Bomb Disposal Expert Takes His Last ‘Lonely Walk’

The Daily Beast ^ | Nov 16, 2012 11:15 PM EST | Michael Daly

[Arkansas Tider]

Just as the details were emerging of a sex scandal involving Gen. David Petraeus that the media was calling “explosive,” Staff Sgt. Kenneth Wade Bennett took what bomb disposal experts call “the lonely walk” toward an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.

Bennett was on his third combat tour there and this time he had left behind a pregnant wife and a 2-year-old daughter. A snapshot taken of him and his daughter, Lila, just before he deployed in September showed the two of them walking hand in hand away from the camera.

[Arkansas Tider]

RIP EOD Brother

[JRandomFreeper]

Ping.

/johnny

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Thanks for posting the article about this fine young man who gave his life for us.

The comments at The Daily Beast are as horrific and ignorant as you would expect. This one by Samlam, while not horrific, is a fine example of glittering ignorance:

“I am also impressed with how much Michelle Obama and Jill Biden have done for military families. They take their roles and make supporting them Job #1.”

Maybe they are making secret visits to VA hospitals like President Bush used to do.

[Volunteer]

Rest in Peace SSG Bennett. I am truly thankful for your service and I pray the Holy Spirit will comfort your family.

[livius]

Tragic. And what makes it worse is that honorable men like this die while our completely politicized and frivolous commanders and government officials party with celebrities.

[TChris]

“No bye bye, Daddy,” the girl said. “Don’t go away.”

“One more time, honey,” he told her.

Gotta get a new monitor. Mine just went blurry.

[ArrogantBustard]

John 15:
[11] These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be filled. [12] This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. [13] Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends. [14] You are my friends, if you do the things that I command you. [15] I will not now call you servants: for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth. But I have called you friends: because all things whatsoever I have heard of my Father, I have made known to you.

I truly detest the people placing IEDs ... The EOD guys, and the guys who track down and take out the IED makers, are heroes.

[ottbmare]

I don’t understand why this is done, why it’s necessary anymore. If we know where an IED is before it explodes, why send a human being in there to disarm it? Why not stand off at a distance and shoot at it ‘til it explodes harmlessly?

[yldstrk]

yeah, I have that question too, but mabe they don’t know where exactly? If someone who understands this could explain how it works....

[GOPJ]

...what makes it worse is that honorable men like this die while our completely politicized and frivolous commanders and government officials party with celebrities.

You're right.

[exit82]

Take the village animals and herd them over the roads so they can detonate the bombs. Or yuse a frequency generator and go through the entire cell phone and radio spectrum until you set off the bomb.

Then raze the village.

A-stan is not worht the life of one more American.

Maybe it is time for the Right to mount an anti-war cam- paign before more telegrams get delivered.

[ottbmare]

They obviously know where the thing is if they’re sending an ordnance disposal expert to disable it. Perhaps it’s buried so that they can’t shoot it with small arms, but wouldn’t dropping another explosive on it—sending an RPG on top of it—detonate the satanic thing?

[Venturer]

Bring these men home.

That whole stinking country and all of it’s inhabitants are not worth one soldiers life.

It’s a crime to leave good men in that shithole.

[sako shooter2]

I work as a DoD contractor in SSG Bennett’ parent unit in Afghanistan. For our fallen, we conduct a dignified transfer ceremony at the airfield. The ceremony where the military placed SSG Bennett into an empty C-17 is very moving. Several hundred soldiers, mostly US, but also soldiers from all the nations here on KAF form up on both sides of the ramp of the airplane. An MRAP brings the casket to about 200 yards from the formation of troops. The pall bearers carry the flag draped coffin from the MRAP to about 100 yards from the formation of soldiers to where a senior officer and Command Sergeant Major awaits. They salute the coffin and lead the pall bearers into the airplane. As the pall bearers approach the formation, the band plays amazing grace. As the pall bearers pass, the Commander of Troops brings the formation to present arms. As the pall bearers reverently placed SSG Bennett’s coffin in the C-17, the bugler played taps. The pall bearers exit the airplane, the Commander of Troops retires the colors. Very sad and very moving. The C-17 carries nothing but the coffin. May God bless SSG Bennett and all our fallen.

[Tomhorn]

Thank you for the insight. Much appreciated.

[Arkansas Tider]

We do use robots to disable most roadside bombs, however thet are a few instances where you must go “downrange”. More often than not what gets you is an IED that you don’t see or know about called a secondary. Every day it’s an ongoing battle to counter the techniques used by the terrorist, as soon as we develop a tactic to deal with it they will change there methods.

[SaraJohnson]

Most likely he signed up to give his life for American freedom - not “us.” And surely he did not sign up to give his life for the Muslims of Afghanistan so our leftist leaders can pretend they are serving the religion of pieces.