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:

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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.

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Remembering D-Day Through The Eyes of a Bomb Disposal Squad

Earlier this month the Nation reflected back on the 75th anniversary of D-Day where many brave Americans made the ultimate sacrifice. In this month's 'This Ole Ordnance' feature, we look at a summary from one of the Bomb Disposal squads supporting the war during that time. The firsthand account of events documented in the National Archives document is riveting.

UXOInfo.com also brings you an article from UXO Guest Author, Tom Gersbeck, summarizing the Advanced Explosives and Ordnance Training Event held in Cambodia last year. Other articles include the closing on one range to recreational users and a warning to the public to stay out of another. We also bring you an article and editorial on the Baltimore District's MAMMS III contract and their consideration of an increase to the contract period of performance. Finally, with sorrow with have the report of a tragic loss of a young Army EOD Technician serving in Afghanistan.

We enjoy brining this newsletter to the UXO industry each month and welcome our readers to contact us with your own stories related to UXO. Contributions and feedback make the UXO E-Newsletter and UXOInfo.com website better for all our readers. To share your own story related to UXO, please contact Rhonda Crowley at rhonda@uxoinfo.com for details on how to submit an article.

UXOInfo.com is brought to you by Ordnance Holdings, Inc. (OHI) - please keep us in mind to support your next UXO project from consulting and UXO construction support to full-service remediation and removals. For more information on OHI's capabilities and services, please visit our website at www.ordnanceholdings.com. Finally, when it comes to UXO, please remember the 3R's of Recognize, Retreat, Report.

National Guard Closes Range For Public Recreational Use

Finley, Wisconsin The Wisconsin National Guard decided to permanently close public access to the Hardwood Range complex and the associated property, effective immediately. The 7,300-acre complex just south of the Wood County line has been open to the public for fishing, hunting and trail riding for decades. The range had been open year-round for recreational activities when no military exercises were being conducted.

A statement released by the public affairs spokesman from the National Guard included the following reason for the immediate closing - "Recent updates to US Air Force regulations now prohibit access to areas deemed hazardous due to the potential for unexploded ordnance, or other hazards posed by inert ordnance or munitions that may remain on the range," (Public Affairs Officer Capt. Joe Trovato). His statement went on to say "The Wisconsin National Guard regrets any inconvenience the closure of public access to the range complex causes to those who used it for recreational purposes."

The range complex is the primary training area for Volk Field, the Wisconsin Air National Guard's center for combat readiness training at Camp Douglas. Hardwood Range is about 30 miles north of Volk Field. The 43,000-acre Necedah National Wildlife Refuge and the 58,000-acre Meadow Valley State Wildlife Area are both just a few miles west of the Hardwood Range and are open for public hunting and fishing.

UXOInfo.com note - we were unable to locate the specific Air Force policy that was referenced in the press release as "recent". Other news sources reference a November report that declared the Hardwood Range complex a "hazardous area, because hazardous materials in the inert dummy bombs might not be completely destroyed when dropped from aircraft."

More information on the Harwood Range can be downloaded from UXOInfo.com.

WWII Era Bomb Found During Dredging Project

Okinawa, Japan A dredging company uncovered a bomb from the seabed while dredging reclaimed soil at Naha Airport.

According to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, a dive team responded and relocated the US WWII-era bomb (specific type not reported) 3 miles from the military port.

The dive team weighed the bomb down to prevent it from moving in the current before setting up an underwater demo charge to dispose of the item.

The bomb was disposed of without incident.

Advanced Explosives and Ordnance Training Seminar held in Cambodia, 2018

An overview of the Advanced Explosives and Ordnance Training Seminar held in Cambodia, 2018.

Authors: Tom Gersbeck, MFS and GySgt. Jorge Rivero, USMC
Oklahoma State University (OSU), Arson-Explosives, Firearms & Toolmarks Investigation Graduate Program

The Oklahoma State University (OSU), School of Forensic Sciences, CENFEX Program teamed with Golden West Humanitarian Foundation to provide another one-of-a-kind training opportunity in Cambodia, January 15 through 19, 2018. Those in attendance included people from corporate security, 3rd Marine Division, military EOD technicians, Public Safety Bomb technicians, the legal profession, as well as the OSU School of Forensic Sciences and School of Medicine. The details of the five training seminar are outlined below.

The Seminar:

The first day provided an overview of the issues to be addressed throughout the week, including advanced technical concepts covered in a crawl, walk, run perspective. In the morning, everyone met in the hotel lobby, boarded the bus and traveled to the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), Ordnance and Weapons Museum. Upon arrival, we were met by Len Austin from Golden West HF. Len provided a brief on the history of warfare within Cambodia over the last 90 years, which resulted in unimaginable amounts of landmines, UXO and ERW still contaminating large portions of the country. With the depth and scope of the problem laid out, the guided tour of the museum began.

The majority of the ordnance displayed in the museum was inerted by Golden West personnel working under Len's supervision. As such, the details provided by Len throughout the tour offered tremendous technical and tactical insight. The group then traveled to Golden West's headquarters in Phnom Penh to tour the Advanced Ordnance Training Materials (AOTM) shop. Guided by Golden West's chief design engineer, John Wright, attendees were treated to hands-on demonstrations of the 3D printed,100%, 200%, and 400% sized fuzes, landmines, submunitions and other ordnance items. The group then moved to the Virtual Reality (VR) room and afforded an opportunity to experiment with ordnance-based VR training equipment. The images shows Len working with an attendee wearing a VR headset.

After watching the VR presentation of a munition, Len then handed a cutaway version of the same munition to the attendee and explained how the item functions. The level of understanding achieved though this multifaceted approach to training cannot be replicated through other conventional methods. Following the tours, the group traveled to a very nice restaurant for a traditional Khmer lunch before the final stop of the day.

Article continued on UXOInfo.com.

Man Picks up Mortar Round to Protect Daughter

Devon, England A man, his wife and two-year-old daughter were walking along the Devon coast when they discovered a suspicious item.

Concerned that his daughter may see it and pick it up, he reportedly decided to pull the item partially buried in the sand himself. Once he had the item in hand, the father quickly realized that it was likely ordnance. So, he put the item back down and notified authorities of the find.

A bomb disposal team arrived shortly after to remove the device for proper disposal. Reports identified the UXO as a WWII Canadian mortar (exact nomenclature not provided).

UXO-Related History Remembered

16th Ordnance Bomb Disposal Squad History: January 1944 - June 1945

In remembrance of 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, we examine a few excerpts from a Bomb Disposal (BD) Squad History (16th Ordnance Company) covering the period from January 1944 through June 1945.

"On the morning of 6 June 1944, at approximately 0600 hours, we found that we were approximately 8 miles off the coast of France which was alive with flame and smoke. Preparation for debarking were made. The squad was scheduled to arrive on the beach at H hour plus 6 hours, but because of the troubles with the bow doors of the LST, Capt Crow and T/Sgt Henry, with a LCT load of light vehicles, departed from the LST approximately 3 hours early."

"Easy Red Beach was covered with American dead, some in water and others strewn about, the beach was being raked by enemy artillery fire."

"The first night, Capt Crow and T/Sgt Henry in a deep ditch among enemy dead and scattered wasteage of equipment. At nearly 2000 hours, German planes started a full scale attack on craft in the harbor and beachhead. The whole squad spent one epic night under enemy aircraft attack, especially that portion of the squad that remained with the LST, because the object of the enemy apparently was to destroy shipping and therefore foul the invasion. Many near misses from large bombs were weathered by men on the LST and upon arriving on Easy Red Beach early the following morning, D plus one (1), which was still under enemy harassing artillery fire, they were definitely thankful to set foot on good old mother earth again."

"The names of the men who arrived on D plus One (1) were: Sgy Boyd, and Tech 5 Moulton, Heffner, Segraves, and Shields. Due to the superior waterproofing job applied by members of the squad, we lost no vehicles, equipment, or lives in wading the many yards from the landing craft to the beach."

"On June 8, 1944, we started our work on the first bombs we encountered since arriving on that beach and they consisted of the following; 24-20# American Frag bombs (moved and blown) and we also destroyed miscellaneous American duds and deactivated a large German rocket site. During the first week several members had very close calls from enemy artillery fire and sporadic sniper pestering."

Download the 16th Ordnance BD Squad History January 1944 thru June 1945 from UXOInfo.com to continue reading the firsthand account about true American bomb disposal heroes.

If you have any UXO history you would like to share including documents, images, and/or articles for posting, please send them to Rhonda at rhonda@uxoinfo.com.

UXO Support Services by Ordnance Holdings, Inc. (OHI)

Ordnance Holdings, Inc. (OHI) - developer and operator of UXOInfo.com, is a small certified HUB Zone business, specializing in providing UXO, MMRP, and explosives safety related services.

Services provided by OHI include:

• UXO Construction Support / Anomaly Avoidance
• Dredging Support
• UXO Technician Staffing
• GIS/Mapping Services
• Archival Research

For more information on OHI, please visit our recently updated - website or contact OHI's Client Relations Manager, Jenna Perman: (O) 443.522.2933 (C) 443.857.7474 (E) jenna@ordnanceholdings.com.

MuniRem Environmental (MRE) is an industry leader in providing chemistry that near instantly neutralize and destroys explosives and other energetics to non-hazardous end products. MuniRem degrades energetics and chemical warfare materiel (CWM), while stabilizing heavy metals as the insoluble metal sulfides. MuniRem is recognized as a safer and faster solution for removing explosive risks from different materials.

MRE's award winning innovative green solutions are delivered to its private industry and government clients by highly qualified, dedicated and driven staff of engineers, scientists and UXO professionals. MuniRem has been applied at diverse Munitions and Explosives of concern (MEC) project sites in the United States and internationally.

MuniRem has been applied to:

• Instantly neutralize bulk explosives
• Destroy mustard and other chemical warfare materiel to non-hazardous products
• Decontaminate explosives contaminated buildings, pipes, equipment and range scrap
• Remove explosive risks ahead of UXO Tech response
• Neutralize recovered underwater munitions on-site
• Remediate explosives contaminated soil and groundwater
• Clean explosives manufacturing plants and indoor training ranges
• Destroy explosives in spent activated carbon
• Destroy chlorinated organics (e.g., HCB, PCBs, TCE, PCE, etc.)
• Remediation of metals (AL, As, Ba, Ca, Cr(IV), Hg, Pb, U, etc.) by stabilization as insoluble metal sulfides

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For information on Corporate Sponsorships, please contact UXOInfo.com's Marketing Coordinator, Jenna Perman at jenna@uxoinfo.com or (443)857-7474.

UXO Prompts High Tech Drone in Firefighting Operation

Flagstaff, Arizona The U.S. Forest Service is trying a unique approach to monitor the Maroon Fire burning in the Coconino National Forest through the use of a drone equipped with an infrared camera and other high-tech sensors. Officials opted for the drone approach over explosive safety concerns from UXO in the area.

Currently, drones cannot be flown over or near wildfire or prescribed fires, because they can cause hazards to other aerial operations like helicopters and airplanes. In order to navigate the restriction, operators had to obtain a waiver approved by the FAA and coordinate their flights with local aircraft towers.

The drone is only one owned by the Forest Service. Although the technology is promising, the future for the tool is not clear at this time as drones with high-tech sensors can be costly (the current system is reportedly valued at over $40,000) and they require a certified pilot to operate.

Marines Remind Recreational Boaters of UXO Threat

MCB Camp Lejeune, North Carolina With the increase in recreational boat traffic in Pamlico sound, officials at MCB Camp Lejeune are reminding the public of the no trespassing policy in effect at Browns Island, a former bombing target.

A press release issued by the Base reiterates the waterway restrictions for creeks and tributaries leading to and around Browns Island due to frequent live-fire exercises conducted near the area as well as UXO in and around Browns Island. The public release references Base Order 3570.1A that strictly restricts civilians and military personnel from entering the island unless they have pre-arranged permission from the Base to be there.

The following rules have been established for the area:

• No unauthorized people on any part of the island.
• Boaters in close proximity to the island may not stop, tie up or disembark.
• No crab-pots, fishing with bottom dragging nets, anchoring, or any bottom-disturbing activities are allowed anywhere in the vicinity of Browns Island.
• All navigable waters between the south bank of Bear Creek and the north bank of Browns Inlet are strictly off-limits due to highly sensitive UXO in this area.
• Bear Creek and Muddy Creek are open to unrestricted navigation; however, an unknown element of risk exists in this area due to the possible presence of unexploded projectiles.
• Boaters may proceed through Browns Inlet without stopping during periods of nonmilitary use. For safety reasons, any contact with the bottom of the waterways or any bottom-disturbing activity is strictly prohibited. Caution should be used through these waters.

The announcement reminded the public that violators could face imprisonment up to six months and a maximum fine of $5,000.