Welcome to UXOInfo.com's free monthly E-Newsletter on Unexploded Ordnance (UXO). UXOInfo.com is the largest site on the Internet for UXO related news and information. If you have not checked out the UXOInfo.com website, we encourage you to do so at www.uxoinfo.com. In addition to bringing you the latest UXO news and information, the UXOInfo.com website also provides the following:

• UXO Resume Response Line
• Ordnance / UXO Photo Gallery
• UXO Document Library

• UXO Help Wanted
• Munitions Database
• UXO Question and Answer

The UXO E-Newsletter is issued monthly to provide the industry with important news and information related to UXO. For information on how to advertise in future UXO E-Newsletters please email the UXOInfo.com Marketing Coordinator, Ms. Jenna Coven at jenna@uxoinfo.com.

If you do not wish to receive the UXO E-Newsletter in the future, simply use the un-subscribe link provided at the bottom of this newsletter. If you have any questions or comments on UXOInfo.com or the UXO E-Newsletter please email them to information@uxoinfo.com.

The UXO E-Newsletter and UXOInfo.com are the copyright of Focus and Leap, Inc.

UXO Guest Author Program Update and UXO Document Library Additions

Last month we officially launched the UXO Guest Author Program and I am happy to report that the response to date has been very positive. We received several inquires and emails from candidates interested in participating in the program. Over the next few weeks we will be uploading their profiles to the UXOInfo.com website and will begin to post their articles.

For those of you who do not know about the UXO Guest Author Program here are the basics. UXO Guest Authors serve as a part-time volunteer technical information and article contributors to the UXOInfo.com website and UXO E-Newsletter. In exchange, UXO Guest Authors receive unparalleled exposure to the UXO industry, which helps to establish name recognition.

To become a UXO Gust Author, please email me at jenna@uxoinfo.com and let me know which UXO topic(s) you would like to focus on. Example topics include but are not limited to geophysics (e.g., magnetometry, wide area assessment), remediation, operational range clearance, UXO policy, demining, and robotics. We will setup a personal profile / bio for you which is included as a link to all articles submitted. We hope that you will consider becoming a UXO Guest Author to contribute and foster a data sharing and networking environment in which everyone can learn from. When information is shared and made readily available, everyone in the industry benefits.

Over the past month we also reorganized the topics and sub-topics in the free on-line UXO Document Library and added over 75 new documents to the database in the process. We encourage you to donate any unclassified reports and documents you have related to UXO to increase data sharing and awareness across the industry.

Please enjoy the October 2009 UXO E-Newsletter. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions about the UXOInfo.com website, UXO E-Newsletter, or UXO in general please email me at jenna@uxoinfo.com.

Jettisoned Bombs Land Close to Munitions Storage Area

Ogden, Utah An F-16 fighter pilot was forced to jettison his external fuel tanks and ordnance payload shortly after taking off from Hill Air Force Base (AFB). The munitions payload dropped included two 500-pound MK 82 series bombs and other smaller air dropped ordnance (complete listing of payload dropped has not been released). The munitions were dropped onto an uninhabited area of the installation approximately a half-mile from Interstate 15.

One of the 500-pound bombs detonated upon impact destroying a small work shed near an area where ordnance is stored in below ground bunkers on the base's west side. The second 500-pound bomb did not arm itself thus it landed intact after penetrating over 15 feet into the ground. The pilot was able to safely land the plane shortly after the jettison operation.

Emergency response personnel dispatched to the scene to investigate the damage. EOD was called in to handle the unexploded MK 82 series bomb, which had to be blown in place for safety reasons. The Air Force reported that all of the ordnance dropped has been accounted for and that no damage was done to the munitions in the nearby underground storage bunkers. No injuries were reported but the explosion did cause a power outage at the base. Interstate 15 was shut down for several hours during the emergency and EOD response actions. Several hundred gallons of jet fuel were released into the environment that resulted in an emergency soil removal action.

Details on the exact mechanical problem or emergency that caused the pilot to jettison the fuel tanks and ordnance payload have not been released. Fuel tank and ordnance jettison procedures are standard safety protocols used by the military when emergencies such as onboard fires, engine burn-outs, and landing gear malfunctions occur.

UXO Guest Author Article - UXO 101 High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) Rounds

The key technology used in the design of HEAT munitions is the use of a "Shape Charge". A Shape Charge is a cone constructed of soft metal, typically copper. High explosives are packed around the outside of the cone (opposite of how an ice cream cone works). When the explosives are initiated from the rear or base, it implodes or collapses and inverts the cone forming an extremely high velocity pressure wave along the axis of the shape charge. This pressure wave achieves a velocity in excess of 42,000ft/sec and upon impact with the target plasticizes the armor plate of the target. Molten metal as the result of the extreme heat that formed along with the metal from the shape charge is projected into the interior of the target igniting flammable material within the target. Additional damage is created by super-heated gases and the high speed pressure wave that accompanies the penetration. Shape charges are very effective at defeating armor targets including tanks.

Certain physical aspects relating to the physics required in the manufacturing process identifies the use of a shape charge in various items of ordnance including:

The sketches and images below of various HEAT munitions depict these physical features.

Article continued on the UXOInfo.com website.

Article submitted by UXO Guest Author Rick Stauber. For more information on the UXO Guest Author program, click here.

Military Munitions Found At Recycling Center

Anaheim, California Workers at the Anaheim Recycling Center discovered three munitions items mixed in with scrap metal piles awaiting processing. Recycling center management called the police to report the find. Local police and firefighters responded with technical support provided by the Orange County Bomb Squad. The recycling center was evacuated while the bomb squad technicians inspected the munitions. The technicians determined that two of the munitions were inert and did not pose any explosive safety hazards. However, the third munition appeared to be live.

The civilian bomb squad called the military for support since the munition was determined to be of military origin. Military EOD technicians from Camp Pendleton were dispatched to assist in the response. EOD confirmed that two of the munitions were inert and identified the third as a live 10-pound practice bomb with an unexpended smoke cartridge. EOD transported the munition to a nearby landfill and conducted a controlled detonation to eliminate the hazard. An investigation is underway to determine how the munitions ended up at the recycling center.

Homeowner Find Missile Launcher While Landscaping

San Antonio, Texas A property owner cutting some trees down on his lot came across a military rocket launcher buried under some leaves and other surface debris. Instead of calling the police to report the find right of way, the man decided to put the item in his car and drive it home. Upon further inspection of the item, the home owner noticed the words "Guided Missile and Launcher, Surface Attack" stenciled on its side. Unsure what to do, the man called the FBI and Homeland Security to report his find who put him in touch with the military police at Fort Sam Houston.

The military dispatched an EOD team from Lackland AFB to investigate the find. EOD responded and confiscated the launcher from the homeowner for proper disposal. The exact type or size of missile launcher was not reported. An investigation is underway to determine how the item ended up on the property. Investigators plan to use the national stock number and lot numbers on the item to track down to whom and when the launcher was issued. Fort Sam Houston is the closest military installation (within a few miles) to the property where the item was found.

Australian Navy Assists With Underwater WWII UXO Cleanups

Solomons Islands The Australian Navy supporting "Operation Render Safe" utilized two of its mine hunting ships to scan and recover underwater UXO off the island of Malaita and in Shortland Harbor off Shortland Island. The source of the UXO dates back to the fierce fighting that occurred between Japanese and Allied forces in the area during WWII.

Using data from a previously conducted survey, 15 targets were identified and investigated by a Royal Australian Navy dive team. The UXO discovered and subsequently disposed of included artillery projectiles and a British MK IV sea mine. Other than the sea mine, the specific types of UXO recovered have not been reported. The operation provided an excellent training opportunity for the Australian military including the Navy EOD Dive teams participating in the exercise while at the same time providing a benefit to the local populace by clearing explosive hazards from the area.

Established 35 years ago, EA Engineering, Science and Technology, Inc. is a small business, which has done nearly $1 Billion in HTRW/MEC investigation, restoration, design, and remediation in the last 15 years. EA has supported USACE, AFCEE, ANG and the Navy at thousands of sites nationwide under multiple DOD programs--including MMRP, SRP, IRP, FUDS and BRAC.

With 19 offices nationwide, EA is considered a leader in both HTRW and MEC. EA received the 2008 Environmental Business Journal Achievement Award for their work in the MEC Market. EA's staff of more than 400 professionals integrates MEC/UXO specialists, geologists, engineers, regulatory specialists, risk assessors, data management and communication specialists to provide practical solutions that help their clients achieve their business goals.

EA's standard of excellence is to consistently provide their clients with the highest level of technical competence, strong project management, worksite safety, quality control, and financial accountability.

For more information on EA, please visit their website at www.eaest.com.

UXO TECHNICIAN LEVEL 1 TRAINING in CANADA

In 2005, DND created the Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and Legacy Sites Program to manage UXO risk on behalf of DND at legacy sites, both on land and offshore. The program was created to address a known problem:

• With numerous former military sites having the potential to contain UXO and with the legal liability that such conditions represent for DND, Senior Management in DND created the UXO and Legacy Sites Program to manage UXO on those sites.
• Former training areas are being encroached upon by expanding urban populations.
• These issues cannot be left to chance or the occasional clearance project - there needs to be consistency and there needs to be a comprehensive and enduring DND UXO Program.

There are 731 known Potential Land-Based UXO Legacy Sites and 63 Priority Offshore Sites within Canada and the Territories.

There is a critical shortage of UXO Technicians at present and no training program or civilian institution presently providing this training in Canada to the general public to meet this skill set shortage.

AMEC is offering the first UXO Tech 1 course to be taught in Canada. This course will be accredited by the University of New Brunswick with support from CFB Gagetown.

This course has been approved and accepted by Directorate of Ammunition and Explosives Regulations (DAER) the authorities in Canada on UXO qualifications. Course graduates are approved to work on UXO sites in Canada and a career in the UXO industry can begin.

The course is priced competitively with others in the United States and is offered with or without accommodations.

CH2M HILL is an industry leader providing munitions response services for planning, compliance, investigation and removal or remediation services. CH2M HILL provides the full scope of services required to support mission goals at sites suspected or known to have Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) contamination, from environmental management and permitting to regulatory site closure and property transfer.

CH2M Hill is the only company that has a transportable Controlled Detonation Chamber (CDC) technology approved by the Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESB) for destruction of munitions, explosives, and energetics. CH2M HILL provides the following munitions response services:

• Characterization Services
• Removal/Remediation Services
• Digital Geophysical Mapping (DGM) Surveys
• Explosives Risk Assessments
• Regulatory Compliance
• Air Monitoring
• Chemistry Services
• Controlled Detonation Chamber (CDC) Technology

With over 14 years of Environmental Remediation expertise, Enscicon Corporation has established an industry-leading approach to locating and attracting top-level talent for our clients. With a team dedicated to the UXO/MEC/EOD industries, we are able to assist in supporting clients with exceptional personnel including:

• Program Managers
• Project Managers
• Operations Managers
• Project Scientists (Geophysicists, Geologists, Physicists)
• UXO Techs
• Health & Safety Engineers
• Environmental Engineers
• Technical Writers/Illustrators

For more information, please see our website at www.enscicon.com, or contact Jack Hamlin at hamlinj@enscicon.com or 303-785-8028.

Schonstedt Instrument Company is the world's leading manufacturer of hand-held Fluxgate magnetometers for UXO and weapons detection. Schonstedt magnetic locators find ferrous metal targets used in landmines, buried ordnance, other munitions and explosives of concern (MEC), and hidden weapons. They have been tested and proven by the US military, private contractors and NGOs in military and humanitarian de-mining operations around the globe. For a 1-page overview of the company's magnetic locator product line, go to www.findordnance.com

Schonstedt Instrument Company
100 Edmond Road
Kearneysville, WV 25430
USA
Contact: Tylee Ulmer

Information on Corporate Sponsorships can be found in the UXO Opportunities Brief. If you have any questions on Corporate Sponsorships or want to sign up, please contact the UXOInfo.com Marketing Coordinator, Ms. Jenna Coven at jenna@uxoinfo.com or 267.295.8010.

Fishing Trawler Nets Unexploded Sea Mine

Port Seton, Scotland The captain of a fishing trawler brought up an old sea mine in his nets while fishing approximately three miles from Inchkeith island. The captain reportedly dragged the sea mine closer to shore before calling the Coastguard to report the find. The Coastguard responded with a Royal Navy EOD Dive team based out of Faslane Naval Base for technical support. EOD identified the sea mine as a live WWII era British Mark 9 bottom mine. EOD setup a counter charge to detonate the sea mine about a mile off shore from Port Seton. Following the safe detonation of the sea mine, the Coastguard issued a reminder notice to mariners of potential for WWII era UXO in the area and instructed boaters to report any munitions finds to the Coastguard.

Proposed UXO Standard Analysis Software Status Report Released

Vicksburg, Mississippi The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) released a report on the status of the Unexploded Ordnance Data Analysis System (UXODAS). According to the status report, the ultimate goal of the UXODAS is become a common platform to "enable interoperability and data incorporation into a single software package, providing the capability and tools to import, process, interpret, and visualize the results of UXO geophysical surveys from a variety of sensors".

The UXODAS system is designed to work with total field magnetometers (TFM), frequency-domain electromagnetic induction (FDEM) systems, and time-domain electromagnetic induction (TDEM) systems. The UXODAS system is designed to accept raw geophysical sensor data and GPS position data and apply tools to merge and correct the data. Correctional tools include area coverage (i.e., survey area gap analysis), time synchronization, and drift corrections. The system then applies detection and discrimination algorithms to analyze the data. The desired outputs of the system include target dig sheets, target rankings, discrimination / target identification, and confidence indicators. For target identification using FDEM data, a signature-matching algorithm was developed and integrated into UXODAS.

The UXODAS appears to be a collaboration of newly developed code and features built from an existing commercial software package that also accesses or passes data to and from another commercially available software system to perform mathematical modeling and graphical display. In the report, ERDC states that the UXODAS is a "continuing work in progress" but that an immediate goal is to "make available to the user community the processing and interpretation tools developed under the Army EQT [Environmental Quality Technology Program] UXO Research and Development Program by ERDC". Despite this claimed goal of making the products developed with Government funding available, the report does not provide any information on how anyone in the industry interested in the system can obtain a copy of the software and algorithms developed to date nor does the report provide an adequate description of whether or not users will be expected to purchase the two commercial software programs that seem to be doing the bulk of the actual data processing, manipulation, and displaying of the results.

From the report, it is unclear at best how the system will eventually be commercialized, distributed, and maintained and what the end unit target cost for the software will be for those in the UXO industry. For the time being, the report states that ERDC will be maintaining the UXODAS system.

Download the UXODAS report issued by ERDC from UXOInfo.com.

Whether you need to find and hire full-time permanent UXO professionals or temporary as-needed UXO Technicians, UXOInfo.com can help.

Finding qualified full-time permanent personnel to fit your specific project and company needs can be challenging. Hiring a traditional head-hunter is one option however, most head-hunters cover a wide variety of industries and do not understand the technical details associated with UXO. Why not use an organization that knows and understands UXO, has a large network to find and locate personnel, and has an effective screening process. UXOInfo.com's UXO Referral Service specializes in locating and screening candidates to fill the following positions:

• UXO Project and Program Managers
• Engineers and Scientists with UXO experience
• Geophysicists
• Researchers and UXO Technology Developers
• UXO Health and Safety Professionals
• UXO Field Managers
• Risk Assessors and Mapping Experts with UXO experience
• IED and UXO Instructors
• International and Speciality Positions
• Chemical Warfare Materiel (CWM) Personnel

Through the UXO Referral Service, UXOInfo.com will locate and pre-screen candidates based upon the specific needs of your organization. UXOInfo.com knows the business and knows the right questions to ask to properly screen personnel. Only those candidates that are highly qualified and meet your screening criteria will be referred for consideration.

For companies seeking to hire for temporary or part-time positions including temporary UXO Technicians on a project-by-project basis to augment existing staff during busy field seasons, UXOInfo.com offers access to the UXO Technician Network. Through the UXO Technician Network, companies can access the largest on-line network of qualified and available UXO Technicians to staff any type of UXO project. To use the UXO Technician Network Service, email UXOInfo.com the specifications for the project including location, scope, duration, levels and numbers of positions available. UXOInfo.com will then create a customized announcement that is emailed to the over 400 registered UXO Technicians in the network. UXOInfo.com then screens the potential interested candidates and forwards the respective resumes on for consideration. The UXO Technician Service is available on a project-by-project or per referral basis. Fees for the service are based upon the number and level of UXO Technician(s)(i.e., 1, 2, 3, SUXOS, UXO QCS and UXO SO) needed.

For more information on the UXO Referral Service and the UXO Technician Network including rates and fees, please contact the UXOInfo.com Marketing Coordinator, Jenna Coven at jenna@uxoinfo.com.

Enter your resume into the UXOInfo.com UXO Resume Database and start receiving offers and opportunities in the UXO industry. Use the UXO Profile Entry Form and complete your free profile today. By completing a profile, you automatically become part of the UXO Resume Response Line and UXO Technician Network. Sign up for free and start receiving UXO opportunities.

IED Claims the Life of Marine EOD Technician

Helmand Province, Afghanistan Marine Staff Sergeant Aaron Taylor, 27, an EOD Technician assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 372, was killed by an IED. Taylor was reportedly responding to a call to search a bridge for explosives when he unknowingly stepped on the IED made from homemade explosives causing it to function. The 27-year old Marine from Bovey, Minnesota was part of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force based in Camp Pendleton. He joined the Marines in 2002 and served a previous tour in Iraq. He had been in Afghanistan for six weeks responding to IED calls and providing EOD support. He is survived by his father, stepmother, brother, and sister.

Army EOD National Guard Unit Suffers Causality During IED Response

Wardak Province, Afghanistan Staff Sgt. Thomas Rabjohn, a 39 year old team leader for the National Guard 363rd Ordnance Company based out of Coolidge, Arizona died in the line of duty. The official DoD news release reported that Rabjohn died from injuries suffered when an IED detonated during an attempt to disarm it.

Rabjohn was a former Marine who served a tour of duty in Iraq before joining the Phoenix Police Department back in September 2002. He signed up for the National Guard where he served part-time before his unit was called up to deploy. He is survived by his wife and three daughters ages 14, 13, and 12.

EOD Responds To a WWII Era Sea Mine Found By Divers

Dorset, England Commercial divers working in 60 feet of water in Swanage Bay approximately 1-mile offshore from Ballard Point found a munition item on the sea bed. The divers called the Coastguard who responded with a British Royal Navy EOD team based out of Devonport Naval Base for technical support. EOD divers conducted a visual examination of the munition and identified it as an unexploded 300kg WWII era live German sea mine.

The EOD divers also observed that a lobster (shown in the image to the right) who called the sea mine his home was determined to fend off his territory no matter what the cost. After numerous failed attempts to coax the lobster nick-named "Lionel" out of his home, EOD had no choice but to dispose of the sea mine in place with Lionel inside through a controlled detonation. An exclusion zone over a mile in diameter was established around the UXO during the disposal operation which reportedly created a large water plume that rose 150 feet into the air. The exclusion zone was lifted following the successful disposal operation.

UXO Disposal Response Results in Potential Mustard Exposure

South, Wales Two British Army EOD Technicians that took part in a controlled detonation of a discovered UXO have reportedly been treated for mustard agent exposure. The unexploded WWII era projectile was discovered on a beach on the Gower Peninsula. EOD responded and decided to conduct a controlled detonation in place to dispose of the UXO. The disposal operation went off as planned however, three days later, two of the EOD Technicians involved in the disposal operation reported experiencing blisters on their skin indicative of mustard exposure. The two technicians were treated at a hospital and subsequently released.

The 90 mm High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) M431 round is designed to defeat armored targets. The projectile has a funnel-shaped liner contained its body, which shapes the high explosive composition B main charge. The chamber adapts the fin and boom assembly to the body and contains the M509A1 base detonating fuze which is initiated from the piezoelectric element fitted to the cap of the projectile's spike assembly (i.e., a point initiating base detonating or PIBD design). The projectile body is fitted with a plastic obturator band with a tracer threaded to the fin assembly. The cartridge case base is fitted with a threaded loading plug and a percussion primer. The round has a M30. 8.25 lbs propelling charge and a M13 tracer.

When the weapon is fired, the primer ignites the propelling charge. The burning propellant generates gases to propel the projectile out of the gun tube and ignites the tracer, which burns for a minimum of 2,500 yards. The projectile is detonated upon impact by fuze functioning. Upon detonation, the cone collapses creating an intensely focused high velocity shock wave and a jet of metal particles that penetrates the target.