A loud, sharp boom broke the stillness in a remote area of Arnold Air Force Base for the briefest of moments on the morning of Sept. 10. A dark cloud rose above the tree line, evaporating into the blue sky almost as quickly as it appeared. Turf and earth were sent hurtling skyward before falling back to the ground. The quick burst released waves of energy that rippled the leaves on surrounding trees. Birds startled by the sudden, powerful crash of sound darted from the nearby forest in search of a quieter setting. An existing crater from which the bang originated was made all the deeper by the blast. Within this cavity, team members from Arnold present and those from Eglin Air Force Base who traveled north from Florida to observe the scene found just what they hoped to – nothing. Everything went off exactly as planned, and not a trace of the leftover explosives and residue associated with testing recently conducted at Arnold AFB remained.
![Leftover materials receive explosive sendoff at Arnold AFB]()
