Posted on 02/24/2006 3:10:56 PM PST by SandRat
2/23/2006 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFPN) -- Explosive ordnance disposal Airmen with the 16th Civil Engineer Squadron destroyed a World War II-era explosive device found in Pensacola.
The 100-pound photo-flash bomb, common to the World War II or Korean War period, was found by construction workers Feb. 14 clearing storm debris in the waters of Santa Rosa Sound on Pensacola Beach.
When they found the rubble, they dug it up with a backhoe. But, when they realized they found unexploded ordnance, the workers dropped the bomb onto the sand and notified the state fire marshal, who in turn requested military assistance.
“When we got there, it was laying on the ground near the water where the workers had dropped it,” said Staff Sgt. Jason Wilburn, EOD team leader for the response.
Originally, the team planned to detonate the bomb on the beach.
“When we first got there, we didn’t know what we were dealing with,” Sergeant Wilburn said. “Once we knew what it was, we determined it was safe enough to transfer back to Hurlburt Field.”
The team then loaded the bomb onto the response truck.
The Airmen performed an emergency detonation of the device using 10 pounds of explosives on the EOD range Feb. 14.
This wasn’t the first time 16th CES EOD has been asked to perform such a task in the local area. Even though the response was off base, EOD’s mission remained unchanged.
“It’s our job no matter what the situation,” Sergeant Wilburn said.
EOD -- tick-tick-tick --BOOM!!!!
I doubt that they dropped it.
you're up!
Pretty hairy that old stuff!I liked the part where they "Dropped" it in the sand!
Makes me shudder to think what might have happened if some Mooselimb jihadist/insurgent/punk/terrorist wannabe would have found this first.
Bet they dropped something else in their knickers too!!!
My favorite EOD T-Shirt
EOD
IF YOU SEE ME RUNNING
TRY TO KEEP UP!
gotta love it!
TT
"workers dropped the bomb onto the sand and notified the state fire marshal"
It's pucker time, very gently now.
I would to if I had been within a certain radius!
2 things have to happen to create an explosion.Heat and shock.It was probaly hot from the sand.Good thing it wasnt dropped on a sidewalk!
"....these block buster bombs dont go off unless you hit them juusttt right"
That one always cracks me up!
ping
Yeah....if real that would be an ass whuppin and many cases of beer bought !
This job was just a PUCA Mission.....aka Pick Up and Carry Away with a DDOT hazard (don't drop on toes)!
Old photoflash bombs are "everywhere" in the CONUS !
Toughest one I ever had to deal with was an old WWII Mortarman who swore he'd dug up a four duce round while working his ranch so we took him at his word and started to ry and dig out what he had the poor judgement to rebury with a back hoe bucket.
After a few hours of carefully digging in cold mud and water with shovles and our hands we located a "sucker pump counter weight" from an old windmill.....aka old vets version of a four duce mortar.......:o)
We just looked at the old guy, cold wet, mud in places mud shouldn't get and told him it was better safe than sorry , let him and his lady make us dinner and drank a few beers with him and listened to his war stories for a few hours and went back to our world.......he felt bad till we assured him we'd had made the same call and it was an honest mistake......:o)
Well, that's a better outcome than when they "do it yourself" and it blows high order.
Dropped it????? DROPPED IT???
Are these guys nuts? Couldn't they place it down a little more gently???
Trust me, I believe it.
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