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."