FORT CARSON, Colo. –When some people think of an x-ray, they might picture a person in a white lab coat pointing at a backlit image of a human skeleton. Suppose the very same technology used to provide doctors with an ability to see the inner workings of a human body could be used to detect explosive devices.
It is not a new concept. The 71st Ordnance Disposal Group (EOD) and organizations across the nation, such as airports or state and government buildings, use x-ray systems to keep the public safe from possible acts of terror.
For more than 10 years, explosive ordnance disposal Soldiers have used portable x-ray systems, such as the RTR-4, to see the inner workings of suspicious packages or confirmed improvised explosive devices.
“The system had done its job, but not without complications,” said Staff Sgt. David Borgeson, team leader, 62nd EOD Company, 242nd EOD Battalion, 71st EOD.
The newest arrival to the Group’s tool kit is the SmartRayVision X1012 Extreme Digital X-Ray system. This system, and others like it, are currently being field tested by the U.S. Army to provide EOD technicians with a viable replacement for the RTR-4.
The new system includes a lighter-weight and compact design to reduce Soldier fatigue, a USB-capable battery charger, a tablet-style operating system, and a tripod designed to support the x-ray source for a more accurate image.
On Jan. 16, Borgeson held a side-by-side comparison of the new and old systems to show fellow Soldiers how advancements in modern science and technology have made x-raying objects quicker and more efficient; saving time and lives.
“Time is extremely valuable because you never know what you are dealing with. If you go down and it happens to be a timed IED, you don’t want to waste time on a target when it could kill you,” said Borgeson.
“As EOD techs, we are here to save lives … but at the same time, it’s our lives that we are putting out there too,” said Borgeson.
According to the team leader, one of the most significant time-saving improvements of the new system is its wireless capability.
“With the older system, there were a lot of issues with cables breaking. We couldn’t repair them. If we were able to repair them, we had to re-solder them,” said Borgeson.
The new system, in its wired configuration, uses a common network-style operating cable that can be made in-house, which saves the unit money, according to Capt. Hunter Spencer, commander, 62nd EOD.
“This not only saves us money, it increases our x-ray operational rate due to the quick turnaround of cable replacements,” said Spencer.
The new x-ray system is, in part, a result of the Army’s modernization strategy, which focuses on ways to “make Soldiers and units more lethal to win the nation’s wars, and come home safely,” according to a Jan. 16 U.S. Army Stand-To article on the subject.