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The U.S. Air Force recently honored a Utah airman as one of the best in the country. He's credited with saving a comrade's life in Afghanistan.
Staff Sgt. Eric Eberhard has no room for error in his work. Eliminating a bomb is not a job for every airman. Eberhard showed us the tools that he used when he deployed to Afghanistan last year. He's an ordinance disposal specialist with the 419th Fighter Wing and was named one of the Air Force's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2008.
"It's an honor. I feel, even now, there's probably 10,000 other people out there that could be in this position," he said.
It's a dangerous job made safer through training, studying and keeping up with the enemy's tactics. "People coming into it are made aware of what the dangers are and are given an opportunity at any chance to get out if they're uncomfortable with that. It's very hands-on with those explosives, and anything can happen," Eberhard said.
Last December in Afghanistan, an improvised explosive device nearly killed his team leader. The leader was wearing a bomb suit when he touched the land mine with his knee. "We were about 70 feet away when it went off, and I just remember him getting thrown back and a flash of light in the air," Eberhard said.
When the smoke cleared Eberhard cautiously but quickly rushed to his leader. "We noticed immediately that his leg was separated, and it looked like his arm was completely separated also, and the rest of him looked perfectly fine," he said.
With the help of medics, Eberhard stopped the bleeding and got him lifted out. The team leader lost his leg, but doctors saved his arm.
The bomb suits weigh about 90 pounds and are used as a last resort when the robot can't be used to diffuse an ordnance, and the specialists need to get hands-on. "There's a sense of exhilaration that comes with it," Eberhard told us.
It takes a lot of teamwork, and he's glad to represent his team as "Airman of the Year."
Eberhard grew up in Taylorsville and Herriman and graduated from Bingham High School. He anticipates a long career in the Air Force Reserves.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
