EOD Airmen help Iraqi police enhance skills Published Oct. 15, 2009 By Staff Sgt. Daniel Martinez 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq (AFNS) -- Members of the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's explosive ordnance disposal team here and Iraqi police conducted joint training here Oct. 3, enhancing the Iraqi police's necessary skills detecting, safely approaching and disarming improvised explosive devices. An Iraqi police EOD team applied their knowledge in a simulated environment as they practiced maneuvering a robot to neutralize possible IED threats. "We use the robot because we always want to go as remote as possible, as does the Iraqi EOD team, so we don't jeopardize anybody's life," said Tech. Sgt. Bridget Crudden, the 506th ECES EOD team chief deployed from F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. "The robot has an arm capability so you can actually take things apart with the gripper on the robot, and it has cameras so you can see downrange. Also, we have different charges that we can take downrange with our robot, basically to keep people out of harm's way." In one scenario, the Iraqi police team drove an armored vehicle through an area concealing an artificial IED. Once the police spotted a simulated triggering device for the IED, they implemented a series of steps that included assessing the situation and taking personal protective measures before attempting to disable the device. Next they attached a simulated explosive charge to their robot and remotely sent it to approach the threat. The EOD team then observed the steps the Iraqi police took and provided helpful feedback once the scenario was completed. "We set them up with different problems, different IEDs that are common in this area and then we're giving them different tools, tips, techniques and methods to safely disarm and disable an IED the best way possible," said Senior Airman Anthony Dasilva, a 506th ECES EOD team member deployed from Whiteman AFB, Mo. "It feels good knowing that we can pass on some of our knowledge because I would like to feel that we can leave this country safe enough for these guys to take over." Speaking through an interpreter, the Iraqi police EOD team leader and explosive expert said he learned a lot from the training and that it's better to work together to secure the areas for the people of Kirkuk and provide safety. He also added that the relationship with his American counterparts helps them learn things from each other. As the training day progressed, events took an unexpected turn when the Iraqi team was dispatched to a site in the city where a rocket was discovered. The Iraqi police team went straight from the simulated training scenario and safely secured the real-world threat. "They got to the call and immediately responded," Sergeant Crudden said. She added that the Iraqi police are successfully completing missions and leaving her team with less work. "I want to do my job and it's a little frustrating not being able to do it, but obviously there being less for us to do is a good thing. It shows that things are actually working out here," she said. "The Iraqis are taking over more from us and that is a good thing."