A question for the ordnance disposal guys

[Al Dykes]

This bit of explosives p0rn reminds me of a question.

Many tons ot taliban munitions bown up

When we find a large supply of enemy munitions; grenades, mortar
wounds, RPG rounds, we seem to put them in a pile and blow it up with
demolition charges. Doesn't that result in a percentage of them being
spread around, just waiting for a kid to find and get himself killed?

(Not that I have a suggestion for a better way of disposing of what is
in that video.)

[Me]

Post by Al Dykes
This bit of explosives p0rn reminds me of a question.
Many tons ot taliban munitions bown up
http://youtu.be/w95aKxhPOkI
When we find a large supply of enemy munitions; grenades, mortar
wounds, RPG rounds, we seem to put them in a pile and blow it up with
demolition charges. Doesn't that result in a percentage of them being
spread around, just waiting for a kid to find and get himself killed?
(Not that I have a suggestion for a better way of disposing of what is
in that video.)

It would depend on what you were using as a Demolition Charge. If
it is a very "Fast" Detonation and Propagation Wave Front, the
munitions would self-detonate long before they actually moved anywhere,
by the Pressure Wave. You wouldn't use anything as "Slow" as Black Power.

[Boomer]

That is true ME but at times that does not take place. There what is called
HOD (High Order Detonation ) and LOD (Low Order Detonation). I have talked
about them here before in the olden good days when you and I and others
where here. If a LOD takes place there will be a spread of undetonated
munitions and even at times munitions that end up getting armed. Such LOD
incidents then require EOD techs to meticulously walk the ground to find
ever piece that is a UXO and detonate each piece and often individually in
place found

LOD incidents are dependant on

1. Condition of the munitions being destroyed

2. Placement of the charges, which can be critical, depending on the
condition of the munitions being destroyed

3. Condition ( aging, deteriorate) of the charge itself. You don't want to
be using old stuff.

4. You need to know what you are doing.

LOD's are not uncommon in the destruction of munitions.

Boomer, former US Army EOD

Post by Me

Post by Al Dykes
This bit of explosives p0rn reminds me of a question.
Many tons ot taliban munitions bown up
http://youtu.be/w95aKxhPOkI
When we find a large supply of enemy munitions; grenades, mortar
wounds, RPG rounds, we seem to put them in a pile and blow it up with
demolition charges. Doesn't that result in a percentage of them being
spread around, just waiting for a kid to find and get himself killed?
(Not that I have a suggestion for a better way of disposing of what is
in that video.)

It would depend on what you were using as a Demolition Charge. If
it is a very "Fast" Detonation and Propagation Wave Front, the
munitions would self-detonate long before they actually moved anywhere,
by the Pressure Wave. You wouldn't use anything as "Slow" as Black Power.

[unknown]

Post by Al Dykes
This bit of explosives p0rn reminds me of a question.
Many tons ot taliban munitions bown up
http://youtu.be/w95aKxhPOkI
When we find a large supply of enemy munitions; grenades, mortar
wounds, RPG rounds, we seem to put them in a pile and blow it up with
demolition charges. Doesn't that result in a percentage of them being
spread around, just waiting for a kid to find and get himself killed?
(Not that I have a suggestion for a better way of disposing of what is
in that video.)

I would like to add something to this, many years ago when I was in
Korea my squad found a case of North Korean grenades, the type that
had a wood cap and looked like a potato masher and had a string you
pulled and then threw, We started to pull the strings and threw them
down the hill. STOP !! my platoon Sgt. said they booby trap them and
he said if you want to blow the hell out of them then take a piece of
commo wire and tie it to the string and throw the grenade.
Well we tied a long piece of commo wire to the string and that saved
at least a few, the very next one we threw exploded as soon as the
commo wire pulled the string.
So! the guys from EOD have my prayers and always have my thanks.