were sent to the scenario sites with equipment to safely measure radiation, scan the contents of suspicious objects, and perform diagnostics.

“The first scenario was the EOD response to an attack on a weapons movement, the second scenario was an IED found in a silo, and the third scenario was an IED found in a weapons maintenance bay,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Clay Kirkpatrick, exercise planner for Defense Threat Reduction Agency. “The three scenarios collectively were crafted to enable each participant and organization to better understand their respective roles and authorities in a response.”

Hydra Fury 24 was unique compared to other training exercises based on the full spectrum of interagency players relevant to the mission space. The exercise enabled each organization’s representatives to garner a better understanding of how the other agencies operate when responding to various incidents.