British Royal Army EOD Casualty

Helmand Province, Afghanistan British Royal Army EOD Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid of the 11th EOD Regiment was killed when the IED he was attempting to defuse exploded. Staff Sgt Schmid was based out of Vauxhall Barracks in Didcot and lived in Winchester with his wife and child. The day the incident occurred was scheduled to be his final day of his five-month tour of duty in Afghanistan. He deployed to Afghanistan in June and since then he had rendered safe 64 IEDs and was involved in 11 discoveries of bomb-making equipment.

Known as "Oz" to his family, friends and comrades, the Staff Sergeant was very well-known and well-respected in the EOD community. The Commanding Officer of the 2 Rifles Battle Group, Lt Col Robert Thomson described Staff Sgt Oz Schmid as "the bravest and most courageous man I have ever met". In a statement released by the British Ministry of Defence (MOD), the Secretary Mr. Bob Ainsworth added "His bravery, skill and self-less commitment undoubtedly saved lives and his legacy will spur on his fellow soldiers to continue in their work".