WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) – Sometimes nature offers more than just beauty, and in this case, it provided a natural solution for a protective barrier for individuals conducting live ordnance training in the Alaska cold.
A team from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base’s Junior Force Warfighter Operations in the AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate (designated “JFWORX”) led a collaborative, live-fire test with explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) personnel from the 354th Civil Engineer Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Because the extreme cold of Alaskan winters often makes standard ordnance disposal procedures inadequate if not impossible, JFWORX was asked to formally evaluate the use of a readily available resource — snow — as a protective barrier between live ordnance and people or property, or both.
It began when AFWERX received a request for technical support from Eielson’s Iceman Spark team. Iceman Spark is a grassroots organization comprised of Airmen at Eielson Air Force Base who provide innovative solutions in support of the 354th Fighter Wing.
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Source: U.S. Air Force
