Free Republic

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A local neighborhood is wondering how this decades-old military weapon ended up in someone’s backyard. Mathew Sims says when he picked up the military munition, he quickly realized what it was that he was holding in his hands and slowly put it back where it was. Homeowner Mathew Sims said, “Okay is this live? You panic, then you drop.” That’s what was going through Sims’s mind when he found this, an unexploded military weapon in his backyard Wednesday located at 15th Street E. Sims told us he didn’t want to be on camera but says he was...

Full TITLE: "Teenage history fanatic, 18, discovers a First World War bomb near his home in France - only for it to blow up, leaving him without a finger and riddled with 50 pieces of shrapnel" Treasure hunter Paul Aiden was hunting for coins in a forest near his home in Metz, France, earlier this month when his metal detector started going off. Thinking he had struck gold, the 18-year-old began digging through the dense undergrowth before a massive explosion sent him flying backwards. Woodworker Mr Aiden admitted that by the time he realised he had struck on a WWI...

On the afternoon of March 12, 2014, Jennifer Collins checked her phone and found a message from her husband, Dave Collins, a retired Navy SEAL. He’d texted to say that she should pick up their son from kindergarten, and then this: “So sorry baby. I love you all.” Hours later, two police officers showed up at their house in Virginia Beach with news that Dave, 45, had shot himself in his truck a few miles away. Although Jennifer had held out hope for any other explanation, she also knew the moment she read it what the text meant. For months,...

A suspicious package wrapped like a present found Monday morning near the Windsor Town Green was blasted apart with water by the sheriff’s bomb squad, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office. It turned out to be a box of chocolates from the gourmet food company, Harry and David. A person reported the box at 9:35 a.m., telling Windsor officers they’d seen it in a planter box near the town library. The person had lifted it and felt it was heavy, Windsor Police Chief Chris Spallino said. “It was wrapped like a Christmas present with a bow on it,” Spallino...

One year later, as I reflect upon my service to Israel, I am so proud as an American to say that I have stood alongside both the defenders of the United States and the defenders of Israel. As a result of this military service, I have learned a great deal about myself, our two countries, and why we are — as I learned to say in Hebrew — brothers. The first thing that struck me as I donned the dark green uniform of the Israeli Defense Forces, and for the first time since my own injury while serving in the...

[ .... " Bayh, though, suggested the friction now could give way to better times soon for Democrats. “I do think with a new president, potentially new leaders, certainly for Democrats in the Senate --who knows about the House -- there may be a season for governing where people might actually find more common ground,starting all over with a blank sheet of paper,” Bayh said. “That would be a good thing for the country.”

SIERRA VISTA — An unexploded 60 mm mortar dating back to the World War II era recently uncovered during a prescribed burn on Fort Huachuca is set to be disposed of this morning. Discovered on the post’s Range 11, the mortar is scheduled to be detonated some time after 9:30 a.m. by members of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base’s ordinance disposal team, said Tanja Linton, media relations officer for Fort Huachuca. If any fort personnel or visitors ever come upon any unexploded ordnance, they are asked to avoid the item, note its location, and contact Range Control at 533-7311 or...

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.

First World War ammunition frozen in time for nearly a century has been found as glacier melts WWI ammunition frozen in time for nearly a century has been discovered in northern Italy. More than 200 pieces of the ammunition were revealed at an altitude of 3,200 metres by a melting glacier on the Ago de Nardis peak in Trentino. The 85-100mm caliber explosives weighed between seven and 10 kilos and explosives experts have been to the site to safely dispose of the weaponry. The once-perennial glacier began partially melted during a recent heat wave, allowing the Finance Police Alpine rescue...

This is the story of Taylor Morris, a 23 year-old Navy EOD tech: Taylor Morris learned at an early age he was hooked on the outdoors, adventurous, the middle of 4 children and always the last one inside for dinner at his home in Cedar Falls, Iowa. His mother Juli recalled, "Our family took a camping trip from Niagra Falls down the East Coast one summer. Taylor set up the tents every night, started the fires, cooked the meals. Taylor was only 8 years old." As Taylor grew older and took to extreme water sports and rock climbing, Taylor discovered...

This is the outlet and sharing medium of an Army lieutenant deployed to Afghanistan for a year. The opinions contained within belong to the author alone and in no way reflect the viewpoints of the United States Army, the EOD community, or her fellow Soldiers.

"Greater love hath no man than this; that a man lay down his life for his friends," John 15:13 This quotation is inscribed on a plaque that rests on a tri-faced structure within the air station's Combined Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit building. Besides the plaque, the wall is covered in portraits of Marines, 35 in all. The first portrait is of Gunnery Sgt. Michael Clark, the last of Gunnery Sgt. Justin Schmalstieg. All the photos show Marines in either full combat gear or a candid portrait in civilian attire. There is not an official photo in the whole bunch, as...

BERLIN (AP) -- Three experts working to defuse a bomb from World War II were killed when the device exploded, injuring six others, police said Wednesday. Some 7,000 residents from around the area in the central German town of Goettingen, where the 1100-pound (500-kilogram) heavy bomb was found, were still being evacuated when it blew up late Tuesday.

4/2/2010 - BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- Airmen from the Craig Joint Theater Hospital trauma team here removed an unexploded ordnance from a patient's scalp March 18 here. The patient, an Afghan National Army soldier, was involved in an improvised explosive device attack and had a 14.5 mm high explosive incendiary round with approximately 5 grams of explosives lodged in his scalp. "We were informed a few hours ahead of time from the forward operating base at Salerno that we had some patients coming in who were victims of an IED blast," said Maj. John Bini, the 455th Expeditionary Medical...

3/22/2010 - WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) -- While every job in the Air Force is important for the success of the mission, there are some jobs that leave no room for error. One such career field is the explosive ordnance disposal specialty whose motto, "Initial Success or Total Failure" are words to live by -- literally. EOD technicians conduct post blast analysis to determine techniques, tactics, procedures of the enemy, train the force on proper techniques when faced with improvised explosive devices, provide clearing and explosive hazard support for combat Airmen and support flying operations by rendering aircraft...

3/22/2010 - TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan (AFNS) -- Kyrgyz army explosive ordnance disposal technicians visited the Transit Center at Manas March 15 through 19 for a subject matter information exchange with American EOD Airmen and Soldiers. The Airmen here regularly bring Kyrgyz soldiers to the installation and the EOD range to train together, increasing the capabilities of both militaries. U.S. Army Central EOD staff, who assisted with the visit, regularly tour countries in the area of responsibility from their home station at Fort McPherson, Ga., to improve partnerships and increase international security. "This exchange incorporated improvised explosive device response...

A high tech bomb disposal robot that fits into a back pack has been unveiled by the Ministry of Defence today. The Dragon Runner device will help soldiers to find and deactivate dangerous explosives on the front line. Its capabilities were demonstrated by members of the Royal Logistics Corps today. Measuring 9"x8"x3", the light-weight robot is reminiscent of the robots used in the Oscar-winning film The Hurt Locker. It weighs 14lbs - the same as seven bags of sugar- and can move at speeds of up to 5mph. The sophisticated robot is manoeuvred over tough terrain using an intuitive controller,...

GREENVILLE, N.C., March 4, 2010 – Army Staff Sgt. Tracy Dice was a 12-year veteran of the law enforcement field when she decided to become an explosive ordnance disposal technician in the North Carolina National Guard. Army Staff Sgt. Tracy Dice of the North Carolina Army National Guard supports the 690th Brigade Support Battalion’s training in proper response techniques for improvised explosive devices in Farmville, N.C., Feb. 7, 2010. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Joseph E. Rey  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “I wanted to come out of the military with a strong cap for my law enforcement...

Many film critics -- and awards voters -- have praised “The Hurt Locker’s” depiction of the U.S. military in Iraq, often singling out the bomb disposal drama for its authenticity. But as the film emerges as a favorite to win the best picture Oscar, a number of active soldiers and veterans say the film is Hollywood hokum, portraying soldiers as renegades while failing to represent details about combat accurately. The criticism, coming just before Oscar ballots are due Tuesday, highlights the delicate relationship between "The Hurt Locker" and the nation's armed forces. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates says the film...

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...