Hunting in harm's way: 731st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company

Photo By Master Sgt. Mark Burrell | Air Force Staff Sgt. Lazaro Acosta (right), assigned to the 731st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, receives information from the Iraqi army after being called out to dispose of an improvised explosive device March 3 in Baghdad.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

03.12.2009

Story by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell 

Multi-National Division Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Iraq – On the roads of Baghdad, a Soldier's heart pounds as his convoy halts, having just spotted a suspected improvised explosive device. But he makes a call and relief is in sight.

When coalition and Iraqi security forces roll up on potential IEDs, a call is made to the 731st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company from Fort Stewart, Ga.

"You have to have a little crazy in you to go down to an IED," exclaims Spc. Lyle Poss, an EOD technician and native of Lake Ozark, Mo. "Somebody's got to do it, so it might as well be someone who's well-trained."

Though the personnel of the 731st EOD might be a little crazy to be able to muster the courage to dismantle bombs, they are definitely proficient at what they do.

"You're not going to take a Joe and have him poke around with an IED," continued an animated Poss. "Our job is to render safe and dispose of any ordinance that causes harm in country."

That means anything from unexploded artillery shells to explosively formed penetrators to weapons caches.

"No two calls are ever the same," said Sgt. Helen Petithory, an EOD technician from Mobile, Ala. "It's never boring as long as you have something to do."

In this operating environment, the passionate EOD personnel are always on-call and have something to do.

"We're extremely specialized and the only ones able to mitigate the risk to the troops," said Poss. "Also, we really help protect the local populace, not just the lives of the Iraqi army, Iraqi police and the coalition force, but local nationals."

Protecting people is foremost in an EOD technician's job.

"A kid could find an unexploded grenade and pull the pin," Poss continued. "Doing our jobs protects people from not having to go into their backyard and find an artillery shell that's going to blow them away."

In Baghdad, unexploded ordnance from years of conflict could harm innocent people or be used against CF or ISF. The 731st EOD Company's commitment to diminishing this threat leads to long hours either waiting for an IED report or traveling down treacherous, uneven dirt roads.

"Out here when I'm doing my job, I'm actually doing something good," expressed Petithory. "Mainly when we go out, we're making sure someone's not going home missing an arm or a leg. Regardless if it's us or an [Iraqi soldier] or an [Iraqi police officer] - somebody's going to actually survive intact and that gives me a warm fuzzy."

The EOD team not only helps protect ISF, but also works as partners with Iraqi EOD.

"Iraqi EOD and us - we have a pretty good working relationship," said Poss. "Lots of times we go out to a site and they're already there, we just kinda take an over watch position and make sure they're doing it right."

When EOD arrives on scene and safely disarms a device, they analyze the situation and compile a report. The knowledge that the EOD technicians amass proves that courage isn't the only talent that these explosives specialists possess.

Poss pointed to his head stating, "This job is a lot more about what's up here." He then flexed, pointed to his biceps and said, "Than about what's right here."

• Date Taken: 03.12.2009
• Date Posted: 03.12.2009 04:40
• Story ID: 31012
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ