The Source for Navy News
Navy EOD Joins Forces with Army, Helps Clear Ordnance Out of Baghdad
Story Number: NNS031016-06
Release Date: 10/16/2003 12:30:00 PM
By Lt. Cmdr. Lisa L. Brackenbury, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/5th Fleet Public Affairs
BAGHDAD, Iraq (NNS) -- While much of the media's attention remains focused on the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel are diligently working to protect coalition troops and Iraqi citizens from smaller and more deadly tools of individual devastation.
Buried mines, unexploded ordnance, rocket-propelled grenades, and objects called Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDs, are just a few of the malicious objects threatening the future peace and stability of Iraq.
For the past six months, 14 Navy EOD technicians from Norfolk, Va., and currently assigned to Special Operations Task Force 56 based in Bahrain, have been fully integrated into U.S. Army EOD units spread throughout Baghdad, responding to daily calls from U.S. and coalition military police, Iraqi police, and even Iraqi citizens, to investigate suspicious objects. While conditions are improving daily in Iraq, there are still those opposed to the U.S. presence who continue to attack people and infrastructure with explosives designed to wreak havoc on military convoys, innocent civilians and ultimately, the rebuilding process.
"Probably the biggest threat to coalition personnel in Iraq, and especially in Baghdad, comes from the enemy hiding explosives within mostly commonplace objects, such as cola cans, trash bags, and even MRE [Meals-Ready-to-Eat] packages, making them very dangerous IEDs," said Navy Chief Petty Officer Charles Hashek, who is working with the Army's Third Brigade Combat Team (BCT) operating in Baghdad. Hashek is the current Navy EOD record holder thus far in his one-month-old deployment, with 24 disarmed IEDs.
"One of the positive aspects of the work we're doing is that we're all gaining a lot of experience in handling IEDs. We've had to continually adjust our tactics and how we employ ourselves and our equipment in order to keep up with the changing tactics of the enemy. We're keeping a long list of lessons learned to pass down to our training commands."
"Neither the Navy nor the Army has ever dealt with this number of IEDs in such a short period of time," said Army Lt. Col. Tim Eberhard, commander of all EOD forces in country.
"Thirty-seven teams handle between 3800 to 4000 incidents per year in the U.S. Here in Iraq, our teams have responded to more than 4500 IED calls in the past three months alone."
Small, inexpensive, easily constructed, and now with relatively sophisticated remote-detonation capability, material for constructing IEDs is easy enough to find.
"Any explosives that can be looted, stolen or easily obtained are used by the insurgents to make IEDs," explained Army 1st. Sgt. Larry Cushing. "The city has ammunition all over the place - in schools, mosques, and even hospitals. We find it everywhere, from World War I-era bombs, to rocket-propelled grenades."
Insurgents simply steal the hardware, remove the explosives, and pack the material into items that would normally not warrant a passing glance. In a densely packed city teeming with loose trash on sidewalks, streets and in buildings, IEDs are almost impossible to find until it is too late.
The solution for reducing and ultimately eliminating the IED threat is to collect this unexploded ordnance (UXO) and destroy it using demolition procedures in controlled environments. The challenge is moving the UXO from locations throughout the country to captured ammo holding areas (CAHAs) or safe holding areas (SHAs), then destroying the weapons in safe disposal areas (SDAs).
"We are now moving roughly 60 five-ton truckloads of ammunition per day out of Baghdad alone," said Eberhard. "With the help of the four civilian contracting companies we recently hired, we should be able to get up to 100 truckloads per day. That should give you an idea of just how much ammo is still out there."
The joint Navy and Army EOD forces of Third BCT dispose of about 2,000 to 2,500 pounds of ordnance each week. Any arms not destroyed by coalition EOD forces will be stored for possible future use by the Iraqi Army currently being developed and trained by coalition forces.
Although a few of the Navy EOD members had previously worked with Army personnel in exercises such as Bright Star in Egypt, most had never before operated with their counterparts. Fortunately, thanks to their common language revolving around "blowing stuff up," these unique teammates quickly bonded into cohesive units capable of effectively working together to save lives and Iraqi property.
"The Navy is strong on water, and the Army is strong on land," said Army Sgt. Keith Adams. "Since we've been working together, we've tried to use each other's strengths to our advantage. I wish we worked more together during our training, but at least the situation here is giving us a chance to learn from each other."
Army Sgt. Micah Long agreed. "At first there were challenges. The Navy teams are organized differently than our Army teams, for example the Navy's team leader is an E-7 [Chief Petty Officer]. Our team leader is an E-6 [Staff Sgt.]. Our teams are also different sizes, and some of the equipment we use is different. But overall, because we have the same goals, the integration is working," Long said.
Navy EOD's ability to deploy quickly with minimal equipment and personnel also worked in the Army's favor.
"Navy EOD teams are highly mobile, and with the Army already stretched a bit thin, it made sense for us to step in and integrate with their highly capable teams already in place," Hashek said. "U.S. forces have never had to deal with IED situations like this before. Our primary challenges revolve around Baghdad's urban environment and not having enough interpreters to assist us in dealing with the crowds that result from our presence during IED calls. We're not doing training missions out here."
The teams expect to be in country until at least after Christmas. But even though they'd like to be home with their families during the holidays, these dedicated Sailors and Soldiers know their mission is important.
"I miss my family, but I love the work," Long said. Hashek agreed, "It's been an experience so far. It feels good to be contributing to the future of Iraq."
For related news, visit the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/ Commander, 5th Fleet Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cusnc.
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