The training was put together to provide an opportunity for the EOD technicians to sharpen
their skills and maintain overall operational readiness for the unit. The Marines built improvised
shaped charges, tested their hard line wire system and disposed of unexploded ordnance during
the training event.
“We are sharpening our skills,” said Sgt. Arcangel Barragan, an EOD technician with
MWSD-31. “We always practice what we do before we need to do it in a real situation. That way
we know exactly how it works and when it will go off. In this particular situation we are testing
out different shape charges on different materials and what kind of reaction we get.”
The unit uses shaped charges to dispose of ordnance when it cannot be moved from the
location it was discovered. If the ordnance can be moved, they take it back to the range to
dispose of it.
“We use shaped charges to cut into a piece of ordnance without actually detonating,” said
Barragan. “It’s just enough to start burning out the explosives inside of it.”
After creating the shaped charges and placing them on the unexploded ordnance, the Marines
set up a hard line wire system to run the electrical impulses through that detonate the shaped
charges.
“We’re doing demonstrations for the air station’s upcoming air show using a similar hard line
wire system setup,” said Sgt. Stephen Gomez, an EOD technician and the range safety officer
with MWSD-31. “This training not only helps become more familiar with the system but it also
helps us find better ways to use it and identified any issues that could come up.”
After everything was set up, the Marines moved across the range into a bunker area and the
charges were detonated in three series. The traditional and improvised charges detonated as
planned.
“We are always training and using different methods on the ordnance to see if there is a
better way,” said Barragan. “In our job, thinking outside the box is encouraged. It allows us to
improvise on the spot and learn from each other.”
Date Taken: | 09.08.2016 |
Date Posted: | 09.15.2016 16:38 |
Story ID: | 209777 |
Location: | BEAUFORT, SC, US |
Web Views: | 60 |
Downloads: | 1 |
This work, EOD: Thinking outside the box, by Sgt Ashley Phillips, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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