St. Petersburg, FL In September 2011, Brad Snyder, a Navy EOD Officer was severely injured from an IED blast leaving him with burns, a shattered eardrum, and permanent blindness. The Naval Academy graduate did not let this tragic event stop him and his passions.

In his first swim event since the accident at a meet in Colorado Springs, his performance earned him an invite to join the 2012 U.S. Paralympics Swim Team. If he accepts, he will have the opportunity to compete in London t during the 2012 Paralympic Games.

[More]

Panaji, India A dredging vessel brought up a munition item during dredging operations in the channel of the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT). The munition along with the dredge material was placed on a barge which was brought back to the shipyard. Workers at the shipyard saw the projectile and decided that it would be a good idea to try to reclaim the metal for recycling purposes. Well the idea turned out not to be such a good one as the shell exploded in the process injuring five worker, two of them seriously.

Naval officials visited the blast site and requested that the ship yard contact the military when munitions are found rather than trying to handle or recycle the items themselves. The type of munition involved in the incident was only reported as a projectile.

Article by Ward R Stern.

When working in a foreign and potentially hostile environment, the EX-PAT EOD/UXO contractor should always remain vigilant of the peripheral dangers, not the least of which is the potential from an insider threat. Whether it is an intentional act on the part of a nefarious character that has slipped through the vetting process or hazards manifesting due to the improper actions of a local hire employee; the informed EX-PAT EOD/UXO contractor technician becomes aware and is therefore better able to establish an effective protective posture plan against the potential of hazards which can approach and attempt to penetrate their protective security sphere from any direction or location.

An example of a real world situation in which vigilance paid off for me and the safety of others occurred back in 2010 when I was assigned as a Technical Advisor to an Afghanistan citizen comprised UXO team trained to International Mines Action Standards (IMAS). The team to operated in Samangan Province, Afghanistan and consisted of thirteen IMAS (Levels 1-3) technicians led by an Afghan Team Leader (IMAS Level 3). My direction (instructions received while in Kabul) was to mentor this team so that they could operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner. One facet of the assignment involved advising the team on best practices involving UXO safety, identification and disposal operations.

A primary focus of the team, observed on my arrival in Aibak, Samangan in early September 2010, was for them to travel out to villages in our area of operations and present UXO identification and safety awareness presentations to villagers. The team would liaison with a village elder or Malik (a village religious figure) prior, and set up a date, time and place (most times just a flat spot in the village where a carpet was placed) to conduct a presentation.

After a presentation had been made, the team leader would inquire if anyone in attendance had knowledge of the whereabouts of any UXO in proximity to the village. This inquiry would at times illicit a positive response from a village member that they had knowledge of the whereabouts of an ordnance item. The team would then, in theory, either dispose of the item or items in situ (i.e. blow in place [BIP]) or (if safe to transport) relocate and secure the item at a designated disposal range for disposal by detonation.

[More]

Arica, Chile Authorities closed the Arica-Tacna border crossing connecting Chile with Peru due to hazards caused by landmines. Recent torrential downpours in the area washed landmines onto the roadways at the border. The landmines date back to the 1970s when they were placed by Chile when tensions with Peru were high.

[More]

Pensacola, Florida The unofficial motto of EOD has been "Initial Success or Total Failure" which is meant to reflect on the life or death consequences of performing EOD work. The motto is widely used throughout the community and even posted on the classroom walls of the Navy's EOD School based at Eglin AFB.

However, the motto has been removed from the EOD school walls based on an order issued by Rear Admiral Tillotson. The Admiral believes the motto could be viewed as disrespectful and insensitive to all of the EOD technicians who have died or have been wounded in the line of duty.

[More]

Governors Island, New York Construction workers made a startling discovery when an old cannonball turned up in their backhoe during a renovation project near Soissons Dock. The workers called the police which triggered a massive emergency response from the police and fire departments and the Park Service.

The NY Police Department Bomb Squad was also on hand to provide technical support. The responders determined that the munition, described as a 14 inch Civil War era cannon ball was inert. The cannonball was removed from the construction site.

[More]

Chiclana de la Frontera, Spain Bomb disposal experts were called to a local grocery market when a hand grenade was found in a sack of potatoes. The grenade reported only as a live WWII era hand grenade initially eluded detection through harvesting and shipping across Europe from Belgium due to its corroded state. The hand grenade was safely removed from the store and disposed of by the bomb squad without incident.

Gulfport, Mississippi Looney, Lance, 25, and three accomplices were denied bail for their alleged involvement in the theft of munitions from the ranges at Camp Shelby. The ATF testified in court that Looney, Lance cashed a check for $3,000 back in November from an Alabama recycling company, profits from allegedly stolen munitions debris. Looney's alleged crime partner, Dale Ray Johnson, 33, was not so lucky. He was the man injured on January 19th when a munition he was cutting open exploded sending shrapnel through his neck and kneecap. He also lost an eye and the bones in his hands were crushed. Johnson has not been arrested but Looney, Lance and three other alleged accomplices were including Jimmy Wilson, 48; his brother, Jack Wilson, 45; and David Bangs, 48 were.

[More]

Denver, Colorado A tentative lease for mineral rights associated with the former Lowry Bombing Range is in jeopardy from a bill introduced by Colorado lawmakers to impose strict rules for fracking near hazardous waste sites including sites with munitions and explosives. The mineral rights associated with the former Lowry Bombing Range are controlled by the Colorado State Land Board. The Land Board who over sees approximately 4 million acres of land typically solicits bids from energy companies for rights to access the natural resources including oil and natural gas. Reportedly, ConocoPhillips agreed to a $137M lease for oil and natural gas rights underneath the 21,000 acre former Lowry Bombing Range. The lease was approved by the Land Board in January.

[More]