Killeen Daily Herald February 18, 2010
Grenade found in soldier's vehicle
By Amanda Kim Stairrett
FORT HOOD – A 40 mm grenade was found in a soldier's vehicle Wednesday morning at the Clarke Road entrance to post, prompting officials to close the gate for 30 minutes.
Gate guards were performing a routine search about 9:15 a.m. when the round was discovered, according to information from Fort Hood. The post's Directorate of Emergency Services was immediately alerted.
"The immediate and efficient response of Fort Hood security and emergency service personnel reinforces that on-post security measures are working as they should," a Fort Hood release stated.
Traffic was redirected to other gates during the closure.
The 40 mm grenade is used with the MK 19 weapons system. It is a fully automatic grenade launcher that is mounted on tripods or vehicles such as Humvees and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles.
The weapon is used to "deliver intense suppressive fire against enemy personnel and lightly armored vehicles or bunkers," according to information from www.globalsecurity.org.
Post officials did not identify the soldier. They said he was detained by Fort Hood police and then released to his unit.
Contact Amanda Kim Stairrett at astair@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7547. Follow her on Twitter at KDHmilitary.
© Copyright 2010, Killeen Daily Herald
