Photo By Staff Sgt. Michael Pryor | 060829-A-5406P-003_JPG. - Sgt. Chad Shangraw, a Combat Engineer with A Co, 325th...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Staff Sgt. Joey Paladino has a motto: "Defeat the door."
As a combat engineer, Paladino's main job is to breach doors, walls, and other enemy defenses so the infantry can enter and complete their mission. During tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, he ran into all types of obstacles, and blew an entryway into each of them.
"There's not much I can't get into," Paladino said.
Paladino passed on some of his knowledge and experience to other soldiers during basic demolitions training held at Range 46 Aug. 29.
He and other combat engineers from A Co, 325th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, conducted training on basic demolitions and dynamic entry techniques with a group of infantrymen and military police from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
The purpose of the class was to give the infantrymen the skills and confidence to use demolitions as an entry tool when no combat engineers are available, Paladino said.
"The idea is, in case one of us goes down, they can step up and take the reins," he said.
The focus of the class was on dynamic entry methods, which refers to the use of explosives to breach a sealed entrance. Students were taught to build, emplace, and detonate three different types of urban breaching charges: the silhouette charge, the water impulse charge, and the flex linear charge.
With the water impulse charge, detonation cord is hung between two intravenous fluid bags. When the charge goes off, the explosion sends the water hurtling with projectile-like force.
"The force from the water either bows the door or takes it completely off the hinges," said Paladino.
Another goal of the class was to build confidence, both in the infantrymen's ability to work "danger close" to explosives, and in their relationship with the engineers, said Paladino.
The relationship might have seemed slightly strained during the first live fire demonstration when the infantrymen saw just how close they had to be to the explosion.
"They were like, 'Wow. These guys are really crazy,'" said Paladino.
But by the end, the participants had a good base of knowledge on demolitions to build on and were hungry for more.
"We definitely learned a lot. I thought it was a great introductory class. It left us wanting to come back and learn more," said Cpl. Josh Polland, a military policeman with Headquarters Company, 325th BSTB.
"I'd go back out there anytime," added Pfc. Neil Jones of A Co, 2nd Battalion, 2nd BCT.
| Date Taken: | 08.31.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 08.31.2006 13:40 |
| Story ID: | 7599 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 305 |
| Downloads: | 92 |
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