Airmen pass EOD skills to Iraqi Army, Police (EOD)

U.S. Forces Iraq ^ | Senior Airman Mindy Bloem, USAF

[SandRat]

KIRKUK – The 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal team here conducts training with the Iraqi Army and Police three times a week to familiarize them in ordnance identification, detection procedures and robot operations.

A U.S. Airman with the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal team conducts Talon bomb disposal robot training with the Iraqi Army and Police aboard Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq, Feb. 20, 2010. The training is conducted three times a week to familiarize the Iraqis in ordnance identification, detection and robot operations. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tabitha Kuykendall.

"We will set out different types of ordnance," said Tech. Sgt. Bridget Crudden, an EOD member deployed from FE Warren AFB, Wyo. "We want to make sure they can tell a projectile, rocket, bomb and other types of ordnance. After that, we'll have them [do] … basic demo procedures."

She explained that these procedures involve spreading out ordnance and teaching them the best way to lay out the detonation cord with explosives so everything can be safely destroyed at the same time.

During the last part of the training, robot operations, the EOD members set up improvised explosive devices in different scenarios and locations. The IP and IA use what they were taught to remotely control the robot and safely deactivate the device.

"They are doing very well in their training," said Staff Sgt. Casey Chambers, an EOD member deployed from Little Rock AFB, Ark. "They need to continue what we started here. It's good to see them getting better and better and doing well, and with so few casualties with the amount of experience they started with. It's good to see, especially the way they're short on a lot of the equipment that we take for granted. They've done very well."

Sgt. Adil Rasheed, an IP EOD member, said he has been participating in the training for the past five years and is happy to be involved.

"We learn different techniques," he said with the help of a translator. "They learn from our techniques and we learn techniques of how to dispose of the IEDs.  It's a good thing because there are people who want to kill your people [meaning Iraqis], and we work against those people and not let any harm come to this village."

Crudden said the Iraqis have shown vast improvements in their procedural and safety awareness, which is essential to their taking over security of their country in the future.

"I think they're doing well," she said. "They're very motivated to do everything correctly, and they want to do this job. They want to help their communities, and I think they're working really hard. They have grown in leaps and bounds toward that goal, and I think they're competent to do the job."

Aside from training, as the EOD members point out, fostering relationships is another important aspect of the experience.

"We want to make sure there's a good relationship between us so that they're comfortable coming to us with any questions or problems, and we can help them out," Crudden said. "We try to establish a friendship and a partnership with them, and that helps a lot. We need to be comfortable with each other so that we can build that level of trust."

The interpreters also help play a role in that relationship building.

"The biggest challenge, of course, is communication," Crudden said. "But our interpreters are very good. They understand what we're trying to say, so they get it across to the IA and the IP. Also, our interpreters are very familiar with our procedures so it's easy to communicate what we need."

On a personal level, Crudden feels a sense of fulfillment from her involvement in the Iraqi training.

"This is their country, and it's satisfying to see them able to take on the responsibility for their country," she said. "It's also satisfying because it's actually helping the Iraqis, helping the IP and the IA, and it's good to see them grow and learn these things and take pride in what they're doing."

[SandRat]

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[WLR]

“Abdul!!! Yes Hassan?

Pay attention!!! The sons of dogs and piga are teaching you how to kill them..

“Praise be how easy it is for the Petro States to buy the Masters of these Offal.”

Anyone seriously think I am wrong about this?

The 250,000 Christian Chaldeans who have fled Iraq.. might beg to differ with you.

Our Leaders are either the most incompetent or corrupt in the History of this Nation.

Iraq is now a Satellite State of Iran.. Everything we teach and provide is made available to the Iranians. From Patrol Boats to Communication Gear to the EOD Skills this article discusses.

No one wishes I am wrong about this more than me..

The other day we had 60-80 US Troops minimum “Building a school” the cost for those troops to be in theater is around $2700 a day. That puts the cost of such folly over 2.2 million for a couple weeks of just the men alone..

We are witnessing the distruction of our US Military the frittering away of the Lives of some of our best and brightest Young Folks. The loss of our National Treasure and the betrayal of the West.