UXO News Wire Service (UXO Blog)

Unexploded Hand Grenade Found At Popular Gathering Area

Thu, 17 May 2012 17:05:00 -0700

Fort Lee, Virginia Military police were called to the Hideaway Club, a gathering area used for concerts and special events, when a hand grenade was found. The military police called the Air Force EOD unit from Langley (the closest EOD unit) for technical support. EOD responded and re-located the grenade, identified as a Vietnam-era hand grenade, to the range areas where it was safely disposed of.

[More]

Missile Dropped On Residential Neighborhood

Wed, 16 May 2012 18:33:00 -0700

Fort Hood, Texas An Army helicopter accidentally dropped an inert training missile onto a residential neighborhood causing an evacuation of nearby homes. A witness reported seeing the missile fall from the helicopter and implanting into the ground. The police were called and as a safety precaution, approximately 100 homes were evacuated while military ordnance personnel investigated the missile. It was quickly determined that the missile did not contain a warhead or a propulsion system. The missile was removed from the area and the residents were allowed to return to their homes within an hour after the missile was reported.

[More]

Army EOD Soldier Killed By IED Blast

Wed, 16 May 2012 18:24:00 -0700

Afghanistan Army EOD Staff Sgt. Israel Nuanes, 38, of Las Cruces, New Mexico was killed in Kandahar Province from injuries suffered during an IED blast. Nuanes was assigned to 741st Ordnance Company, out of Fort Bliss, part of the 84th Ordnance Battalion, 71st Ordnance Group.

Army EOD Soldier Dies In Non-Combat Incident

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:41:00 -0700

Afghanistan Army EOD Staff Sergeant Zachary Hargrove of Wichita, Kansas died from what was reported as a non-combat related incident. The Army has not released any details surrounding the incident pending an investigation. Hargrove was 32 years old and assigned to the 84th EOD, 1st Sustainment Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas. He was on his 4th combat deployment to Iraq.

Geophysics Research Scientist Position

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:45:00 -0700

FAST FORWARD TO YOUR NEXT MISSION

Integrity, confidence, discipline and commitment define your career in Battelle's National Security Global Business. Battelle was built on a firm foundation of honesty, integrity, and outstanding service and the work we do in national security impacts lives around the world; whether we're creating armor for military applications, testing a life-saving vaccine, or developing a more efficient hydrogen fuel cell. At Battelle, we reward the best work with more responsibility, positions to grow and develop, and the opportunity to make a positive impact on the world. Are YOU ready for your Next Mission?

Our National Security Global Business is currently seeking a Geophysics Research Scientist. This position is located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Our geophysics group specializes in state-of-the-art airborne magnetic and electromagnetic surveying for near-surface targets such as unexploded ordnance (UXO) and infrastructure (pipelines), as well as electrical conductivity mapping for detailed assessments of earthen levees or other subsurface features of interest.

. The position responsibilities include:

Acquisition, processing, and analysis of precision ground and airborne magnetic and electromagnetic data
Report writing and data archiving
Field work in both domestic and foreign locations
Support to new and ongoing geophysical research in sensor, systems, and algorithm development
Participation in proposal writing, marketing, business development, and development/submission of technical publications and journal articles

THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION: [More]

Marine EOD Technician Killed In Ambush

Mon, 07 May 2012 14:21:00 -0700

Afghanistan Sgt J.P. Huling, a 25-year old Marine EOD Technician was killed in an ambush while on foot patrol in Anwar Province. His attacker was reportedly a Taliban militant dressed as an Afghanistan military policeman. Huling was flown to the hospital after being shot in the chest but later died from the injuries. Huling was from West Chester, Ohio but lived in California with his wife. He was assigned to the 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, from Camp Pendleton.

Subscribe to Monthly UXO E-Newsletter

Mon, 07 May 2012 13:49:00 -0700

WWII ERA German ECR Fuze

Sat, 05 May 2012 06:09:00 -0700

Germany Following WWI, Germany was forbidden to manufacture weapons of war but the restriction was not always followed. In 1930, Hubert Ruhlemann designed the ECR or Electrical, Condenser ,Resistance fuze which was tested between 1931 and 1932 in Russia. The ECR fuze was designed for use on aerial dropped bombs. The fuze was connected to the aircraft and electrically charged (i.e., energized) before leaving the aircraft. As the bomb fell to earth, the electric charge would trickle through various resistors to a firing condensor. The impact of the bomb caused a sensitive vibrator switch to close the circuit and detonate the bomb through a firing bridge (similar to a match head) which created a flash that detonated the sensitive penthrite wax contained in the attached gaine, which is the steel or bakelite container screwed into the base of the fuze.

Shown below is a German 50kg bomb (without the fins) with a Type 25B ECR fuze.

[More]

Five Killed In Blast During Munitions Loading Operation

Wed, 02 May 2012 23:36:00 -0700

Moscow, Russia An explosion occurred at a firing range in Mulino (220 miles east of Moscow) killing five Russian soldiers and wounding three others. Reports indicate that the explosion occurred during the loading of munitions onto a vehicle. No other details have been released at this time.

Navy EOD Officer Killed in Afghanistan

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 23:08:00 -0700

Nawa District, Afghanistan Navy EOD Lt. Christopher Mosko, 28, of Pittsford, N.Y., was killed during combat operations near the Pakistani border when his vehicle triggered a roadside bomb. Mosko was assigned to EOD Mobile Unit 3 based in Coronado. In Afghanistan, he was a platoon commander for a Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force. He was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star for valor and a Purple Heart.

UXO Technician Staffing Service By UXOInfo.com

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:03:00 -0700

National EOD Day Proposed

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:27:00 -0700

Washington, D.C. Representative Crawford (R- Arkansas) introduced a Resolution in the House to designate the first Saturday in May as National EOD Day. The Resolution also calls for the designation of the infamous 'Initial Success or Total Failure' motto to be adopted as the official motto of the EOD organizations in the United States Armed Forces.

[More]

Marine EOD Technician Killed in Combat

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:01:00 -0700

Helmand Province, Afghanistan Staff Sgt. Joseph H. Fankhauser, 30, a Marine EOD technician from McAllen, Texas, died during combat operations. Fankhauser was assigned to 7th Engineer Support Battalion and was on his fifth combat deployment. He deployed three times to Iraq and had deployed to Afghanistan last year. Two Purple Heart medals and two Combat Action Ribbons are among the more than a dozen military awards and decorations he earned since 2000 when he enlisted in the Marine Corps.

Biologist Sues Army Over Range Study

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 07:18:00 -0700

Salt Lake City, UtahA biologist is suing the Army over health problems she claims were linked to her work at Dugway Proving Grounds back in 1997. The biologist claims she started having neurological issues shortly after completing a vegetation study in an areas that was "tainted by UXO including chemical and biological" ordnance. Government lawyers have requested the court throw out the $5M lawsuit based on statute of limitations. A U.S. District will decide if the case can proceed.

Marine EOD Technician Killed in Afghanistan

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 05:08:00 -0700

Afghanistan An IED claimed the life of another brave EOD technician fighting the war of terror, 29 year-old Staff Sergeant Joseph D'Augustine. Staff Sergeant D'Augustine had served a total of four tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. Details surrounding his death have not been released. D'Augustine was from Waldwick, New Jersey and is survived by his parents and three sisters.