Nerves Of Steel of an EOD Specialist

Dec. 27, 2012 - PRLog -- An EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) specialist, is responsible for a variety of things from the disarming of bombs and weapons, IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) and mine clearance, to name a few. EOD technicians can be found within the military's U.S. Army, Navy and Marines. Utilizing a variety of techniques and forms of equipment, the EOD tech is a skill set that requires countless hours and incredible focus and lack of fear.

How doe EOD techs disarm the bombs they encounter? EOD technicians use, but are not limited to, equipment that is similar to the X-ray technicians found in hospital settings and used by medical personnel which include high-end sensors and devices that can detect and help understand and interpret sounds, odors and smells, or even produce images from within the munition or bomb thus allowing the tech to see into the explosive and better understand its nature and makeup.

Using experience and highly skilled use of training they can view into the bomb and  determine what the munition or device is comprised of, and what state it is in to determine its more immediate situation and threat, where they will then formulate a procedure to disarm it. Knowing the steps to safely complete the next transition of disarming the bomb may include replacing safety features, or as difficult as using high-powered explosive-actuated devices that will shear, jam, bind, or remove parts of the item's firing train rendering the device inactive.

A bomb is never safe, it just will not set off using its original construction. This does not mean that an explosive is not just as lethal. Ideally, this will be accomplished remotely, and at a safe distance from the IED to produce the best method for destroying the device and in some circumstances when a bomb robot won't do, then the technician must put them self in harm's way and at risk by personally going near the bomb.

The EOD Technician will put on a specialized protective suit, which employs highly sophisticated and engineered flame and fragmentation-resistant material similar to bulletproof vests. Included in many of the newest versions of an EOD suit comes with advanced features such as internal cooling, amplified hearing, and communications back to the control area. This suit is constructed to improve the odds and survival for the Technician should the munition or bomb function while they are near it.

In rare circumstances an EOD tech will require the explosive device be removed from its point of origin. Rarely, the specifics of a munition or bomb ad its construction will allow the Technician to first remove it from the scene. When this is required, a containment vessel is used. These containment tools are shaped like very small water tanks, others appear like large spheres. Using distance and remote methods, the Technician places the item in the container and relocates to an uninhabited area to complete the neutralization of the device. Because of the instability and modern complexity of bombs, this is seldom done.

After the munition or bomb and device has been rendered safe, the EOD Technicians will assist in the removal of the remaining parts so the area can be brought back to normal. All of this, also known as or called a Render Safe Procedure, can take a great deal of time and still have the EOD exposed to other battlefield conditions outside the diffusement of the bomb. . Because of the construction of devices, temperature, environment, the situation a waiting period must be taken into consideration to ensure that whatever render-safe method was developed worked as intended. While time is usually not on the EOD Operator's side, rushing usually ends in disaster.

Another technique used is Trepanation, in which a bore is cut into the sidewall of a explosive bomb and the explosive contents are removed through a combination of steam and acid bath liquification of bomb contents. There are many situations and for each situation to bomb extraction countless techniques and methods are used.

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