CAMP MARMAL, Afghanistan -- Since 2001 IEDs have become the weapon of choice for insurgents. As the number of incidents climb, so does the need for specially trained investigators. This is the mission of the International Security Assistance Force, Regional Command North, Weapons Intelligence Training course at Camp Marma - to train multinational teams on explosive forensics.
“WIT develops operators to go on the ground and become the first line investigators or exploiters of an IED scene,” said Sgt. Maj. Bradley Schneier – Weapons Intelligence Team course chief. “Students can come from any coalition country but need a background in one of four disciplines; intelligence, military police, infantry or explosive ordnance disposal.”
A live range portion where students actually react to explosive incidents as if they were on call in their real mission assignments, is the culmination of the 15 day course which starts with an entrance test, classroom lectures along with written and practical tests.
Preparing the live range seemed to be a reward for the trainers as they set up three different scenarios for the students making them as realistic as possible.
“We use high grade explosives,” said Colin, the senior WIT trainer at the live range. “Insurgents primarily use homemade explosives which are not as safe or predictable. We want to make sure everything detonates as planned.”
The trainers made short work of planting an IED under a vehicle, concealing a daisy chain, or series of three IEDs along a thoroughfare and setting up a plywood insurgent wearing a suicide vest packed with explosives and rebar shrapnel, next to another vehicle.
“We do some dry runs, back in camp,” said Jay, one of the WIT trainers at the live range. “On this range we detonate devices that are common in theater, this gives students a chance to exploit a post blast incident, it’s the real deal.”
The blasts went off as planned, the first blowing pieces of shrapnel from a simulated suicide vest through the entire passenger compartment of the vehicle, triggered by the plywood terrorist. The next explosion sent automobile parts hundreds of feet into the air landing in all directions. The daisy chain of three made only one explosive sound sending three distinct clouds of debris into the air.
After the range was declared safe the trainers doused the scenes with fake blood and waited for the students to arrive.
“The students are put into teams consisting of a team leader, scribe, photographer and forensic collector,” said Jay, one of the WIT trainers at the live range. “We teach them to look, link and think at the incident site.”
Looking involves observing the entire scene, not just the point of impact; 360 degrees of the visible area. Link, means what is familiar with this incident and past incidents. Any information that can link a single bomb maker to other incidents can assist in finding that terrorist and putting him out of business. Think, where is the trigger point, what was the direction of the charge, how was it detonated and how could it have been avoided. These are the basics we are teaching he said, these are all things we expect to be contained in the team presentations back at the classroom.
The teams quickly reported to the WIT trainers at each incident site and began exploiting the evidence left behind. Team leaders accessed the scene and gave directions to their team members, photographers documented the site and forensic evidence was bagged and tagged.
“I was trained in a different location in different weather conditions,” said Polish Army student 2nd Lt. Justyna Juszcztonytan. “The hands on experience in a dusty, different soil condition assured me I am doing it the correct way.”
The students were learning to save lives by collecting information about enemy tactics, techniques, and the procedures to identify, track, and eliminate the bomb-makers. Upon completion of the WIT course students will take their new skills out into the field for use in real world incidents.
“Our goal is to stop insurgents from placing an IED in the ground in the first place; so we don’t have to deal with the threat anymore,” said Colin. “That’s where intelligence comes into play. If we can identify IED facilitation cells within the AOR, we can stop insurgents from placing the IED. When the threat is gone we can start training with ANSF forces in a peaceful environment.”