Photo By Sgt. Devon Tindle | Sgt. Luther Sackett, from Rocky Ford, Colorado, digs a hole prior to using a rocket...... read more read more
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CENTRAL TRAINING AREA, OKINAWA, Japan – “Fire in the hole, fire in the hole, fire in the hole!” echoes throughout the range as the charging button is pushed. A loud bang rings out as a fuse is removed from an explosive device rendering it safe for removal.
Explosive ordnance technicians used specialized equipment to defuse inert artillery shells during sustainment rocket wrench procedures Sept. 24 at the Central Training Area.
The rocket wrench is a two-piece tool that is clamped onto an ordnance fuse. The tool is spun by two .50-caliber blank rounds that remove the fuse, rendering the ordnance safe for movement, according to Staff Sgt. Jason Hanson, from Lake Elsinore, California, and an EOD technician with 3rd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force.
The rocket wrench is a vital tool Marines use to safely defuse ordnance found on urban terrain, according to Sgt. Caleb M. Brintnall, from Lansing, Kansas.
“The purpose of this tool is to dispose of ordnance next to a place that is heavily populated,” said Brintnall, an EOD technician with the company. “The tool removes the fuse safely, so that we can properly remove the ordnance to a location where we can set off the charge.”
EOD technicians complete the training with the rocket wrench every six months, according to Sgt. Jesus Contreras, an EOD technician with the company.
“We participate in training to refresh our skills and keep up to date on the tools we use,” said Contreras, from Fabens, Texas. “We don’t always get our hands on the rocket wrench, so when we do we greatly enjoy the training we receive.”
Working with the various tools available ensures each technician is successful when the time comes for a real-world ordnance disposal situation, according to Contreras.
“That’s why we come out to the range,” said Contreras. “To learn from those mistakes and fix them before working with the real deal.”
| Date Taken: | 09.24.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.08.2014 22:19 |
| Story ID: | 144693 |
| Location: | CENTRAL TRAINING AREA, OKINAWA, JP |
| Hometown: | EL PASO, TEXAS, US |
| Hometown: | LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | LANSING, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 644 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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