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bobdina
09-09-2009, 02:34 PM
British bomb squad in Taliban ambush
A Military Operations news article

A ten-man team of British bomb disposal experts braved Taliban fire recently to make safe a potentially deadly roadside bomb and keep other troops and Afghan civilians safe.
The ten-man Improvised Explosive Device Disposal Team

The ten-man Improvised Explosive Device Disposal Team
[Picture: British Army]

The clearance took place during a Taliban ambush and the officer commanding the team from the Joint Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group had to run out twice into open ground under fire to make safe the device whilst his colleagues put down covering fire.

Discovered by Danish troops patrolling in the Nad e-Ali area of Helmand province, the device was found near a bridge over a canal, an important crossing-point used regularly by coalition forces and civilians alike.

The device contained over 20kg of high explosives and would have been activated by a passing vehicle or if trodden on by a serviceman or innocent passer-by.

The team of bomb disposal experts were rushed out by helicopter from Camp Bastion, where they had been waiting on high alert, ready to move within minutes to deal with any improvised explosive devices (IEDs) discovered in Helmand province.

The team got to work inspecting the device and, realising it was too big to remove, knew that they would have to destroy it with a controlled explosion.

However, as they began their task, the Taliban suddenly ambushed the team, firing from three different locations with automatic rifles.

With bullets flying overhead and the device still not made safe, Captain Tom Bennett, aged 28, Officer Commanding of the Improvised Explosive Device Disposal Team, ran 20 metres out into open ground in view of the enemy whilst his colleagues put down suppressing fire to cover him.

He set a demolition charge on the bomb before running back into cover. However, the unstable nature of the home-made explosives in the bomb meant it failed to fully explode. Despite the risk, and the continuing Taliban fire, Captain Bennett sprinted out again to set another charge - this time it was successful and the bomb exploded, showering the team with rocks and sand but fortunately causing no injuries. He said:
Captain Tom Bennett

Captain Tom Bennett, Officer Commanding of the Improvised Explosive Device Disposal Team
[Picture: British Army]

"The device was so big that if it had gone off it would have definitely caused injuries or even deaths to anyone caught in the blast. It had been deliberately placed in a location which would have hit coalition troops or civilians, which is typical of the Taliban's disregard for life and their cowardly tactics.

With the bomb made safe, the contact with the enemy ended thanks to the accurate and heavy fire from the Danish and British troops, allowing the disposal team to extract safely.

The Joint Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group deal with all unexploded munitions, mines and IEDs, conduct investigations following explosions, and assist in the searching and clearing of routes.

Captain Bennett's team is one of the specialist units within the group known as Improvised Explosive Device Disposal Teams who deal only with the Taliban's IEDs, which have proved so deadly to coalition and Afghan forces and, tragically, many more Afghan civilians.

His second-in-command is Corporal John Canning, aged 25, from Edinburgh-based 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Regiment, who, describing their role, said:

"One of our responsibilities is searching and clearing routes prior to convoys or road moves - this helps to keep our forces and civilians using the roads safe.

"We also work alongside the different battle groups across Helmand, supporting them on operations by searching for and making safe IEDs that they may encounter.

"Finally, there is always a team based at Camp Bastion, the main British base here, on high alert - ready to move quickly and be inserted by helicopter to either search for or deal with a device, or investigate the cause of an explosion."

Captain Bennett, who also serves in the UK with 11 EOD Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, added:

"As a team we have been dealing with devices almost every day all over Helmand - the most we've done is five in one day. Sometimes you can scare yourself a bit, but then there is danger to anyone here in Afghanistan and to us it's just another job."

GTFPDQ
09-09-2009, 02:36 PM
Good skills and balls the size of watermelons.