St. Lucie, Florida The St. Lucie County bomb squad was called to Pepper Park Beach after a civilian discovered a WWII mortar in shallow water. Tom Gramlich, who was looking for lobsters, recognized the 12-pound munition as he had reportedly "found other bombs in the area."

Gramlich picked up the device and laid it at the edge of the water, before asking a fellow beachgoer to call the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office. He also notified the lifeguard on duty.

Deputies responded and evacuated the beach in a 300-yard radius. The mortar was safely removed for proper disposal.

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JACKSONVILLE, N.C., Officials from the Munitions Response Program (MRP) are scheduled to brief the public on the status of remediation efforts at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune early next year. The open meeting will address ongoing cleanup operations within former military training areas, specifically focusing on sites designated as UXO-28 and UXO-29. The primary objective of these operations is the identification and removal of unexploded ordnance (UXO) to reduce risks to both base infrastructure and the surrounding community.

The briefing will outline the specific institutional controls and safety protocols currently being implemented. These include the following: the introduction of the "3 Rs" safety protocol--Recognize, Retreat, and Report; the installation of physical warning markers in affected areas; and the requirement for trained UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) technicians to be present during any ground-disturbing activities to ensure immediate response capability.

All members and industry stakeholders are encouraged to attend the cleanup meeting on January 7, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The location will be at Coastal Carolina Community College, Room BT106.

Belgrade, Serbia A 1,000-pound WWII aerial bomb was safely removed from a construction site in a central district of Serbia's capital, Belgrade according to police. The U.S.-made AN-M44 bomb was used during air raids on German positions during the liberation of Belgrade from Nazi occupation in 1944.

After its removal, the ordnance was taken to an army arms training ground for safe disposal.

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara Police Department (SBPD) officers responded to a neighborhood after a homeowner discovered two grenades in their attic. In a statement, the department said that the property owner came across two suspicious objects believed to have been inside the residence "for decades."

SBPD requested assistance from the Santa Barbara County Bomb Squad who confirmed the devices were WWII military ordnance. Vandenberg Space Force EOD were then called in to take possession of the grenades.

Okinawa, Japan Authorities discovered a WWII-era bomb during an airport safety survey on a southern Japanese island. The 110-pound US bomb was found by contractors conducting a magnetic survey at Miyako Airport on Miyakojima, about 185 miles southwest of Okinawa's main island, according to a spokesperson for the prefecture's Airport Division.

. The ordnance was buried about 3 feet below a grassy area nearly 90 feet from the runway, he said. It was secured with sandbags while awaiting plans for a safe disposal. The discovery is the first device found during the Miyakojima survey, which began in August and is slated to conclude in February.

Palatka, FL A donation processing center required an emergency EOD response after a live hand grenade was identified within a donation bin at a Goodwill facility. An employee discovered the munition near the intake door of the store, located approximately 50 miles south of Jacksonville. The Palatka Police Department immediately secured the facility, establishing a cordon and evacuating staff and patrons.

Local authorities requested aid from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad. Upon confirmation that the grenade was live, the Bomb Squad successfully retrieved the munition. It was transported to a secure, remote location where it was neutralized via controlled detonation.

Hoylake, England Merseyside Police and Army explosives experts responded to Royal Liverpool Golf Club, after a construction crew discovered an unexploded artillery shell while excavating during routine maintenance on the course.

All games were cancelled and the area cordoned off at the historic club, home to the 2023 Open Championship in Great Britain, as the Army bomb squad carried out a controlled explosion to safely dispose of the threat.

Jasionka, Poland An excavator operator on a construction unearthed over 2,000 unexploded WWII artillery shells on a construction site in Jasionka, Rzeszów, Poland

Bomb squad members and police rushed to the scene to evacuate the area and investigate. Officers from the mine-laying and pyrotechnic reconnaissance group confirmed that the items found were WWII-era UXO.

On the day of the initial response, 750 artillery shells were removed from the ground before dark. The following day, an additional 1,314 shells were found, bringing the total to 2,064. Sappers from the 21st Battalion of the Polish Army in Rzeszów responded to safely remove the bombs for proper disposal.

A spokesperson for the Rzeszów Municipal Police Headquarters said, "750 artillery shells were unearthed. Due to weather conditions and the approaching darkness, work was suspended until the following day. Officers from the Trzebownisko police station secured the area of the dangerous discovery throughout the night."

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Olalla, Washington A routine property renovation in Kitsap County evolved into a multi-agency explosive response operation following the discovery of a cache of ordnance in a residential crawl space.