The Marine Who Beat 70 Iraqi Roadside Bombs(Happy Veterans Day, Vets!)

orange county register ^ | November 11, 2007 | TOM BERG

[kellynla]

Over here, death waits in discarded rice bags. In motor-oil cans. Even in the carcasses of dead dogs on Iraqi roadsides.

That's where the bombs lie hidden. Waiting.

Most U.S. troops hope they never see an "improvised explosive device," or IED – the No. 1 killer of Americans in Iraq. But Marine Staff Sgt. Matt Bateman goes out looking for them every day.

That's his job.

On this day, he's been called to a small pile of rocks in the median strip of an intersection northwest of Baghdad. He's arrived with his two-man demolition team and a camera-laden robot. The robot has identified the IED and now is delivering a charge of TNT to destroy it.

[kellynla]

All paid some, some paid all.

Semper Fi, Kelly

[kellynla]

ping

[kellynla]

The holiday
Veterans Day was first known as Armistice Day and celebrated the armistice that ended World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. It was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 and became a day to honor all U.S. veterans. It differs from Memorial Day, which honors those who died in service to their country.

[kellynla]

Terms and tools of the trade
• EOD : Explosive Ordinance Disposal team

• Three-person team: robot operator / explosives handler / team leader

• Escorted by a 15- to 20-Marine security detail

• Approach: Use the robot’s cameras to investigate IEDs. Use the robot to deliver TNT or C-4 to detonate IED when possible.

• IED : Improvised Explosive Device (roadside bomb)

• MRAP : Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle: A heavily armored vehicle that can withstand most IED blasts.

• TNT : Trinitrotoluene (dynamite): used to detonate IEDs.

• C-4 : Plastic explosive: stronger than TNT, used to detonate IEDs.

• Robot : carries four video cameras and a robotic arm with claw.

[kellynla]

Video:
IED Hunter
Link:
http://media2.ocregister.com/slideshow/read_veteransday1111/

[snippy_about_it]

Our guys are brave!

Thank you and enjoy your Veterans Day.

[taxcontrol]

Minor correction, technically, TNT and dynamite are not the same thing.

[freema]

One of our dear friends re-upped to join EOD. May St. Barbara bless, guard, and protect him always.

[U S Army EOD]

Thanks, sippy. Send me Freepmail on your closest airfield and I will try to fly down one day and say hi. I finally sprouted wings.

[VOA]

I’m not going to hold my breath waiting for Hollyweird to do a
film version of this modern “Danger: UXB” story.

[SandRat]

All paid some, some paid all.
Semper Fi, Kelly

In Flanders Fields
By John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

[PROCON]

God Bless our Men and Women of the Armed Services and HAPPY VETERANS DAY to all you VETS!!

[Travis McGee]

People who do this for a living are obviously nuts.

God bless ‘em.

[NormsRevenge]

It ain't luck if its meant to be. Kudos and Bump 8-]
Damn, I would have never made it in ordnance disposal.
Semper Fi

.(AFP/Pool/File/Chris Hondros)
A deadly and allegedly Iranian-made "EFP" armor-penetrating roadside bomb is seen
among during a press conference in Baghdad, 02 July 2007. The US military has
alleged that Iranian agents continue to smuggle Iranian made armour piercing bombs
-- explosively-formed penetrators (EFPs) -- to Iraqi extremist groups across the
country's long border.

[A.A. Cunningham]

LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

The Marine who beat 70 Iraqi roadside bombs DISARMING DUTY: Marine Staff. Sgt. Matthew Bateman just returned from third tour in Iraq as an EOD, Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician who job is to detonate or disarm IEDs, Improvised Explosive Devices.

[snippy_about_it]

Wonderful. You know we sadly had to leave Georgia for my job and are now in Leesville, SC so you can now fly UP rather than DOWN. LOL. We’d love to have you! I’ll look for an airfield.

[U S Army EOD]

Will do that.

[Squantos]

I took pride in knowing how much C4 to shove up a bulls butt to blow his horns off without making his eye's water.......IED's aren't tough if you can find em before they find you. Tough parts are the ambushes laid for us as they set off a small one, get a response then set off a series of larger ones and get more of a response and then snipe at us as we recon the area for additional IED's......

IT IS A TEAM EFFORT for EOD and their """security teams""" of soldiers, airmen and marines in the current conflict. Robotics make it easier, not safer. More technology involved these days ....too many gotchas !

BZ to this tech. As gone are my days as a EOD tech. Back when men were men and sheep were afraid, we strode carefully down range to the suspect device with a demo knife, roll of electrical tape, a set of Dupont No 5 crimper's vs the crap M3's issued. Wit a prepped 50 caliber dearmer, a JROD or just a few blocks of C-4 and a firing wire reel and or a few setups with M60 igniter's and time fuse......

Different times , different methods........but too be fair the crop of EOD techs coming out of this conflict are second too none before them. They are up to their butts in IED's on a daily basis.

Kudos to those taking their turn in the barrel !!

My only regret that makes me feel bad is we can't find or render all of em safe before they function as designed / intended. People die when we fail to find em in time. I took that personally as I am sure the current EOD techs in theater do as well today. I know it's impossible to think such is possible yet......

Thus our Motto in EOD......... Initial Success or Total Failure.........

Stay Safe .....