During my Air Force days, I met an EOD tech who had helped clear some of Saddam’s minefields after the first Gulf War. The Americans were outfitted with the latest, state-of-the-art gear protective gear and remote sensing systems.
The sector next to them was assigned to an Egyptian EOD team. Their techs wore standard Army uniforms with goggles and helmets. Their equipment consisted of a long, sharp stick and a hand shovel, like you’d use in your garden.
One day the NCOIC of the U.S. detachment had a conversation with the officer in charge of the Egyptian team. Trying to be polite, the American commended the bravery of the Egyptians, venturing into a minefield with nothing more than a sticks, a shovel and their wits.
The Egyptian officer shrugged it off...”plenty more where they came from,” he said.
The Egyptian officer shrugged it off...”plenty more where they came from,” he said.