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He walks 2 km while carrying 85 pounds

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Abbigayle Wagner
  • 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs

Eighty-Five pounds rest upon his shoulders as a team chief while walking to the site of the explosive ordinance. Wearing a suit, while meant to protect your life, makes little tasks more difficult, but the act becomes routine and easier to manage with practice. While deployed, Tech. Sgt. Brian Boisselle, 90th Civil Engineering Squadron Explosive Ordinance Disposal section, team chief, has to endure routinely being strapped into a bomb suit.

With 15 years in the Air Force and the experience of four deployments under his belt, Boisselle became a trainer at Silver Flag, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.

“Becoming an instructor taught me how much I enjoy training as a career,” said Boiselle. “There is no better way to spend an afternoon than critiquing an Airman or saying ‘good job’ and signing them off to the next task.

As an instructor at Silver Flag, Boiselle was able to educate Airmen on the newest threats facing military personnel in deployed locations focusing on dismounted improvised explosive devices.

After spending three years as an instructor, Boiselle would enjoy returning to a job were training was the focus. However, it is unlikely he will be able to return to Silver Flag because he is no longer classified as an EOD instructor. However, his experience at Silver Flag did allow him to be a more effective trainer to the newest Airmen at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.

“He is good at teaching us everything we need to know,” said Airman 1st Class Jesse Seal, 90th CES EOD team member. “Not only does Tech. Sgt. Boiselle teach us how to do something, but he also explains why we need to do it. Knowing why we do an action is important so we can carry through all situations.”

It is Boisselle’s responsibility to take in the new EOD Airmen and ensure they are proficient in the skills needed to respond to threats around the base. After showing proficiency in the necessary skills, the Airmen will join their career team within EOD.

At the end of the day, as a team chief, it is Boiselle’s responsibility to ensure any call is mitigated.

He is the guy in the bomb suit, and the 85-pound weight of the world is on his shoulders. But, if anything were to happen, Boiselle’s team is trained and ready to suit up for any situation, in part because of himself.