Free Republic

10/15/2009 - KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq (AFNS) -- Members of the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's explosive ordnance disposal team here and Iraqi police conducted joint training here Oct. 3, enhancing the Iraqi police's necessary skills detecting, safely approaching and disarming improvised explosive devices. An Iraqi police EOD team applied their knowledge in a simulated environment as they practiced maneuvering a robot to neutralize possible IED threats. "We use the robot because we always want to go as remote as possible, as does the Iraqi EOD team, so we don't jeopardize anybody's life," said Tech. Sgt. Bridget Crudden, the 506th...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2009 – Improvised explosive devices have forced a change in modern combat. Deadly weapons can come in the form of a five-gallon bucket, a package in the mail or a filled-in pothole in the middle of the road. No one knows that better than Air Force Staff Sgt. Armondo Robles and Airman 1st Class Rileigh Woodward, members of a military “bomb squad.” Robles and Woodward discussed IEDs and other threats in Afghanistan during an Oct. 8 “DoD Live” bloggers roundtable. The two serve as joint expeditionary tasked airmen assigned to the 755th Air Expeditionary Group at Bagram...

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Marine Breaks Bomb Suit Run World Record 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Public Affairs Story by Cpl. Ryan YoungDate: 09.11.2009Posted: 09.11.2009 12:37   SAHL SINJAR AIRFIELD, Iraq – The morning sky over Sahl Sinjar, Iraq, is barely lit by the sun, which has not yet broken past the horizon as most Marines throughout the forward operating base are getting their final moments of sleep. Meanwhile, a Marine explosive ordnance disposal technician sits on the back steps of a mine resistant ambush protected vehicle parked in the sand near a desolate stretch of road aboard the base. The...

CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C., Aug. 28, 2009 – An explosive ordnance disposal technician with the 437th Civil Engineer Squadron here mustered the strength to brace himself and stand for the first time in three weeks Aug. 21 after an explosion turned his deployment upside down. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz speaks with Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael Williams after an aeromedical evacuation mission on the flightline at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Aug. 7, 2009. Williams was injured in Afghanistan and is receiving treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. U.S. Air Force...

The sight was not that unusual, at least not for Mosul, Iraq, on a summer morning: a car parked on the sidewalk, facing opposite traffic, its windows rolled up tight. Two young boys stared out the back window, kindergarten age maybe, their faces leaning together as if to share a whisper. The soldier patrolling closest to the car stopped. It had to be hot in there; it was 120 degrees outside. “Permission to approach, sir, to give them some water,” the soldier said to Sgt. First Class Edward Tierney, who led the nine-man patrol that morning. “I said no —...

7/1/2009 - BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. (AFNS) -- One step on May 11 changed the life course of an explosive ordnance disposal technician assigned to the 2nd Civil Engineer Squadron here. Staff Sgt. David Flowers, 28, was deployed with the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, when he was wounded by an anti-personnel mine on May 11. "My team was tasked to go out and dispose of a weapons cache that was called in by the Afghanistan National Police," Sergeant Flowers said. "We went out to the location and found a bunch of ordnance." After finding...

Members of the Iraqi and U.S. Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams prepare discovered ordnance for detonation during a joint EOD controlled detonation recently in Basrah. The U.S. forces trained the Iraqi Army Soldiers on proper detonation procedures. Photo by Staff Sgt. Carlos Burger, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. BASRAH — U.S. Soldiers took the opportunity to train their Iraqi counterparts in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) after hidden weapons were found here recently.  Before the two teams could perform a joint controlled detonation, they had the daunting task of identifying and inventorying every round.The EOD teams cataloged more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition;...

This is an e-mail I was given. Many may have received it, but the media will not do its job, so it is up to us. This is an inspiring story about a true hero who was buried at Ft Rosecrans, a beautiful resting place for some of our best....... PO2 (EOD2) (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Mike Monsoor, a Navy EOD Technician, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for jumping on a grenade in Iraq, giving his life to save his fellow Seals. (Notice: Mike was not a Navy SEAL, he was EOD. He gave his life to save...

4/6/2009 - KABUL, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- Servicemembers and civilians deployed to International Security Assistance Force Regional Command-South gathered to pay final respects to a fallen Airman April 6 in the base chapel of Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Phillip A. Myers, 30, was killed April 3 by an improvised explosive device while conducting military operations with the 755th Air Expeditionary Group Explosive Ordinance Disposal Operational Location Bravo near Musa Qal'eh in the Helmand Province of southern Afghanistan. Those gathered at the service remembered Sergeant Myers for his humility as a leader. Capt. Robert Scott, the 755th AEG/EOD OL-B officer in...

3/24/2009 - JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFNS) -- Approximately 30 Iraqi weapons were destroyed here March 18 to enhance base security, including many AK-47s; a Browning 9 mm pistol; a World War II-era .50 caliber anti-aircraft gun; an RPG 5 and 7; 61 mm and 81 mm mortars; and a 122 mm howitzer artillery piece. "We destroy these weapons, so the weapons cannot be collected by enemy personnel and used against us at a later point in time," said Master Sgt. Gregg Fleming, 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron armory and combat-arms assistant NCO in charge. "These weapons have been turned...

COB SPEICHER — A thunderous boom resounded across the desert as debris and truck remains fell to the earth followed by Iraqi Policemen (IP) rushing to the blast scene. Fortunately, this was not the scene of a crowded marketplace, but instead, a training range where IP specializing in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) spent the day honing their skills in crime scene investigation in the aftermath of a detonated improvised explosive device, March 18. The IP learned advanced post-blast analysis techniques in the classroom, and then applied the knowledge in a series of Coalition-led training exercises. In the final exercise, explosives...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, March 16, 2009 – Shockwaves reverberated through the mountains and a large black cloud of smoke rose from the road as an improvised explosive device was detonated. A soldier with the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, Task Force Spartan, is on a mission with his canine partner to find improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan, March 9, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Rob Frazier  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. On March 9, the engineers of the 10th Mountain Division's Alpha Company, 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, once again had beaten the insurgents...

CAMP ECHO, Iraq, Feb. 12, 2009 – Servicemembers and most runners probably would not be very impressed with a mile run in just over 10 minutes. But add to the equation a 75-pound bomb suit made of stiff material, factor in the added heat from wearing it and add a pair of rubber over-boots, and it becomes a different story. Navy Lt. Jonathan Kehoe runs for the Guinness World Record for the fastest mile in a bomb suit at Camp Echo Feb. 2. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Rodney Foliente  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Navy Lt. Jonathan...

An Iraqi Army engineer navigates a Talon robot through a makeshift improvised explosive device training course at Combat Outpost Al Kindi, Mosul, Iraq, Dec. 30, 2008. Photo by Pfc. Adam Blazak, 11th Public Affairs Detachment. MOSUL — Various explosives are used by the enemy to disrupt or destroy the significant security gains made here by Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces. Coming across an IED isn’t a rarity here, and defeating these weapons is no easy task.  However, significant strides are being made.Simply put, “It’s intense every time,� said Loveland, Colo. native, Staff Sgt. Jeron Pilger, training cadre, 59th Mobility Augmentation...

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Dec. 16, 2008 – The phone rings. A three-person team grabs pre-packed gear and jumps into a truck or a waiting helicopter. The airmen don't always know where they are going or what they will encounter, but they do know there is a bomb somewhere, and they need to make it safe. Air Force Staff Sgt. Tyson Johnson inventories a backpack containing materials for detonating explosives at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. As the threat of roadside bombs increased in Afghanistan, the need...

WOODBURN, Ore. (AP) - A bomb exploded inside a bank here late Friday afternoon after explosives experts arrived to check on a suspicious object and authorities said at least one person was killed by the blast. Oregon State Police said the explosion at the West Coast Bank caused "serious injuries" and that police officers were in the area when the device detonated. They did not say how many police officers were injured. A spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told The Oregonian at least one bomb technician had been injured. Marion County deputy medical examiner Rodge...

11/26/2008 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- Beyond the wire of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing spans an area covered not only in sand but potential explosive hazards, aging from as far back as the Gulf War fighting that took place here in the early 90s. This time of year, the same area is inhabited by host-nation locals who follow a tradition of setting up camps, often with their families and livestock, during the winter months. Airmen of the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight are clearing the way for these local campers to enjoy the area in...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq, Nov. 20, 2008 – Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers conducted explosive ordnance training with Iraqi security forces bomb disposal technicians Nov. 16 at this base in southern Baghdad. Army 1st Lt. Brad Lewis, an explosive ordnance technician assigned to the 752nd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, shows fragmentation from a car bomb during an Iraqi security forces training exercise Nov. 16, 2008, near Forward Operating Base Falcon in southern Baghdad’s Rashid district. U.S. Army photo by Justin Carmack   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Soldiers and leaders from the 752nd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, attached...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq, Oct. 24, 2008 – Looking like an astronaut in a green space suit, the soldier carried on his shoulder a contraption that might have been a moon rock pulverizer, for all anyone knew. Army 1st Lt. Ryan Fisher, an explosive ordnance disposal technician with the 760th EOD Company, carries a device used for pinpoint destruction of bomb components during his final test to receive his EOD team leader certification on Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq, Oct. 14, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michel Sauret  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. A fellow...

FOB DELTA — Kazakhstani Soldiers conducted a three-day course here in basic explosives handling and safe demolition techniques for 10 Iraqi Army Soldiers, Sept. 22 - 25. “It’s a good chance for us to share our experience with them,” said Azat Mukhamadiev, liaison officer for the Kazakhstani contingent. “Our officers are graduates of military academies and have extensive experience in practical exercises and training our troops.” The training consisted of two days of classroom exercises, followed by a controlled detonation conducted by the Iraqi and Kazakhstani Soldiers. “We taught procedures for finding and destroying unexploded ordnance, as well as the...

Soldiers with the 10th Mountain Division's Sapper Platoon observe members of the Iraqi Army as they learn to operate the military anti-mine vehicle, the Buffalo. Photo by Spc. Jason Jordan, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs. KIRKUK — Soldiers with the 10th Mountain Division’s Sapper Platoon recently conducted the ‘The Iron Claw Academy’; where members of the Iraqi Army (IA) were trained by in a series of ‘left seat-right seat’ exercises that taught the IA how to conduct route clearance operations to make local roads secure for travel. “Iraqi security forces have been doing a phenomenal job...

Two EOD Soldiers inspect a recently assembled Talon Robot. The Talon is but one piece of technology used to mitigate IED and other explosive threats. Photo by Pvt. Alisha Nye, 14th Public Affairs Detachment. COB SPEICHER — Improvised explosive devices (IED) are one of the greatest risks to troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Proper handling and disposal of IED is essential for the military, and why all branches work together to safely mitigate this threat.The 184th Ordnance Battalion, Task Force Troy-North, does just that. The battalion contains six explosive ordnance disposal companies, including two Navy and two Air Force...

The life of Sgt. 1st Class L. David Ezell can be summarized by his last moment on Earth. Unafraid, the man nicknamed "Easy" by his Army comrades waded into a pile of garbage to disarm a bomb April 30 in a Baghdad neighborhood. He knew the bomb could kill him, but his goal was to save the lives of the Iraqis the homemade device could have slaughtered. Something went wrong on the delicate job. The bomb detonated and Ezell died. But hundreds of times before, with the same calm demeanor, Ezell won his fight with insurgent explosives in Iraq and...

His hearing isn’t as keen as it once was, and arthritis in his lower back is chronic. He’s not an old man, just a 38-year-old U.S. Marine who tussled with death and won. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Michael Burghardt of Fountain Valley, Calif., says it took him a long time to recover emotionally from surviving a roadside bomb in Iraq in September 2005. An explosives ordnance disposal expert, Burghardt was 12 inches from the blast. Instead of counting his blessings that the shrapnel studded flat against his body instead of tearing through it, Burghardt was wracked by guilt. The attention...

Having served in both Iraq and Afghanistan I think Obama's out of hand dismissal of McCain's proposal that he visit the two countries is patently and pathetically cowardly. To me it stands in stark contrast to Senator McCain's willingness to visit Iraq (8 times) as well as President Bush's willingness to do the same.  Much is made of the security involved in such visits as well as their often secretive nature, but I don't recall hearing anyone point out a very key factor. Just flying into Iraq or Afghanistan is a risk thanks to the presence of man-portable Surface to...

WHIDBEY ISLAND NAVAL AIR STATION -- Six brass plaques with the names of six fallen sailors face visitors entering the headquarters building. They are unusual in the way they were created -- by detonating a thin sheet of explosive over a plastic template, imprinting the names and design on the brass. The only sailors who make them are explosive ordnance technicians. This is the headquarters of the Navy's Explosive Ordnance Detachment Mobil Unit 11, more simply called the EOD. The six were fellow bomb disposers, all killed in Iraq. This highly select, perpetually tested band of 160 sailors are known...

An explosive ordnance disposal team conducts a controlled detonation on munitions recovered by Soldiers of Battery B, 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division and 5th Battalion, 25th Brigade, 6th IA Division, April 2, in Kutimiyah, Iraq. Photo by Sgt. Luis Delgadillo, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs. FOB KALSU — In the early morning of April 2, Iraqi Army (IA) Soldiers with 5th Battalion, 25th Brigade, 6th IA Division, questioned a suspected insurgent who said he knew the location of buried weapons. "For the past couple of weeks the IA had...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — Coalition forces, residents of Maderiyah and a team of Iraqi Army Soldiers helped clear five improvised explosive devices from roads north of Joint Security Site W-1 March 29. During the mission, Soldiers of Battery B, 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, a route clearance team and an explosive ordnance disposal team successfully cleared a vital road for residents of Maderiyah and Kutimiyah. First Lt. Samuel Scott Gilstrap, executive officer of Battery B, said when Coalition forces arrived in the area, the road was impassable and the bridge which existed...

YUMA — A Marine who disarmed a huge truck bomb outside a bombmaking factory in Iraq last year has been awarded the Bronze Star medal.

Why you should leave EOD to the experts. Why you should leave EOD to the experts. Filmed by an Apache aircrew at a safe distance.

2/11/2008 - KAPISA PROVINCE, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- Airmen from the explosive ordnance disposal, 755th Air Expeditionary Group, assisted Kohistan II district Afghanistan National Police with unexploded ordnance disposal Feb. 2. "The police chief requested our assistance with removing the UXOs during our last visit," said Tech. Sgt. Francis Warren, Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team Police Technical Advisory Team noncommissioned officer in charge. Sergeant Warren took action and contacted EOD for assistance. Tech. Sgt. Steven Nidzgorski, an EOD team leader, said UXO's and landmines pose a serious threat for locals and military personnel throughout Afghanistan. In the last six months, Sergeant Nidzgorski's...

ALTAQADDUM, Iraq (Jan. 26, 2008) -- It was 11:30 a.m. on March 29, 2003. Three U.S. Army soldiers with the 3rd Infantry Division were operating a checkpoint on Iraq’s Highway 9 in Najaf when an orange and white taxicab pulled over to the shoulder of the road to be searched. The soldiers went through the normal procedures. No one would ever know if they noticed something strange about the driver, only that he would detonate 100 pounds of C-4 explosive in his trunk, killing himself, the soldiers and a passing bicyclist. The explosion would become a milestone in modern warfare...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28, 2007 – Following the philosophy that recovering from an injury is easier with family nearby, a Virginia group is helping to make that possible for wounded explosive ordnance disposal technicians from any branch of service. “Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation is dedicated to helping our wounded explosive ordnance disposal technicians and their families in their greatest time of need,” said Sherri Beck, foundation president. “We are hoping to relieve some of the financial stress involved when a loved one is injured, (and) we also believe that having family present is an integral part of the healing process.”...

MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Dec. 7, 2007 – Nearly 40 Afghan soldiers and policemen have completed the first of five training phases to learn of to safely handle unexploded ordnance. Kris A. Anderson, a counter improvised explosive devise advisor with Ronco Consulting assigned to the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, Afghanistan, points out a mine in a dirt road counter-IED course in Gardez. Photo by Staff Sgt. Luis P. Valdespino Jr., USMC  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. In the first months of training, they have learned basic de-mining procedures, unexploded ordnance recognition, basic first aid and minefield casualty evacuation....

Fort Lewis, Wash., native Spc. Dennis Speek, explosive ordnance disposal technician, 789th Ordnance Company (EOD), explains how EOD personnel use the robot known as the “Talon” to handle explosives by remote control while standing in front of the Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Rapid Response Vehicle (JERRV) at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Sept. 18. The JERRV is similar to the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles that are being phased into service replacing the Humvee. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Tony Lindback. FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians have seen a change in the enemy’s tactics, techniques...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY — When Soldiers from Company A, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, based out of Colorado Springs, Colo., needed a third Husky driver, one of the most critical jobs for clearing the streets of Baghdad, they used the old fail-safe method to determine the next operator: rock, paper and scissors. Despite the stiff competition, Sgt. Nicholas Denning overcame the odds and won the job. While it may sound like a joke, Company A has so many qualified Soldiers to do the job, since so many are on equal footing. But make...

FOB KALSU — They are small and lightweight, yet their tiny bodies can carry a great burden. The PackBot and Talon robots, industrial robots designed by the iRobot Co., are tactical mobile robots used by the military for search, reconnaissance and bomb-disposal missions. "Robots give us the ability to do procedures on improvised explosive devices without risking Soldiers," said.1st Sgt Dean Smith, 705th Ordnance Company, Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit. "They are tools we use to save lives – ours and others." While the robots on today's battlefield might be a long way from the Terminator, RoboCop or C3PO of science...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Local Afghan civilians reported the location of a munitions cache found in the Jaji district of Paktya province May 5 to Afghan National Police and Coalition forces operating in the province. The recovered cache consisted of an assortment of 75 mm recoilless rounds, 107 mm rockets, land mines, hand grenades, and cases of anti-aircraft and heavy machine gun ammunition. Elsewhere, just north in Nangarhar province, 32 munitions caches have been reported and recovered during the past five weeks to Afghan National Security Forces and Coalition Soldiers operating in the Jalalabad area. Afghan civilians in Nangarhar have...

JALALABAD AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, May 7, 2007 — Most people spend the last few moments of their work day cleaning up their desk and organizing their materials in preparation for the next day with one foot out the door. One company of dedicated engineers in Nangarhar Province, however, is working well after its expected punch-out date. The engineers are even exposing themselves to danger in a manner that exemplifies the Army’s values and all the while keeping their composure. Due to the mission at hand, the soldiers of Alpha Company, 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, Task Force Spartan are patrolling and...

International Team Trains Humanitarian De-miners Afghan National Army soldiers to graduate April 23. By Air Force Staff Sgt. Oshawn Jefferson American Forces Network – Afghanistan BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, April 18, 2007 — International Security Assistance Force soldiers empowered Afghans with taking care of their own security by training humanitarian de-mining teams here. "This training is a step forward to making a safer Afghanistan," Army Capt. Chris Nuckols, 207th Regional Security Assistance Command embedded tactical team. “This training is a step forward to making a safer Afghanistan,� said Army Capt. Chris Nuckols, 207th Regional Security Assistance Command embedded tactical team....

/11/2007 - BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFNEWS) -- Airmen assigned to the 332nd Civil Engineer Squadron's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight have a dangerous mission that keeps fellow coalition forces safe. It takes nerves of steel and a steady hand to do the work these Airmen do. After all, getting anywhere near an improvised explosive isn't something most people want to do. Airmen from the EOD flight put their extensive combat training and experience to the test every day in support Operation Iraqi Freedom. When they are not on a mission, they keep busy maintaining their equipment, vehicles and robots for...

CAMP ELLIS — Explosive Ordnance Disposal Marines attached to the California-based Battalion Landing Team 2nd Marines, 4th Marine Regiment have supported current operations in the Barwanah area by disposing of weapons and explosives found in caches throughout the area. To date, EOD has disposed of more than 2,000-plus pounds of weapons and explosives since operations began here in late November. According to Gunnery Sgt. Aaron M. Salyi, EOD chief from Combat Logistics Battalion 15 attached to BLT 2/4, the weeks in Barwanah have not slowed much since the beginning of operations. Though the weapons caches have become smaller due to...

Members of a Bosnian and Herzegovina explosive ordnance disposal unit move an unexploded ordnance Feb. 28 while on a mission to destroy a stash of Iraqi artillery in Asal Belly, east of Camp Echo, in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq. U.S. Army Courtesy photo Bosnian EOD Unit Takes Action in Iraq Team destroys more than 6,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance with overall weight of 14 tons. By Multi-National Corps, Iraq Public Affairs Office CAMP ECHO, Iraq, March 1, 2007 -- In Asal Belly, east of Camp Echo, in Ad Diwaniyah, was a stash of Iraqi artillery placed during the last war....

1/31/2007 - LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. (AFNEWS) -- Two explosive ordnance disposal Airmen from the 314th Civil Engineer Squadron received combat medals for their actions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom Jan. 30 in a ceremony here. Staff Sgt. Lawrence Lipinski was awarded the Bronze Star and Staff Sgt. Matthew Patnaude received his second Purple Heart for their actions while deployed with the Army's 101st Airborne at Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq. "They define the wingman concept; meeting the objective under the worst of circumstances," said Brig. Gen. Kip L. Self, the 314th Airlift Wing commander who presented the...

Pfc. Jason Ferris, a gunner for 1st Platoon, Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery, 2ndBrigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, pulls security in the turret for his platoon during a mission in Baghdad Nov.26. Photo by Pfc. Shea Butler, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.CAMP LIBERTY -- A group of Soldiers stand in line for lunch as they jokingly make fun of one another, like good friends do, until they get a call on the radio - ‘An improvised explosive device has been found.’ Before the voice in the radio can finish, the Soldiers take off in a sprint toward...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2006 – Iraqi soldiers today captured a person suspected of complicity in recent murders and kidnappings during a raid in northeastern Baghdad, while another Iraqi operation conducted yesterday near Mahmudiyah netted two suspected terrorists, according to Multinational Corps Iraq news releases. The person caught in today’s Iraqi military operation is believed to be involved with illegal militias and improvised explosive bomb attacks against civilians, officials said. The raid was conducted in conjunction with Operation Together Forward, officials said, with the goal of catching criminals inciting sectarian violence, denying them safe havens and providing for a safe and...

Saturday, 05 August 2006 Marine Sgt. Bryan E. Carter, a 23-year-old native of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, gives a class on improvised explosive devices for Marines traveling on the dangerous roads of Iraq, July 29. Story and photo by Cpl. Daniel J. Redding1st Marine Logistics Group CAMP HABBANIYAH -- Jenny is dead, another casualty in the struggle to stabilize Iraq. A robot used in counter-insurgency missions throughout the restive Al Anbar province, “Jenny,” met her fate aiding a team of Marine explosive ordnance disposal technicians trying to disarm a deadly improvised explosive device. These four men calmly and willingly put...

An inside look at the Pentagon's inadequate response to the IED threat in Iraq. "Between the increase in armor and the changes in tactics, techniques and procedures that we've employed, the number of attacks . . . that have been effective has gone down, and the number of casualties per effective attack has gone down." --General Peter Pace Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff November 2005 GENERAL PETER PACE issued that statement last November in response to an inquiry about the Pentagon's efforts to combat the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq. What General Pace did not...

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Broken down into its separate components, one of the booby-trap explosives awaiting disposal at a Canadian military camp in Kandahar resembles a pile of rusting metal, crude wiring and assorted bits and pieces. But assembled, the collection of old artillery shells, fuses and wires could wreak havoc among Afghan civilians, as well as coalition troops. In the past few months, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and car bombers have taken the lives of four Canadian soldiers, a Canadian diplomat and scores of Afghan citizens. Every time Cpl. Michael's radio tells him a suspected booby-trap bomb has been uncovered...

4/27/2006 - SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- One might think explosive ordnance disposal troops are adrenalin junkies. But they are meticulous about their work and don’t take unnecessary risks. However, because they deal with explosives placed by the enemy, the risk is real. “We all know the consequences,” said Tech. Sgt. William Sistler, a 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron EOD team chief. “But we don’t think about it.” Since January, the EOD Airmen here responded more than 340 times in an area of responsibility covering 500 square miles. Even though they face the chance of injury or death every...