• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

EODMU 4, Det. 10 Train, Test Remote Detonation Techniques of IED

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS041117-04
Release Date: 11/17/2004 12:53:00 PM

By Journalist 2nd Class Elton Shaw, Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs

MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 4, Det. 10 completed the Final Evaluation Phase (FEP) of its Improvised Explosive Device (IED) training Nov. 9.

As the EOD duty detachment of Naval Support Activity Bahrain, EODMU 4, Det. 10 is required to be thoroughly trained on IEDs. Chemical, nuclear and weapons of mass destruction incident scenarios were also included in EODMU 4, Det. 10's three-month training phase leading up to the FEP.

"The purpose of IED training is to simulate operations we might experience in Iraq or our surrounding area of responsibility," said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class (EOD) Tim Johns, of EODMU 4, Det. 10. "Today, our goal was to safely dispose of an IED using a robot so we didn't have to actually put our hands on the device."

During improvised exercises, such as the IED FEP, the unit uses all sorts of tools to complete the mission not necessarily seen in conventional exercises.

"Our primary mission is mine countermeasures and underwater demolition, but we also need to be trained in surface ordnance, as well," said Johns. "The ability to do a wide variety of jobs is one of the reasons I like being in an EOD unit."

The unit was tested on rendering underwater IEDs safe during a night dive Nov. 9.

In teams of two, the unit had to dive in the water, locate and safely render inactive four IEDs strategically placed on the bottom of a ship's hull.

EODMU 4, Det. 10 completed the exercise in split teams. One team was led by Chief Aviation Ordnanceman (EOD) Buster Stancil in the unit and the other by Lt. Casper Vain, officer in charge.

"Both teams simultaneously and successfully completed two IED drills, each by remote means," said Vain. "They did it with the proper techniques and with the utmost safety, which is the most important thing."