Photo By Sgt. Adrian Muehe | Sgt. Kevin Ames, of Boone, Iowa, a team leader for 2nd platoon, 18th Engineer Company,...... read more read more
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DIYALA, Iraq — The sun beats down upon the Iraqi desert and the dry cracked earth is cluttered with debris and small isolated shrubberies, making this the ideal location to hide an improvised explosive device. Arriving into this potential kill zone is a miniature tank equipped with multiple cameras and a long arm capable of extending in the front with pincers that allow it to pick up items or cut wires.
A safe distance away stands a U.S. Soldier using a joystick on a laptop to dictate every move made by this TALON Explosive Ordinance Disposal robot. Operated by Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, 18th Engineer Company, 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, this machine is able to locate and identify IEDs and other unexploded ordinance hazards in Diyala province, Iraq.
Proven to be a valuable tool used by the 18th Engineer Company, the TALON EOD Robot has been in military service since 2000 and plays a vital role in keeping roads safe during operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"The robot was originally meant for EOD Teams," said Staff Sgt. Jeff Heilman, a squad leader for 2nd platoon. "The engineers adopted it just for the route clearance mission and engineers are being taught how to use this robot to ensure EOD teams aren't called out to every single IED out on the road."
The primary mission of these combat engineers in Iraq is to perform route clearance operations. When they roll out to inspect the roads that are driven every day by U.S. Forces and Iraqi citizens, this robot always has a seat in the convoy. If they come across an area showing signs of suspicious activity, or an item of interest, they will send out the TALON instead of risking a Soldier's life.
"It's a great interrogation [investigation] tool that allows us to stay a ways back and just push out a piece of mechanical equipment that doesn't endanger anyone's life," said Sgt. Kevin Ames, of Boone, Iowa, and the training course instructor from 2nd platoon. "It can also go through smaller spaces than our vehicles can."
The small size of the robot, outfitted with four cameras allowing the operator to have 360 degree of the ground enables for easier identification of planted IED's. Watching the live-video feed, the operator can move a camera close in to inspect for thin, camouflaged wires or small portions of explosives sticking out of the ground that are near impossible to seen by a patrolling Soldier or someone from a vehicle.
"It gets us right up on the object to get a better look on it," said Ames.
Most engineers are demolition qualified, and have experience in dealing with explosives. This allows them to safely eliminate small IEDs they may encounter on route clearance, or if they are called out when an EOD team isn't available. The robot can use it's pincher to place charges to perform a controlled detonation to neutralize the threat.
"Sappers that are R2C2 [Route Reconnaissance and Clearance Operator] qualified can blow up shells size 155 and below and rockets size 122 and below," said Heilman.
When Soldiers are apprehensive about a specific object, an R2C2 trained squad member will then use the robot to place the materials needed for a controlled detonation.
"Already prepared C4 [plastic explosive] charges tied to an initiating system are placed next to the object by the robot, not on it," said Staff Sgt. Nicholas Bigham, a squad leader for 2nd platoon, about how engineers detonate IEDs. "The robot is then driven back, and the blast is initiated."
Although not every engineer is qualified to blow IEDs found along the road, everyone in 2nd Platoon has some experience with the robot. Some may be more comfortable with using it than others, but these Soldiers are experts on locating and identifying IEDs. Just knowing how to move this device will allow them to do their job in a way that's a lot safer than unknowingly walking into a kill zone.
"If we come upon something that looks suspicious we can just send the TALON out," said Spc. Andres Rivera, of Melrose Park, Ill., and a combat engineer with 2nd platoon. "We can maneuver around safely without personally setting an IED off or tripping command wire."
Without this device, these Soldiers would have to rely solely on their Buffalo, a specially designed vehicle with an extension in the front, to identify and locate IEDs. This vehicle also doesn't have the capabilities to detonate, so they would have to rely on EOD Teams, who are not always readily available, to complete route clearance missions.
"Without this robot, we would spend countless hours waiting on them [EOD Teams] to arrive," said Heilman. "This robot allows us to do our job quicker, and more proficient."
| Date Taken: | 05.31.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 05.31.2010 04:27 |
| Story ID: | 50573 |
| Location: | DIYALA, IQ |
| Web Views: | 287 |
| Downloads: | 166 |
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