EOD slated to move buildings

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Montse Ramirez
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Imagine working in an office intended for fewer than 10 people staffed with more than 20. Can you say cramped?

That is what the 509th Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal shop is going through right now at their office, according to Senior Master Sgt. Jeremy Unterseher, 509th CES, EOD superintendant.

The good news is there is a light at the end of the tunnel. A new building twice the size of the original shop is under construction and slated to be done by next year, the Air Force Global Strike Command member said.

"EOD has been working in this building since 1995," Sergeant Unterseher said. "At that time the office was much smaller, with only six people working here. Now we are authorized to have 26 and this building is much too small for that many of us."

"The Air National Guard will be able to join us once we are settled at the new building, making our manning that much stronger," said Technical Sergeant Ronald White, 509th CES NCO in charge of resources.

Sergeant Unterseher said the new building will also provide extra space for better training and to house equipment and vehicles, which at the moment are stored outside. Having the vehicles and equipment inside will mean less maintenance and restoration will be needed to keep them operational.

"We are very excited to have additional training space," he said. "It will help us better prepare our guys for deployments."

Once the EOD flight has moved into its new building, the old building will be occupied by the 56th CES utilities section.

"We all can't wait to make the move and start a new era," Sergeant Unterseher said.