Photo By Sgt. Carson Gramley | Cpl. Mike Smith (left), Staff Sgt. Steve Fitzpatrick (center), and Spc. Kevin Braun...... read more read more
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AL ASAD, Iraq - Marines with Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command, Task Force Al Asad, conducted a patrol aboard Al Asad Airbase, Iraq, Jan. 4, 2015, to help find remnants of 122 mm rockets fired at coalition forces.
Marines escorted members of a U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, TF Al Asad, around the base to find and examine the impact sites.
“We’re looking at the [fragmentation] pattern that was left, and that can tell us the direction that it came in from and give us a back azimuth so that they can track that back and find where they think it launched from,” said Army Staff Sgt. Steve Fitzpatrick, EOD Company, TF Al Asad.
Fitzpatrick said this has its uses, but due to the inaccuracy of the rockets, it’s not an exact science; however, they have other ways of finding the launch sites.
Aside from finding the launch site directly, coalition forces have to consider finding where the rockets are manufactured, said Cpl. Joshua Whitley, a team leader.
“The EOD guys will take [the rocket back] and analyze anything that needs to be analyzed that might show who they come from,” said Whitley.
Fortunately, none of the rockets have caused any major damage or casualties to coalition forces, but safety remains a concern even after the impacts have happened because not all the rockets explode on impact, said Fitzpatrick.
Aside from finding and analyzing the fired rockets they also conduct controlled detonations for any unexploded ordnance they find, said Whitley. He added that EOD does a good job coordinating to find where the rockets are coming from, helping to keep the coalition forces safe.
“This whole base is a unified base; we have the Army, Marines, [partnering nations], the Air Force is here with their fire trucks, so we’re all working together for one common goal.”
| Date Taken: | 01.04.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.20.2015 03:02 |
| Story ID: | 152266 |
| Location: | AL ASAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 507 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, Rocket Patrol: US Marines and Soldiers Search for Impact Sites, by Sgt Carson Gramley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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