An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir April 2016 www.dfmagazine.ie 16 | REPORT & PHOTOS by CPL LEE COYLE S ince the end of WWII army bomb disposal personnel have been responsible for the identification, dis- armament, removal and controlled destruction of all explosives found in Ireland. On Tuesday 19th Janu- ary 2016, the Ordnance School, DFTC held an open day for members of the media, in order to demonstrate the equipment and exper- tise used by the bomb disposal technicians. In attendance were many TV, radio and print/online journal- ists including TV3, UTV Ireland, the Irish Sun and Joe.ie, to name but a few. The demonstra- tion concluded with a controlled explosion showing the dangers and destructive power of such blasts. The Ordnance Corps has logistical and op- erational roles within the Defence Forces. Logistics roles include the supply of all ordnance equipment, weapons and the technical sup- port required. Their operational role with the DF is main- ly in the areas of EOD/C-IED, as well as providing an EOD service to the State in support of An Garda Síochána. Defence Forces EOD/C-IED personnel are viewed as amongst the best and most highly trained in the world, with much of their expertise having been developed during 'the Troubles' of the 1970s and '80s. In response to the increase in gangland violence over recent years and the ready availability of pipe-bomb material, EOD technicians have reverse engineered a unit whose main priority is preventing the manufac- ture of such devices by defeating the IED system. They achieve this by attacking the network and individu- als involved in such activities. This focus on prevention has led to the saying of being 'lef t of the boom!' In 2015 EOD teams have carried out 141 total call outs with 40 of them proving to be vi- able devices. With its skilled personnel and experience, the Ord- nance School is at the forefront of dealing with the threat of IEDs and has instructed personnel from over 33 countries. The School conducts a number of ordnance courses for Defence Forces personnel, including: young Officers (yOs) Ordnance, Ordnance Tech Engineers and Basic EOD. Some of the students on the current yOs Ordnance course may progress to the Basic EOD course and be- come the newest members of EOD/C-IED teams, with the skills required to deal with the latest threats at home or abroad. During the open day, members of the media were shown how easy it is to hide an IED; how to spot hid- den, homemade devices; and some of the devices invented by the IRA and dissident Republican groups. Defence Forces EOD/C-IED person- nel have travelled to conflict zones, to assist UN and EU personnel with CIED, mine clear- ance, and Unex- ploded Ordnance (UXO) disposal. 'Left of the Boom!'

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