During a route clearance mission near Kirkuk, Iraq, 4th Platoon, combat engineers with Company Charlie, 1-1 Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division out of Fort Bliss, Texas, located and destroyed an improvised explosive device before it could injure any security forces that travel the area, May 14.
After locating the IED, Company C secured the area so that an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit could destroy the device, according to Company C leadership.
After the area was secured some of the Soldiers searched the area for suspicious people and spoke to nearby villagers to see if they had seen anything.
When the IED was destroyed EOD moved in to collect evidence.
"It is great what these Soldiers do," according to Command Sgt. Maj. William M. Johnson, 1st Armored Division command sergeant major.
"They go out in search of IEDs to protect their fellow Soldiers," he continued.