Twelve years after the first response as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the Air Force explosive ordnance disposal mission in Afghanistan has ended and EOD airmen have left the country.

Since Sept. 27, 2002, the Air Force completed 19,847 missions, responded to 6,546 improvised explosive devices, conducted 2,665 post-blast analyses and executed 5,093 unexploded ordnance incident responses, according to Air Forces Central Command. Twenty EOD airmen were killed in action since the wars began, 12 in Afghanistan and eight in Iraq.

"There's something special about our EOD Airmen — day after day, these heroes willingly put their life on the line to protect others," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said in a Sept. 24 statement. "Many of them paid a great price for that courage; there's simply no way we can honor them enough. I can't express how proud I am of these warrior professionals and their combat record."

In both Iraq and Afghanistan, airmen completed 55,847 missions and responded to 19,946 IEDs. EOD airmen have received more than 100 Purple Hearts and several valor awards for their actions.

"Knowing we didn't accomplish this alone, I think about our families, their sacrifices, keeping the home front going, growing up with dad or mom (in several cases both) gone on multiple trips to the AOR (area of responsibility) and the stress they went through," said Chief Master Sgt. Martin Cortez, EOD career field manager, in an American Forces Press Service article. "Looking back over the last 12 years, 13 since 9/11, I am amazed by what our teams have accomplished down range during OIF and OEF ... it's humbling to be part of such a professional group."

The last airmen returned to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, on Sept. 14.

"Ever since I've been in EOD, its been wartime EOD," Staff Sgt. Michael Edwards, an EOD technician with the 96th Civil Engineer Squadron's EOD Flight, said in a base release. "It's kind of weird to come back and not have that anymore. We'll have to see what kind of changes come up."

The Air Force's involvement in EOD support peaked in 2010 when the career field was manned at 74 percent. At Eglin, 36 were deployed at a time, out of 45 assigned, according to the base.

EOD technicians at Eglin are now transitioning to a "peacetime" environment, while staying ready to support new missions.

"EOD technicians are all volunteers and they are a unique group of people who are motivated for many different reasons, but who all strive to do their best," 96th Civil Engineer Squadron EOD Flight Commander Capt. Nicholas Pulire said in the release. "That's the reason the Army asked us to come back over and over again, because our techs are competent and the Army knew we could get the job done."

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