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Maintaining the Razor's Edge; Seabees Receive Hands-on Training

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080519-23
Release Date: 5/19/2008 10:47:00 PM

By Master Chief Utilities Constructionman (SCW) Richard Darrah, 22nd Naval Construction Regiment Public Affairs

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (NNS) -- Personnel from the 22nd Naval Construction Regiment (22 NCR) attended Multi National Force-West (MNF-W) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Improvised Explosive Device (IED) training, April 23.

The training is a refresher course designed to help Seabees identify explosive devices planted by the enemy. The training has been an ongoing process which will continue throughout the deployment.

Sustainment training allows personnel to maintain the skills they have already mastered and also provides an opportunity to acquire new skill sets as the environment around them changes.

The local EOD unit sponsors this course and makes it as real as possible with a hands-on approach using IEDs recovered from actual missions. For added realism, EOD had personnel walk a course strewn with inert IEDs that are camouflaged and hidden the way they would be in theater.

The two and half hour long class covered a variety of topics such as what parts and pieces go into making an IED, the common explosives used, the different methods the enemy uses to initiate the devices, and how it is employed against coalition forces.

Following the initial classroom portion of the training, EOD personnel walked the class around their IED road course and challenged all to find the inert IEDs that had been concealed. On a few occasions, personnel were completely unaware that they were standing right on top of an emplaced IED until the instructor unearthed them.

"This training makes you realize how hostile the environment can be here in Iraq," Engineering Aide 2nd Class (SCW) Adrian Floy said. "Everyone who arrives in country should receive this training."

After completing the walk-through, the EOD instructors stayed an additional 45 minutes fielding questions from 22 NCR personnel.

Steelworker 1st Class (SCW) Michael Salerno explained that the training he received from EOD gave a much better understanding of what Seabees face every day.

"The training was awesome," said Salerno. "The walk-through with the EOD personnel was thorough and improved our understanding on how the enemy emplaces and conceals IEDs. Compared to the Power Point presentation back in homeport, I feel that the hands-on training is a much more powerful tool."

For more news from 22nd Naval Construction Regiment, visit www.navy.mil/local/22ndNCR/.