Rome staff sergeant assists with DEMIL operations in Afghanistan
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, AFGHANISTAN For the past 13 years, U.S. and Coalition Forces have been moving military equipment and supplies in and out of Afghanistan to sustain combat operations across the country.
As the drawdown continues in Afghanistan, the 4th Resolute Support Sustainment Brigade finds itself as the only sustainment brigade left in country and have been tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that all equipment, ranging from vehicles to food and water to ammunition finds its way safely out of Afghanistan.
Recently at Bagram Airfield, Soldiers from the 4RSSB joined forces with a Convoy Escort Team from the 950th Engineer Clearance Company, Wisconsin National Guard and civilian explosive ordnance disposal and ammunition technicians from the Joint Munitions Destruct-Afghanistan Team to safely disburse of approximately 6,000 pounds of out of date explosives.
We are here to demilitarize approximately 6,000 pounds of code H (out of date or unserviceable) ammunition, said Staff Sgt. Richard Perec, a Rome, N.Y. native from the New York National Guard. Its safer to blow the ammunition up, than to let it fall into the hands of the enemy or try to ship it home and risk it detonating in transit.
In order to carry out the demilitarization (DEMIL) mission, Perec who is attached to the 4RSSB had to train soldiers on how to drive and operate the various military vehicles in order to safely transport explosive ordnance from the Ammunition Supply Point to the detonation site located outside of the bases perimeter.
They have me training the guys on the various vehicles because Im an 88M (Motor Transport Operator) and Im probably the most qualified person for the job, said Perec. Ive trained 10-12 soldiers on the M1088 w/M871 trailer and the M1075 Palletized Load System, in order to safely transport all munitions, he said.
The Wrangler Soldiers picked up their preloaded vehicles from the ASP in the early hours and drove to the entry control point where they waited for the 950th ECC and the EOD techs before heading out to the detonation site.
Once at the site, a perimeter security was quickly set up and the soldiers helped unload the munitions ready for demolition.
Ken Barnett, a disposal safety specialist with JMD-A was responsible for overseeing the demolishing operations to ensure that everything went smoothly, all safety guidelines were followed, and that nobody U.S. Military, civilian contractor or local national were injured in the process.
In order to destroy these excess or unsafe munitions, our guys spend about eight to 10 days to build these boxes and then schedule with the security teams to come out here and safely destruct them, said Barnett. We have everything here from .50 cal small arms that cant be burned in an incinerator, artillery rounds, mortars, and even rockets, he added. Continued...
More:
Rome staff sergeant assists with DEMIL operations in Afghanistan