Written by Spc. Jessica Luhrs, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division
Friday, October 01, 2010 KIRKUK – U.S. Soldiers and Airmen recently introduced an Iraqi Police Counter Explosives Team here to the ANDROS robot, a remotely-controlled EOD ally, proven to save lives in the field.
An Explosive Ordnance Disposal Airmen with the 506th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron conducts familiarization training on the ANDROS robot for Iraqi Policeman with the Kirkuk IP Counter Explosives Team, at Contingency Operating Site Warrior, Kirkuk, Aug. 25, 2010. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jessica Luhrs.
Ten IPCET attended seven days of familiarization training in late August, following an Iraq Ministry of the Interior delivery of state-of-the-art EOD tools, to include three new robots.
As with any new tool, the Iraqis required training to best employ the device. To that end, U.S. EOD Airmen with the 506th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron and Soldiers with the 38th Ordnance Company out of Fort Stewart, Ga., currently assigned to Task Force Troy - North, began training their counterparts here at Contingency Operating Site Warrior.
According to Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jason A. Luckenbach, an EOD team leader, the IPCET impressed the instructors as they excelled in training.
The level of knowledge the IPCET displayed during training makes the U.S. EOD family confident this area will be left in good hands, explained the Alamogordo, N.M. native on his third deployment here.
“These tools and this training will give the IPCET a capability to disarm IEDs and do so safely; saving many lives,” Luckenbach concluded.
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