FOB WARHORSE, BAQUBA, Iraq -- Though innocent in appearance, the stuffed burlap bag with protruding wires could potentially be much more deadly than a bag of garbage.
For the "Trailblazer" Soldiers of 3rd Platoon, Company A, 467 Engineer Battalion, patrolling main supply route Vanessa, the stuffed bag could possibly contain an improvised explosive device.
"We use specialty equipment and patrol routes looking for IEDs, said Capt. Jesse Shulaw, Co. A commander, 467 Engineers. "Our mission is to ensure mobility along Corps and Division main supply routes."
The specialty equipment the Trailblazers, who are assigned to the 42nd Infantry Division, employ to find IEDs is the Buffalo, also known as the, Mine Protected Clearance Vehicle. The MPCV is a 23-ton, armored vehicle operated by two Soldiers - a driver and a boom operator, with room for four other Soldiers. The Buffalo is cross-country, all-weather, and equipped with a long boom called a 'spork." The spork is safely operated from within the cab by a crew member and can dig, push, pull or drag garbage or dirt while looking for or inspecting potential IEDs, protecting its crew from harm at the same time.
Co. A, 3rd platoon, left FOB Warhorse with a Buffalo, and three Humvees. Their mission was to sweep MSR Detroit and Vanessa and keep them clear of IED's.
The Buffalo was driven by, Spc. Patrick Lynch from Rochester, N.Y., and Staff Sgt. Paul East who is from Clewiston, Fla., East operated the spork.
"We travel about 25 miles an hour, looking for IED indicators," said East. "Anyone in the convoy can stop to investigate a suspicious site or object."
An IED indicator is anything out of the ordinary. It could be a previous IED site, empty cardboard box, bags, piles of loose gravel, dirt or garbage - nothing can be taken for granted, according to military officials.
The roadways in Iraq are strewn with trash. "The way it looks, we could sit here and inspect trash all day," said East.
Within 10 minutes of leaving FOB Warhorse, East called the mine sweeping detail to a halt. An orange traffic cone had caught his attention. It appeared out of place, and the earth around it looked disturbed.
The convoy of Soldiers pulled back to safe distances and they blocked the highway from incoming traffic. East, manipulated the boom, knocking over the cone and scraping the earth. It turned out to be a false alarm and within a few minutes traffic was cleared and the convoy was on its way.
"An IED hidden in a traffic cone had gone off near a convoy last week," said East adding that no one was hurt.
Several hours later, the convoy returned safety to FOB Warhorse. "Last week, Co. A found five IEDs," said East. "Our purpose of being there is to reduce the insurgents opportunities to place IEDs,"
Soldiers of Trailblazers, admit to being satisfied with their job, though dangerous. Keeping the roads safe for Iraqi civilians, and Soldiers, means a lot. "I couldn't ask for a better job," said 2nd Lt. Randall Summerhill, platoon leader for Co. A.
"Most people in this country go out of their way to avoid IEDs, we go out to find them," said Summerhill. "It is a sense of satisfaction when the roads are safer.
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| Date Taken: | 06.09.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 06.09.2005 14:26 |
| Story ID: | 2083 |
| Location: | BAQUBAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 22 |
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