Photo By Staff Sgt. Chad Nelson | Rashid Graham, the senior bomb technician with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Chad D. Nelson
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – As the Iraqi holiday of Ramadan approaches, the Salah ad-Din province police force’s explosive ordnance disposal unit is concerned about local security. In the past few days, they have seen an increase in violence in the streets of Tikrit. Bomb calls for these police previously occurred as little as once a month. However, in just one day, they went out six times, according to Lt. Ahmed Salah, a team leader with the Salah ad-Din IPs.
On their missions, the Iraqis use only bomb suits to disarm improvised explosive devices. Though bulky and clumsy, the bomb suit is safer than nothing, but it isn’t as effective as a bomb-disposal robot.
On Aug. 7, the U.S. Navy’s Task Force Troy – North, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Two, out of Little Creek, Va., trained the local IPs on the use of an Andros HD-1 bomb disposal robot. This was the first training session of about 15 – 20 sessions, all of which are designed to evaluate the IP’s competency on EOD equipment. During the sessions, the EODMU will evaluate the Iraqis and determine whether they are ready to receive new pieces of EOD equipment.
Along with robots, the IPs will receive bomb suits, hook and line kits, an x-ray generator, a bomb trailer, explosive magazines, metal detectors, small hand tools, and knives. Instead of giving the IPs all of this equipment all at once, the EODMU first wants to guarantee the IPs are capable of maintaining and operating the equipment.
“We don’t want them to get it and then have it break on them,” said Navy Lt. j.g. Bruce Batteson, Salah ad-Din Province Commander, EODMU Two.
The EODMU has trained their Iraqi counterparts on the use of various pieces of EOD equipment for the last five months. The IPs and Navy EOD team focused on the new robot during an Aug. 7 training session.
“We [were] trying to work out the kinks with the new equipment,” said EOD2 Rashid Graham, Senior Bomb Technician with the EODMU.
There were a few kinks at the beginning of the training, Aug. 7. Some antennas needed switching around, and the battery needed replacing. As soon as these problems were troubleshot and remedied, the robot and the IP team worked together perfectly.
The driver of the robot was an extremely capable operator, according to Lt. j.g. Batteson.
“The robot driver is the key to this,” said EOD2 Graham. “The driver will either make the team leader’s job easy or difficult. A good robot driver can take each individual [bomb] piece apart, making the job much easier.”
At one point during the training, the driver controlled the robot into pulling the blasting cap out of an IED training aid, rendering the explosive ineffective.
After watching them run a gamut of real-world scenarios, such as picking up cell phones, placing them in a safe container and then responding to a report of an unexploded ordnance on the side of the road, Lt. j.g. Batteson and his team were comfortable giving the robot to the IPs.
“The objective is to have them operate completely independent,” said Lt. j.g. Batteson. “They should be fully mission capable by the time we leave.”
The training proved to be invaluable to the IPs.
“Without the training and equipment, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” IA Lt. Saleh said. “It has been a real confidence boost, and we’re capable of [completing the mission] now.”
The robot is the first piece of equipment in a series of pieces that the Navy EOD team will give to the Iraqis.
“We’ll issue the highest quality equipment first, which is also the equipment they’re most familiar with,” Lt. j.g. Batteson said.
The robot was first on the list, because it is the single most important piece of equipment that saves EOD’s lives, he added, though there are other pieces of equipment needed to complete the job.
Thanks to the training and the donation, the IPs have a new, powerful tool in the efforts to quell needless deaths and injuries caused by explosives. And, with Ramadan beginning in just a couple of days, the IPs needed this robot now more than ever.
“It’s an absolutely necessary tool,” Lt. j.g. Batteson said.
| Date Taken: | 08.09.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 08.12.2010 14:24 |
| Story ID: | 54463 |
| Location: | CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, IQ |
| Web Views: | 92 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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