Disarming the Bomb, Part 8

Initial Invasion Iraq, March 19th 2003

Continuing from part 7….

Laying on my stomach in the hot sand, I felt that “ancient” feeling for the first time. That biblical, old landscape feeling. This land felt so old. I experienced this feeling many times after this. I think it was God tapping on my shoulder from time to time, reminding me that I wasn’t alone. In EOD, when you’re working downrange on any type of explosive hazard, whether it be on land, or in the water, you’re alone. I experienced this Presence quite often in combat. I felt truly blessed.

Looking in the distance toward the mine I had just rigged to pull, I can see the mirage effect of the desert. This old ancient desert. It was hot. So hot that your sweat dried up instantly. Brown tee-shirts in a few days turns florescent orange from the sweat. I always wondered why florescent orange? As I gripped the 550 cord pull line, I lowered my head as if to almost kiss the sand. I got as small as I could.

OK, I thought to myself. One, two, three, pull!!

I lay there, waiting for an explosion. Nothing. At this point, I realized that I still had to go and hand carry this mine to a disposal area. I waited 20 minutes before I made an approach. We call this a soak time. A soak time is a wait period to make sure that the ordnance or IED after a procedure doesn’t blow up when you’re standing over or around it. I looked up towards the mine; it was sitting proud on the desert ground, displaced from its original position.

Nice! I thought to myself. I stood up and I looked back at T-Bone and the guys, gave them a thumbs up.

OK, I’m halfway there. I’m almost done with the risky part. You got this, Andy.

I started the long walk again towards the mine, this time even more numb, stoic, and focused. I remember my feet were burning a little from the hot sand as I walked towards the mine in flip flops. I felt fear pushing into my mind very strongly. I shoved it back out.

I encouraged myself: This is the procedure, the safest way!

As I got closer and closer, I felt as if the mine yet again was staring at me. As if it knew I was coming. There’s no sneaking up on these. Finally, I was staring down at it, sitting at my feet. My bare feet in flip flops. I remember feeling naked, the most naked feeling I’ve ever felt. I had to pick it up now and carry it for 500 meters. I remember my training from EOD school. When performing a PUCA procedure (Pick Up and Carry Away), you want to pick it up and carry it in the same attitude and position it was in. Even though I had already remote moved it, I still didn’t want to piss it off even more.

Shit, here goes nothing, I said to myself.

I reached down and picked it up very gently. It was hot! It freaked me out at first.

Why is it so damn hot?! Oh yeah, it’s hot out, duh.

I grasped the mine with both hands. I remember thinking, Should I carry it with one hand in case it goes off? Nah, either way if it goes off, I’m dead.

I start to walk away from the Patriot launching system. As I walked with this little mine, I felt courage for the first time. Courage can be felt. It’s not only an action, but also a feeling. I’d never felt this. It was surreal. It’s hard to explain. I felt a hint of craziness, a fraction of bravery and a grain of stupidity. That’s the best way I can describe it.

I kept walking towards the demolition area where we were going to blow it up. I started to feel my body again; the numbness started to fade but I was still focused. I realized that I had a huge smile on my face. I felt so happy. So giddy. Like I was actually cheating death. Crazy right!!??

I reached the area where I was to place the mine. I gently set it down, and turned around and walked back towards T-Bone and the guys. I was holding back laughter. I felt like a child that just got off the scariest ride at a theme park. Butterflies started to hit, my body was shaking a little. This feeling I had, it was like a drug. A powerful drug! I wanted more! I was giggling like a school girl.

OK Andy, shut the fuck up! Get a hold of yourself! I told myself.

I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of T-Bone. As I got closer and closer to T-Bone and the guys, I tried to hold back my smile. As I reached them I could barely contain my excitement. I could tell T-Bone was excited for me as well.

“Good job, brother!” T-Bone told me. “It’s not over yet. Now you have to take this charge and blow it up.” What he handed me was an M-112 Block of C-4 and a 5-minute Time Fuze for safe separation. This was what we call a non-electric firing system. It consists of the explosive charge, a section of time fuze with a non-electric detonator crimped on the end and an M81/M60 igniter.

“Listen, take this charge and place it as close as you can, but not touching the mine. Before you pull smoke (ignite the M81/M60 igniter) give me a thumbs up. You’re going to have to start time on your own so put on your watch.” T-Bone instructed me.

“Roger that,” I responded.

The giddiness I was feeling subsided quickly. I still had to complete this mission. I took the charge and time fuze system and walked back downrange to the mine. This was my first real operation using demolition. I was so stoked!

This is it!! I’m actually doing my job as an EOD Tech! My first actual real world demolition shot! I thought to myself.

Little did I know at that time, I was going to do more demolition operations during this deployment than most EOD Techs get to do during their careers. I got right up to the mine again, feeling that naked feeling. The mine, for the third time, seemed to be staring at me. Watching, waiting….

I used my crimpers to prime the M112 block of C-4. Priming the C-4 charge is simply putting a hole at one end so that you can insert the non-electric detonator with ease. I inserted the detonator, laid out my time fuze and placed my charge, close to, but not touching the mine. I checked my firing system again. I set my watch to stopwatch setting. I stood up, looked back at T-Bone, and gave him a thumbs up. I pulled out the safety pin in the M81/M60 igniter. I grasped the igniter ring, pushed it in and turned it 1/4 turn.

Here goes nothing, I said to myself.

I yanked it like my life depended on it. POP!……. Pssssssss! I saw smoke, I immediately started my stopwatch and turned and walked back to the safe area where T-Bone and the guys were at. Five minutes later…… BOOM!!!!!

The Staging, March 2003

February 1st to March 10th, 2003 was uneventful. We went on more calls but all the calls were either items that looked like ordnance or pieces of ordnance left after they detonated years ago. I spent my time looking up items in my purple book. I wanted to finish before we pushed into Iraq. We all knew we were going, we just didn’t know exactly when.

Finally the word came down from higher that the invasion would be on March 19th. The next 5 days were a blur. Each EOD team was assigned a mission for the invasion. T-Bone and I were assigned to the Marine unit that was to install fuel lines to support the war effort. This was miles and miles of fuel line with booster stations. We went with the Marines to clear any UXO (unexploded ordnance) that was in their path.

We spent the next 5 days preparing our HUMVEE for the mission. Each team got around 600 ponds of explosives and explosive accessories. The accessories included items such as detonators, igniters, time fuze, electric detonators, cratering charges, etc. We had to breakdown the explosives from the original packaging and crates they came in. We had to do this in order to fit all the explosives in our HUMVEE.

Our HUMVEE was old. Her name was Betsy. She hardly started on her own. We had to giver her a shot of ether in her carburetor in order for her to start. It seemed risky to me that the Marines would use such an old vehicle. But what I learned from working with the Marines is that they’ll use anything and make it work. I miss ole Betsy; it’s weird how you can connect with machinery during combat operations. At this time during the war, we had no armor on our vehicles. They were soft top HUMVEEs. The illustration below is a much, much newer version of Betsy.

T-Bone and I set up Betsy for max comfort. We were going to sleep in her and live out of her for at least the next 40 days. We were able to pack all the explosives, MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), water, and accessories. We also set up an area where at least one of us could sleep. It was amazing that we were able to accomplish that and fit in all the things we needed for this mission. We installed a power converter where we could plug in a CD player. We had the best CD ever for this mission: 3 Doors Down, Away From the Sun. Perfect album for what we were doing. Very patriotic album.

On March 15th we started to maneuver to our staging area. Our breech point was breech point west. There were huge berms on the border of Kuwait and Iraq. It took the Marine combat engineers four days to open up an area to move through. The breech was just large enough to get a single column of vehicles through it. We were the furthest point west, behind Task Force Tarawa. We waited at our staging area for the next 4 days.

One thing I remember while we were staged and waiting to move forward was the amount of press that was there. There were journalists from all over the U.S and the world. These journalists would walk up to Marine HUMVEEs and would ask if they could ride along. I distinctly remember one journalist from a small news station from Missouri. I forget her name but she was petite with jet black hair. Her hair was thick and curly that reminded me of the fur of a black poodle. She was very timid and scared. I felt really bad for her. Her hair was full of desert sand and I could tell she was out of her element.

The night that we were poised to move forward, this journalist had gone crazy trying to get into the war to report. I remember her coming up to my door.

“Hey there, can I ride with you guys?” she asked.

Me and T-Bone looked at each other and smiled.

“Sure, Just get in the back with the explosives,” we responded. We knew she wouldn’t want to do that. We found it amusing to see the look on her face.

“Huh, it’s ok, I’ll find another ride,” she said.

I couldn’t believe that all these journalists were here. Like, who let these guys in the country, anyways? T-Bone and I were focused. We didn’t have time to be concerned for these media people. The night we started to push into Iraq was very loud. MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket Systems) were extremely loud when they launch their payloads. BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!!!!! It sounded like incoming fire. These journalists would scramble in fear to bunkers that were made for cover during incoming fire.

The same journalist that asked us for a ride would faint every time the MLRS would launch its payload. It was hilarious. I felt bad but it was funny. Marines would help her up or carry her to the closest bunker. She was exhausted from the excitement. It was like watching fainting goats. I never saw her again and I hope she made it out ok.

Finally, the convoy started to move. Very slowly but at least finally we were on our way.

To be continued…