Photo By Spc. Laura Bigenho | Spc. Tracy Stump, military police officer, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 10th...... read more read more
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by Spc. Laura M. Bigenho
28th Public Affairs Detachment
Service members of all military occupational specialties are becoming certified mine detectors because of a course offered at Camp Victory.
The 40-hour, week-long course teaches troops how to find explosives using a special device called the Army, Navy/Portable Special Search-14.
Weighing 10.8 pounds, the AN/PSS-14 is shaped similar to a typical metal detector, but has more capabilities. In addition to detecting metal, the device has ground-penetrating radar.
"With those two technologies combined, you can detect metal in the ground and be able to tell if there is a density change in the ground," said Staff Sgt. Richard Wood, instructor, Engineer School, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
"It is the world's first true mine detector. Everything else before it was just a metal detector."
The first day of class equips students with basic knowledge and background of the AN/PSS-14. For the next two days, they apply their new knowledge outdoors on a practice course designed to teach mine sweeping techniques, learn how to footprint mines, and participate in practical exercises.
In the beginning, students are paired into lanes with a buddy, but by day four they are able to operate in a lane by themselves in full battle gear. The exercises are intended to prepare students for written and hands-on tests during day five.
"We try to keep (the course) as real as possible," Wood said. "We kind of let the ground do what it does, just like it would if you were out in an actual minefield."
Spc. Tracy Stump, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade,10th Mountain Division, said she expects her new skills and newly assigned AN/PSS-14 will be of use during her missions with explosive ordnance units. As a military police Soldier, she frequently escorts EOD on missions outside VBC.
"They'll be able to use (the AN/PSS-14) after postblasts to detect if there are any mines or other types of metal in the area," Stump said. "It's a pretty good tool."
She said she feels confident the training will help save lives.
"We can detect mines before anybody gets hurt," she said. "We can also use them for finding caches."
Wood agreed.
"If the operator uses (the AN/PSS-14) the way he was trained on it — using all proper techniques — it will save lives," Wood said.
Anybody is eligible to take the course. Wood encourages troops to take advantage of it regardless of MOS.
"We've had weathermen, cooks, truck drivers and computer analysts take the course," he said. "If they get into an area with mines, they can extract it themselves or they can conduct mine clearance, which results in lives being saved."
Wood emphasized that service members who pass the course are not authorized to train others.
"This is an operator course, not a training course," he said.
The skills and knowledge acquired through the course are too extensive to be passed along without having been through the training, he added.
Stump said she plans to tell others in her unit about the course to help familiarize them with it while encouraging them to take it.
"I've learned a lot being here, plus it's kind of fun," she said. "Hopefully we'll be able to use it outside the wire."
| Date Taken: | 04.05.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 04.05.2007 07:16 |
| Story ID: | 9779 |
| Location: |
| Web Views: | 272 |
| Downloads: | 141 |
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