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2009-11-03 Afghanistan
Bomb Disposal Legend Dies.
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Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2009-11-03 11:49|| || Front Page|| [3 views ]  Top

#1 Rest in peace brother....
Posted by spanishman 2009-11-03 12:03||   2009-11-03 12:03|| Front Page Top

#2 Not certain how we come by such brave me. We have indeed "entertained angels unawares."
Posted by Besoeker  2009-11-03 12:25||   2009-11-03 12:25|| Front Page Top

#3 I'm not too knowledgeable on this but why are these IEDs defused rather than detonated/exploded?
Posted by JohnQC 2009-11-03 13:28||   2009-11-03 13:28|| Front Page Top

#4 I guess one reason would be that they might be in a populated area.
Posted by JohnQC 2009-11-03 13:29||   2009-11-03 13:29|| Front Page Top

#5 I am amazed that a people who can produce so many astoundingly good men like SSgt Schmid can have such timid, feckless politicians. Rest in Peace, Sir.
Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot  2009-11-03 15:26|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]  2009-11-03 15:26|| Front Page Top

#6 Just a matter of time---like being an ace in WWI.
Posted by g(r)omgoru 2009-11-03 15:40||   2009-11-03 15:40|| Front Page Top

#7 Thank you, sir for your great service. All too many of don't deserve it.
Posted by Richard of Oregon 2009-11-03 16:14||   2009-11-03 16:14|| Front Page Top

#8 JohnQC, My common sense tells me that the location dictated defusing.
Posted by AlmostAnonymous5839">AlmostAnonymous5839  2009-11-03 16:53||   2009-11-03 16:53|| Front Page Top

#9 These guys are so incredibly brave. Rest in Peace brave warrior.
Posted by remoteman 2009-11-03 16:57||   2009-11-03 16:57|| Front Page Top

#10 I guess one reason would be that they might be in a populated area.

Consider it incentive for the locals to shoot the IED planters.
Posted by ed 2009-11-03 17:45||   2009-11-03 17:45|| Front Page Top

#11 EOD have a very different culture from most military, and difficult to describe, at best. A particularly striking aspect, at least to other military, are those that have "God" security clearances, for things like dealing with nuclear trigger documents.

That is, "sign on the door, one person in the vault, loaded .45 on the desk, round in chamber, trigger back. If someone enters, you shoot them."

Damn. They mean it. One senior NCO I talked with was court martialed. First, for almost shooting his CO, and second, for *not* shooting his CO. He was saved by pointing out conflicting regulations, of equal authority.

The weirdest situation of all was speculated to be a Nuclear Accident and Incident (NAI) helicopter crash, in which the EOD tritium detectors have gone off, meaning six months of medical Hell for all EOD personnel.

Surrounded by Military Police with "kill all lifeforms attempting to enter the perimeter" orders. And with Chemical Corps and medical response outside of *them*, waiting politely to pick up the pieces of various kinds.

No sense of humor about these things.
Posted by  Anonymoose 2009-11-03 19:41||   2009-11-03 19:41|| Front Page Top

#12 I'm not too knowledgeable on this but why are these IEDs defused rather than detonated/exploded?

Populated area, near vital installations/equipment, save for future analysis, etc.

A particularly striking aspect, at least to other military, are those that have "God" security clearances, for things like dealing with nuclear trigger documents. That is, "sign on the door, one person in the vault, loaded .45 on the desk, round in chamber, trigger back. If someone enters, you shoot them."

That's the 'PRP'. And one didn't keep the trigger back - not on my ship.
Posted by Pappy 2009-11-03 20:37||   2009-11-03 20:37|| Front Page Top

23:39 USN, Ret.
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