Air Force explosive ordnance technicians to sport new rust-colored beret

Air Force explosive ordnance disposal technicians will soon sport a new addition to their uniform: a rust-colored beret.

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David R. Wolfe announced the beret authorization in a recent social media post, saying the addition represents its career field and further drives recognition for the EOD community.

“EOD Airmen take on some of our joint force’s most complex and hazardous missions,” the post reads.

“The beret authorization aligns EOD’s uniform distinction with its designation as a specialized conventional combat-arms career field and recognizes the community’s role in delivering combat capability at the tactical edge,” the announcement continues.

The news of the distinctive beret was released during the graduation ceremony of the inaugural Project Multi-domain Airmen for Modern Battlefield Application, or MAMBA, course, which is the service’s redesigned predeployment training pipeline for EODs, according to a release.

The Project MAMBA course uses recent combat lessons and prepares EOD Airmen to operate in contested environments alongside joint and coalition forces.

“As you prepare to deploy and take on one of the Air Force’s most demanding missions, carry forward the pride and combat identity you have earned,” Wolfe said during the ceremony. “The EOD beret will stand as a visible recognition of that identity and your service to the joint force.”

The beret represents the EOD mission, while its rust color symbolizes the color historically associated with explosive hazards. The beret bears a metallic EOD badge, commonly called the “Crab,” meant to recognize the community’s mission, expertise and legacy..

EOD technicians will now join the other Air Force career fields authorized to wear berets, including Security Forces, Combat Control and Special Reconnaissance, who wear dark blue, scarlet and pewter gray berets, respectively.