The men and women of Seitz’s battalion, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 2, based out of Little Creek, Va., probably don’t need that reminder. They’ve lived and worked seven days a week for months on end to rid northern Iraq of the weapon that is the biggest threat to U.S. troops. Several members of their battalion (officers won’t say exactly how many) have died doing this job—deaths that hit especially hard in the small, tightly knit EOD group. “You chew the same dirt—you celebrate birthdays, you celebrate holidays. You do everything as a group,” says Terrence I. Molidor, the command master chief of a mobile EOD battalion based in central Iraq. He was one of several EOD members who flew to Forward Operating Base Speicher to attend the July 25 memorial service for technicians Jeffery L. Chaney and Patrick L. Wade, killed while clearing a road in Samarra on July 17. “It’s the one thing that I’ve dreaded since I came into this country: going to a memorial for someone you know,” Molidor told NEWSWEEK. “When you know the individual’s family—his wife, his kids—that has a tendency to make your job that much harder.”

EOD members are part of an elite group that numbers fewer than 4,000 in the Army and Navy combined. Navy EOD technicians must complete around 15 months of training, and qualify as Navy divers and parachutists. Candidates for the EOD school at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida must have the same aptitude scores as candidates for the Navy’s Nuclear Power School, and the EOD school’s attrition rate is high, given the demands. EOD technicians are quick to remind people that they do far more than just look for IEDs and bristle at being compared to a “bomb squad.” And definitely don’t mention the Navy SEALs. The EOD folks say they undergo similar training, but that they prefer to keep a lower profile than the storied naval unit. “We could be SEALs,” one technician told me while we waited for a helicopter out of FOB Speicher one night. “We don’t want to be.”

That’s an understatement. EOD is very media shy. I was told that I was the first journalist allowed to embed with Mobile Unit 2 since they deployed to Iraq around 11 months ago. They were excellent hosts, even as they endlessly asked what I was writing about them. That made it even harder to witness what happened in the tactical operations center on July 24. A few hours after I spoke to Chief Seitz about the pending memorial service, more bad news came in. Another technician, this one an Army staff sergeant, had just been killed by an IED blast in Diyala province. The news was like a body blow: faces winced, heads dropped, doors slammed. But the operations center continued chugging along, as supervisors ordered a communications blackout until next of kin were notified, and issued instructions to subordinates. A while later, Lt. John Ismay, the battallion’s public-affairs officer, came into the conference room and asked if I understood what had happened. I told him I did; he nodded, shook his head and walked out and back to work. “They understand the risk,” Navy Cmdr. John Coffey, the commander of the battalion, told me later. “On one hand you pay tribute to your fallen brothers, but on the other hand you realize there’s a fight out there and there’s a weapon that is killing our troops.”

Currently, there are more IEDs in Mobile Unit 2’s territory than anywhere else in Iraq. The battalion, based at Speicher in Salah ad Din province, supports the Army’s 25th Infantry Division in northern Iraq, covering an area the size of Pennsylvania. In the past 10 months, the battalion ran more than 10,000 EOD missions, about 75 percent of which were related to finding and clearing IEDs and related weapons caches. The bombs are believed to be planted by Sunni insurgents. For security reasons, U.S. military officials here declined to discuss specific tactics by insurgents who plant IEDS, or how the Coalition troops counter them. But they did say that insurgents in northern Iraq are much better at hiding the bombs than in the past—on the roadside, under roads, in culverts and under bridges. Sometimes, the insurgents will only partially camouflage IEDs, set them out in the open, or even plant dummies so they can study how the EOD clearance teams respond. This also enables the insurgents to lure them into ambushes. The IEDs left in plain view “makes the hair on the back of our necks tingle,” says Command Master Chief Pat McLean, of Minnesota, the battalion’s senior enlisted man. “And we go out on plenty of hoax IED [calls] because we suspect they’re watching us.”

Indeed, the EOD’s daily road-clearance missions tend to be either mundane or terrifying. They count on the heavily armored Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, known as MRAP, which has a V-shaped chassis designed to protect the soldiers by deflecting IED blasts outward. The vehicles are armed with air blowers to expose potential IEDs under sand or debris, and a long claw that can dig up bombs. The teams also have remote-control robots with cameras that can do reconnaissance and, if needed, also disable IEDs. Aside from putting the robots into action, the EOD teams remain inside the vehicles because they’re potential targets for snipers. Soldiers carry empty Gatorade bottles to urinate in, as the missions can last up to half a day.

The MRAPs have a driver, vehicle commander and two spotters who look for exposed wires, suspicious lumps in the sand, displaced dirt or anything else that could indicate the presence of a bomb. There’s no special equipment that can detect buried explosives, so the spotters instead must use binoculars, and more often the naked eye. The technicians in the vehicles, driving as slow as 15 to 20 miles per hour, trade jokes over the radio system and blast rock music on their iPod-equipped stereos to pass the time. There’s also a bit of gallows humor among the group, like their I BRAKE FOR IEDS bumper sticker I saw hanging on an office wall—and a penchant for practical jokes. NEWSWEEK photographer Danfung Dennis was the victim of one such prank when he went on an emergency response with an EOD team to check out some unexploded ordnance outside the base. One of the technicians started screaming, “Death rocket! Death Rocket! Get your gas masks on! Get inside!” As the unit scrambled for cover, a startled and concerned Dennis turned to them and asked—deadpan—if they had an extra gas mask. That was when everyone started laughing. I was told he also found it funny. Eventually.

Humor can only help in this very difficult job in this very difficult place. The men and women of the unit risk their lives to save those of their fellow soldiers, as well as civilians. That mission makes things like the memorial service on July 25 that much harder. The soldiers spoke bravely about Chief Petty Officer Wade and Petty Officer Chaney during the eulogies, and then came the hardest part. Following military tradition, roll call was preformed. Three times Wade and Chaney’s names were shouted out and three times there was no response. The silence across the compound, surrounded by dust and sand, said it all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr23tpWX8lM&eur

 

2008 Military Handbooks Now Available

ARLINGTON, VA - June 16, 2008 - Military Handbooks has announced the
release of its latest 2008 FREE handbooks for military personnel. The
response to these handbooks has been great. 

These handbooks, written specifically for military service members,
include a variety of information about pay, benefits, education and
transitioning from the military. To receive your own copies of these
handbooks, simply go to our Web site - www.militaryhandbooks.com. Don't
forget to tell all of your military colleagues about these free
handbooks too!

2008 Military Handbooks - Now Available

- 2008 BASE INSTALLATION DIRECTORY (NEW!)
- 2008 U.S. MILITARY RETIRED HANDBOOK
- 2008 GETTING UNCLE SAM TO PAY FOR YOUR COLLEGE DEGREE
- 2008 BENEFITS FOR VETERANS AND DEPENDENTS HANDBOOK
- 2008 MILITARY CHILDREN'S SCHOLARSHIP HANDBOOK
- 2008 U.S. MILITARY HANDBOOK

2008 BASE INSTALLATION DIRECTORY (NEW!)

The Base Installation Directory, our newest handbook, provides contact
information for every military installation in the United States. From
information about military housing to the commissary to the base dental
clinic, you'll find the contact numbers and addresses you need in one
easy to access guide.

2008 U.S. MILITARY RETIRED HANDBOOK

The United States Military Retired Handbook is designed to assist all
U.S. Military personnel who have retired or who are planning to retire.
This unique guide covers everything from the nuts and bolts of computing
your Retirement Pay to the detailed explanations of retired military
health care, TRICARE, Social Security, VA, SBP, taxes, insurance,
travel, and survivor benefits.

2008 GETTING UNCLE SAM TO PAY FOR YOUR COLLEGE DEGREE

This guide, written for active duty military personnel, covers
everything you need to know military education benefits: the G.I. Bill,
Tuition Assistance, scholarships, veteran benefits, student aid,
military-friendly schools, and tips on staying ahead of the curve.

2008 BENEFITS FOR VETERANS AND DEPENDENTS HANDBOOK

This complete benefits handbook covers: health care benefits, disability
compensation, pension, vocational rehabilitation and employment,
education and training, home loan guarantees, life insurance, burial
benefits, survivor benefits, overseas benefits, workplace benefits,
miscellaneous programs, and more.

2008 MILITARY CHILDREN'S SCHOLARSHIP HANDBOOK

A college degree has become the essential tool to unlock doors for
future success. This handbook contains all the latest information about
getting a college degree, including: types of higher education,
resources for finding the right college, entrance exams, financial aid
resources, paying for college, applying for federal student aid, Pell
Grants, Direct and Federal Family Education Loans, and PLUS loans.

2008 U.S. MILITARY HANDBOOK

The United States Military Handbook is designed to help all active duty
military personnel by giving them the most accurate and complete
information available anywhere on pay, allowances, taxes, health care
and TRICARE benefits, Veterans and Social Security Benefits, travel,
transportation, SBP, retirement, Space-A and more.

To reserve your own FREE copies of the 2008 Military Handbooks, please
visit: http://www.militaryhandbooks.com.

"We are very happy to offer these free handbooks to the military
community," said Johanna Altland, editor of Military Handbooks.  "The
military does so much for our country, and offering these handbooks at
no cost is just one small way to give back."

Please forward this press release to any military service member (Active
and Retired) you think might be interested in getting their own FREE
copies of the 2008 Handbooks.

NMFA Offers Unique Retreats for Families of the Fallen and the Wounded:

In addition to traditional Operation Purple® camps this year, NMFA is proud to announce the development of what we hope will be a very special experience for families of the fallen, Operation Purple Legacy Retreat, and for wounded service members and their families, Operation Purple Healing Adventures.

Operation Purple Legacy Retreat is a program specifically designed to meet the needs of families who have lost a loved one in support of the Global War on Terror. Operation Purple Legacy Retreat will be held in the beautiful Pennsylvania countryside at Kenbrook in Lebanon, PA.

Families and children will be given the opportunity to participate in traditional camping activities such as boating, fishing, archery, air rifle, hiking, swimming, low ropes, climbing tower, and more. In addition, adults will have the opportunity, during the evening hours, to sign up for personal counseling by themselves or with their children.

Parents are invited to join their children in many of the activities, and also have the option of participating in conference style sessions on such topics as: communication, in-law relations, health benefits, educational benefits, managing family stress, time management, and a professional development series. Families that are interested should visit www.nmfa.org/legacyretreat for more information and to apply.

Operation Purple Healing Adventures is a program specifically designed to meet the needs of wounded service members and their families. Taking place August 18-22 in Jackson’s Gap, Alabama, this program promises a week of family fun with opportunities for individual, as well as couples seminars and activities. Children (and parents when possible) will participate in various traditional Operation Purple camp activities such as high ropes courses, swimming, archery, and horse back riding. Adults will enjoy quality time with family and have the opportunity to participate in seminars dealing with issues such as communication skills and parenting in the “new normal.” For more information, visit http://www.nmfa.org/healingadventures

Please share this information with eligible families you may know. Travel support available upon request. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Cynthia Clagg at Cynthia.clagg@nmfa.org

 

The Operation Purple Camp Experience

Many children are experiencing multiple deployments or have more than one parent or family member deployed. The stories from those who attended Operation Purple summer camps offer a glimpse of the heavy emotional and psychological burden that falls on the sons and daughters of service members. The goal of these free summer camps is to bring together youth who are experiencing some stage of a deployment and the stress that goes along with it. Operation Purple camps give kids the coping skills and support networks of peers to better handle life’s ups and downs.

In 2007, more than 40 weeks of camps were held at 34 locations in 26 states. The camps’ outreach programs provide the skills and positive outlets for their feelings, but it’s the camaraderie campers are able to build with one another that’s so important. Learning coping skills, making new friends, and experiencing life lessons at an early age are what make Operation Purple camps so unique.

Please direct questions regarding Operation Purple to Cynthia Clagg at operationpurple@nmfa.org.

For more info go to http://www.nmfa.org