Ones Ready
A team of active duty Combat Control (CCT), Pararescue (PJ), and Special Reconnaissance (SR) leveraging our 69 years of special operations experience to make the next generation of operators smarter, faster and stronger than we ever were. We are the PREMIERE resource for all things Air Force Special Warfare. The Ones Ready Podcast is honest talk about what it is like to go from a know-nothing high school graduate to an elite Special Operator. We will cover important practices for success including physical training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset traits essential to any team. Join us in The Team Room to get all your questions answered!! With battle-tested operators from across USAF SPECWAR and far-reaching web of recruiters, subject matter experts, and friends, there are no questions we can’t answer- and if we can’t, we know exactly where to look. See you in The Team Room!Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the OnesReady team are those of the team and do not reflect the official policy or position of the DoD. Any content provided by our Podcast guests, bloggers, sponsors, or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign the DoD, any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone.
Ones Ready
Ep 461: Initial Success or Total Failure- Air Force EOD Deep Dive
Welcome back to another episode where Peaches, Aaron, and a walking EOD war story—Charles Howell—drag you down memory lane... kicking and screaming. From nearly tattooing a crab on his chest before basic training to blowing up more IEDs than most people blow up relationships, Charles spills the entire chaotic tea of his two-decade detonation tour.
We talk about how EODs were treated like the “red-headed stepchildren of CE,” the comedic incompetence of leadership during actual combat deployments, and the golden age of malicious compliance (spoiler: his commander got too many phone calls). Oh—and apparently, if you failed your first test at the schoolhouse? Congrats, there’s a selfie of you somewhere making rounds at the EOD bar circuit.
This episode has everything:
- A Marine getting trolled into oblivion over a lost fuse
- Xbox Kinect motion sensors used to kill helicopters
- PJ and EOD instructors emotionally scarring students (who definitely still remember)
- Sunlight on Peaches’ nose ruining the episode’s aesthetic
If you’re one of those parents asking questions for your kid at the recruiter’s office—buckle up. Charles has thoughts. And no, you’re not going to Deloitte, Karen. You’re joining the military. Maybe.
🔥 Key Takeaways:
- Charles Howell joined because 9/11 happened… and because Keanu Reeves in Speed sounded cool.
- The Air Force recruiter wore a tank top. The Marine wore dress blues. Guess who won.
- EOD school used to be chaos, now it’s structured chaos.
- Instructors didn’t remember you. That emotional scar? That’s all you, buddy.
- Iraq vs. Afghanistan: different wars, different trauma, same unprepared leadership.
- Some commanders were more worried about awards ceremonies than knowing where their deployed teams were.
- The Air Force still sometimes doesn’t know what EOD does—and that’s terrifying.
- Charles took the scout job voluntarily… because he’s broken and done deploying.
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