Eglin host first explosive safety day

  • Published
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  In memory of the "Eglin 17," personnel from the base marked the first ever "Explosive Safety Day" July 12.

The day's events included a memorial at the Air Armament Museum, munitions displays and Explosive Ordinance Disposal robot demonstrations at the base exchange.

The date was set apart not only to promote explosive safety awareness, but to remember the greatest loss of life in base history.

In 1943, 40 pounds of a newly developed explosive called Nitramon detonated during a test fire mission. Nitramon is a compound very similar to the mixture used in the April 1995 Oklahoma City bomb. In what was officially classified as a stump removal training mission, the inadvertent detonation killed 17 and injured another 51 Eglin military personnel. 

The incident has been made into a movie, which was shown as part of the day's activities. Retired Col. Allan D. Howser, a survivor of the incident and contributor to the film was on hand at the memorial.

Today's standards of explosive safety would prevent this scenario from being repeated, and experiences such as these have played a role in developing the explosive safety standards practiced on a daily basis within the Department of Defense, according to the safety office.

The DOD Explosive Safety Board is the agency responsible for overall explosive safety compliance and was established in 1928 in reaction to a series of explosive mishaps. The agencies first findings were that potentially disastrous conditions existed at more depots and more mishaps could be expected. Congress established the board to provide oversight of the development, manufacture, testing, maintenance, demilitarization, handling, transportation and storage of explosives, including chemical agents on DoD facilities worldwide.

It is quite possible that if you have ever been driving along Eglin Boulevard and traffic has stopped for any length of time, you have personally experienced a safety measure implemented for your protection, according to the safety office.

Aircraft returning with "hung ordinance," or munitions that fire and do not leave the aircraft, must be inspected for safety. Precautions are implemented to keep the general public out of this high risk area. When an aircraft returns with a "hung missile," this high-risk area extends over portions of the road.

"Just be patient... just as a good EOD/Weapons Loader/Ammo troop needs to be in order to provide the greatest opportunity of preventing a mishap," said Master Sgt. Ronald A. Stuits, 53rd Wing Safety manager.