Soccer Dad

Military monday 15 - the bomb squad

There's a great profile of the anti-IED effort in Afghanistan and its importance in the WSJ:

"Improvised explosive devices," or IEDs -- the military's antiseptic term for buried bombs -- are the top killer of U.S. forces in both Afghanistan and Iraq. They have killed more than 2,000 U.S. troops in the two countries, and they're gaining popularity. Last year, attacks rose 33% in Afghanistan, according to the International Security Assistance Force, the official name of the U.S.-led military alliance here.

In the coming months, as the U.S. ramps up its war effort in Afghanistan, bomb-clearing personnel will become increasingly important. President Barack Obama is planning to deploy tens of thousands of Americans to the country this year. They will be housed at dozens of new bases in areas that must be cleared of IEDs for the first time.

Kyrgyzstan's decision on Friday to move ahead with plans to close the Manas air base, which is used by U.S. forces to airlift supplies into Afghanistan, means that more food, equipment and fuel will have to be driven into the country. That makes it even more important for teams like Sgt. Spencer's to keep Afghanistan's roads clear of bombs.

His job is one of the most dangerous in the military. Taliban militants have buried at least 31 bombs along Sgt. Spencer's road in recent weeks, according to U.S. officers here. This past Thursday and Friday, two separate explosions in the area killed six Afghans and badly wounded two Canadian soldiers.

The vehicle at the center of this effort is the Buffalo MPCV.

In addition to size and a long arm, the feature of the Buffalo that's essential in combating IED's is its hull.

The bombs, which the military calls improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, have killed or wounded thousands of troops and shredded conventional military vehicles. The new vehicles have a V-shaped hull, which disperses the force of an explosion and helps keep the vehicle from flipping over.

The benefit of the Buffalo in Iraq was noted a few years ago:

Since Echo Company received its Buffalo and its new mission four months ago, the soldiers have found 24 IEDs, said Capt. Barrett Emenheiser, 28, the company commander. Six of the bombs have gone off, including two in which the Buffalo took a direct hit. The windows and sides of the vehicle were damaged and the tires blew out, but none of the passengers was seriously injured.

Emenheiser, of Lebanon, Pa., said the Buffalo finds one IED an average of every 5 1/2 missions. According to statistics, finding an IED saves 2.2 lives, he said.

Insurgents know the Buffalo is out there, roaming the streets. Fliers have appeared in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood instructing militants to "kill the Buffalo." When it rolls down the street at 5 to 10 miles per hour, passersby gawk.

Not only are these vehicles essential in the fight against IED's, the Wall Street Journal notes that they've also starred in a movie.