Overview
- The service announced the rust‑colored beret for EOD airmen, which Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David R. Wolfe announced Friday during the inaugural Project MAMBA graduation at Tyndall Air Force Base’s Silver Flag site.
- Officials described the rust color as linked to explosive hazards and said a metallic flash will feature EOD and Air Force symbolism to honor the community’s technical role and sacrifice.
- Project MAMBA is the EOD community’s redesigned pre‑deployment training pipeline that incorporates recent combat lessons to prepare airmen to operate in complex, contested multi‑domain environments.
- Air Force leaders said the beret recognizes EOD’s designation as a specialized combat‑arms career field and aims to increase visible recognition of EOD contributions to joint and coalition operations.
- Formal implementation guidance, including eligibility, wear rules and issuance timing, has not been released and will be published through official Air Force channels when available.