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A Marine of the 15th Marine Expeditionary
Unit scans the surrounding area for signs of the triggerman where
an IED was found along the shoulder of a busy highway in southern
Iraq.
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Soldiers and Marines recently
joined forces to neutralize an improvised explosive device (IED) that
was discovered along a highly traveled stretch of highway in southern
Iraq.
The IED -- made of two 122 mm artillery rounds concealed
in a burlap bag and placed alongside the shoulder of the asphalt road
-- was found by Soldiers of the 65th Military Police Company, 18th Airborne
Corps, during their daily patrol.
The MPs quickly closed down both sides of the highway
and cordoned off the area to prevent onlookers from entering the dangerous
site.
They were later reinforced
by Soldiers of the Texas Army National Guard’s 56th Brigade Combat Team,
36th Infantry Division; combat engineers of the Kansas Army National
Guard’s 891st Engineer Battalion; and Marines of the15th Marine Expeditionary
Unit, whose explosive ordnance disposal team -- specially trained to
handle the explosives -- transported the IED to a safe location and
blew it up.
U.S. Army Sgt. William J. White, of Midland, Texas, and a personal security
detachment team leader for the 56th BCT command sergeant major, said
his team had traveled that same stretch of road multiple times, and
after three months of not seeing anything at all until today, reminded
them all that the danger is still present.
“It was a firsthand experience
for the entire team,” Sergeant White said. “We were all there when it
happened, and it definitely left an impact on us that the threat is
real.”
Sergeant White added that the
deadly encounter was their baptism under fire, and although the outcome
was positive, being there and seeing the IED firsthand made it easier
for him to emphasize to his team to maintain their vigilance and stay
alert.
“In a strange way the experience was more of a relief to me because
we finally faced our fears,” Sergeant White said.
The incident also reaffirms Sergeant White’s confidence in the IED training
the unit received prior to their deployment to Iraq and gave him a newfound
respect for his counterparts in the Marine Corps … especially the EOD
team.
Spc. Douglas W. Stewart, of
Denton, Texas, a machine gunner on the team, has the most dangerous
position on the crew.
Perched high atop an armored HMMWV in a turret made of 3/8-inch steel
plates to protect him, Specialist Stewart is the eyes and ears for the
crew who is responsible for spotting threats such as IEDs that could
harm his team as they race down the highway at break-neck speed.
Specialist Stewart admits
that, while traveling at a high rate of speed, it is tough to spot IEDs
that may be hidden amongst the trash strewn alongside the road -- like
the one that was found and disposed of before it could do any harm.
The specialist said that, even
though the IED failed to go off, he still respects them. However, he
explained, it will not deter him from doing his job and that he relies
in his faith in God and mental preparation before he leaves “the wire”
to get him through a mission.
“I find inner strength through
my strong belief in the Lord,” Specialist Stewart said. “I truly believe
that things happen for a reason.”
Spc. Blaine A. Shellhammer,
of Baytown, Texas, has driven thousands of miles since he has been in
Iraq. He said this was the first time he had seen an actual IED up close
and personal.
“During our missions we’ve
seen all the damage and carnage left by an IED along the sides of the
road,” Specialist Shellhammer said. “But now that I’ve seen one found
in person, it is something that I will always remember.”
Specialist Shellhammer can
also carry with him the honor given to him by the Marine EOD team. The
team selected him to push the switch on a remote detonating device to
set off a charge of explosives that blew up the IED and rendered it
harmless.
“It was pretty awesome feeling
to be able to destroy an IED that had been set up to kill our Soldiers,”
Specialist Shellhammer said.
© 2005 Defend America. All opinions expressed
in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those
of Military.com.
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