MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- A pile of rocks, roadside trash, a small length of wire protruding from the dirt … As innocuous as these items may seem, they are all red flags for one of today’s deadliest threats facing service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan - improvised explosive devices.
Marines from various units here participated in an IED awareness course taught by station Explosive Ordnance Disposal Friday.
The course focused on different device types and the dangers they pose, methods of camouflaging the explosives, and reporting techniques for when an IED is located.
“The IED features they were taught today were the same things I was taught before I went (to Iraq),” said Staff Sgt. Hugh A. McClenney, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron EOD technician and native of Florence, S.C. “Those are the things that save lives.”
The first half of the course began with a two-hour presentation in the Building One auditorium. EOD technicians shared photos and video clips while teaching attendees the fundamentals of IED recognition.
“I learned the IED’s can be hidden anywhere and can be made out of anything,” said Lance Cpl. Erick A. Martin, H&HS weather observer and Stephenville, Texas, native. “There’s a lot you have to be aware of.”
Throughout the class, Marines openly asked questions on key features prevalent with today’s often-changing IEDs.
“Hopefully they took away key (identification) features of what to look for so that they can identify danger areas they may someday be working in,” McClenney said.
After the presentation, participants were bussed to the new port facility where EOD had constructed a mock IED field. Groups of 10 Marines were led across an empty dirt lot and down a stretch of road riddled with model explosives. Relying on instruction received earlier that morning, service members counted the number of potential explosive devices hidden along the route.
Pouring rain made the task difficult for some Marines.
“Everything was mud,” said Martin. “You couldn’t see the fresh dirt from where they buried things, which made it hard.”
Although participants found the weather less than pleasant Friday, McClenney knows the rain added a touch of realism, especially for several participants soon deploying to Iraq.
“The rain factor made it more realistic,” he said. “Being in Iraq in the wintertime … they’re going to see a lot of days just like today.”
Once every group had finished, the EOD team escorted the entire class through the course, pointing out every IED hidden along the route.
“I found 14 out of 19, so the way (the IEDs) were hidden was very good,” said Pfc. Brandon J. Cubbage, Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 motor transport operator.
Cubbage, who is one of the Marines soon deploying to Operation Iraqi Freedom, felt the best part of the day was the interaction and reassurance given by the EOD technician walking his group through the course. Although nervous about his upcoming deployment, Cubbage took comfort in the fact his fellow Marines were doing their best to prepare him for the worst.
“He was talking to me about his experiences over there,” said Cubbage, a native of Fairfield, Iowa. “It’s good to know that a lot of the things we’re going to see over there are a lot of the things we saw in the course today. It helped knowing he came back alright.”