Staff Sargent Recognized for Accomplishments On and Off Duty

Ramstein Air Base, Germany Staff Sgt. Tyler D. Nelson, 86th Maintenance Group maintenance operations center (MOC) senior controller, was recognized as Airlifter of the Week for his excellent work ethic as well as for managing to potentially save lives outside of work through his innocent hobby of metal detecting.

While out enjoying his hobby on a farm near the base, Nelson discovered a WWII-era UXO buried in shallow ground. According to Nelson, "Typically, we find a lot of old plow blades, but once I started getting to the end of it, I saw the fuse [fuze] on it. I backed up, composed myself and waited until the experts came out and looked at it."

Police responded and notified EOD for technical support. EOD identified the munition as an 88 mm anti-aircraft shell.

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WWII Aerial Bomb Forces Closures in Outer Banks Hatteras

Buxton, North Carolina A U.S. EOD unit from Norfolk, Virginia confirmed that the object discovered on a Cape Hatteras National Seashore beach in Buxton is a live military ordnance. EOD has placed the UXO, identified as a 100-pound aerial bomb from the WWII era, on the beach near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Beach Access parking area as it awaits disposal.

A safety perimeter measuring approximately a half mile has been established around the UXO. The following areas are closed until Navy EOD unit detonates the UXO and determines that the entire perimeter is safe: Cape Hatteras Light Station grounds and parking area; Old Cape Hatteras Lighthouse parking area and beach; Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Beach Access and parking area; and the Buxton Beach Access and parking area

Live WWI Mortar Removed from South Dakota Home

Sioux Falls, South Dakota The Ellsworth Air Force Base EOD Team was called a Sioux Falls home to dispose of what was reportedly an "active WWI mortar shell." According to 1st Lt. Joshua Sinclair of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, the two-person team responded to dispose of the ordnance. It was deemed live and safely removed for disposal. There are no details on the identification of the round or how it came to be inside the home, but according to the resident it was there for several decades.

British EOD Responds to WWII Era UXO

Loughborough , United Kingdom Charnwood police were notified after a suspected WWII explosive device was found in a brook. After inspecting the item, officers determined it was likely live and set up a wide cordon until the local bomb squad could respond. According to a Leicestershire Police spokeswoman said, "EOD operators attended and removed the item to a safe location where it was detonated and the cordon was removed."

EOD Responds to Beach For UXO

Carnoustie Beach, United Kingdom A team from the Arbroath Coast Guard responded to Carnoustie beach after a civilian reported suspect ordnance beside the skatepark. The suspect device, shown below, was photographed by the team and sent to the Royal Navy EOD team at Faslane for identification.

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UXO Response  Who Has the Lead

Fort Gordon, GA Utility crews digging a new trench for a water supply line just outside Fort Gordon encountered a mortar round. Army officials at Fort Gordon contacted the local police department since the UXO was found outside of the military installation.

The Richmond County Sheriff's Office bomb squad responded and positively identified the item as a military munition. Following the discovery, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office described their role as one of assistance, saying Fort Gordon authorities "have operational command of the incident at this time." However, a Fort Gordon spokesperson stated to press covering the story, "the incident was outside the grounds of the post, so the sheriff's agency had the lead role."

Divers Plan Deflagration Operation On Tallboy Near Baltic Sea

Swinoujscie, Poland The following is an update to an article featured in our September UXO E-Newsletter.

Hundreds of residents were evacuated as Polish military divers began a delicate operation to deactivate a massive WWII bomb in a channel near the Baltic Sea. The five-ton device, nicknamed "Tallboy" and also known as an "earthquake bomb," was dropped by the Royal Air Force in an attack on a Nazi warship in 1945.

The ordnance was discovered last year during dredging operations near the port city of Swinoujscie in the far northwest of Poland. The area was part of Germany during the war.

According to Grzegorz Lewandowski, a spokesman for the Polish Navy's 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla based in Swinoujscie, "It's a world first. Nobody has ever defused a Tallboy that is so well preserved and underwater."

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Navy Divers Relocate Bomb to Save Australian Reef

Sydney, Australia An Australian Navy EOD team responded to a call of an unexploded bomb initially discovered by a fisherman on Elizabeth Reef near Lord Howe Island.

The fisherman took pictures of the ordnance and reported it to authorities. Navy divers travelled to the spot of the find and removed the device by floating it to the surface and towing it farther out to sea where it was dropped into 1,800-foot deep waters. The unexploded bomb was identified as a 45-KG bomb.

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UXO Found on Famed Scottish Links

South Ayrshire, Scotland There was some unexpected excitement on one of Scotland's famous golf courses when maintenance crews at Royal Troon Golf Club discovered more than just some lost golf balls. Several UXO were found on the course, which has hosted a number of Championship events over the years.

A Royal Navy EOD team responded to remove the unidentified items. A Scotland police spokesperson said, "police were called after a number of unexploded military ordnance devices were discovered on the Portland Course which was undergoing maintenance at Royal Troon Golf Course, Troon. The Explosives Ordnance Division of the Royal Navy is at the scene and will safely remove the items and carry out a controlled explosion this afternoon at a safe location away from the golf course."

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TSA Agents Find Military Smoke Grenade in Luggage

Reston, Virginia TSA officers at Washington Dulles International Airport found a live military smoke grenade in a traveler's checked luggage. The bag triggered an alarm during screening and when an officer opened the bag to inspect the contents, they discovered the canister labeled "smoke/yellow".

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