Afghan National Army graduates first EOD class

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

09.01.2010

Courtesy Story

ISAF Joint Command

KABUL - Members of the 2nd Brigade 205th Afghan National Army and their partners from Combined Team Zabul gathered at Forward Operating Base Eagle Sunday to celebrate the graduation of 24 ANA soldiers from the first explosives search and recognition course.

The course was a two-week program designed to teach students how to recognize a variety of improvised explosive devices commonly used by insurgent forces in and around Zabul province.

During their training, students were taught the effects of explosives and safe handling practices, the use and maintenance of metal detection systems, search techniques as well as unexploded ordinance training and improvised explosive devices recognition.

"We taught them IED component recognition like pressure plates and command wires," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Mark Hajouk, one of the class instructors. "We also showed them different types of UXO projectiles like hand grenades and land mines so if they encountered them in the field they would be able to coordinate with their local EOD unit."

Hajouk said he found most of his students very eager to learn.

"They were all very accepting of this training," he said. "They were all born in Afghanistan and their families are here. So they are impacted daily by UXOs and IEDs. So they want to do their part to try and defeat the problem."

Each graduate was commended for their professionalism during their studies of this important topic. Recognition and the defeat of IEDs is an important tool in the Afghan National Security Forces fight against the Taliban and insurgent criminals, according to coalition officials.

• Date Taken: 09.01.2010
• Date Posted: 09.01.2010 08:32
• Story ID: 55526
• Location: KABUL, AF