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WASHINGTON D.C. (February 13, 2008) - Airmen from the 755th Air
Expeditionary Group's explosive ordnance disposal team recently
helped Afghanistan National Police here dispose of unexploded
ordnance.
"The police chief requested our assistance with removing the
UXOs during our last visit," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Francis
Warren, noncommissioned officer in charge of the Bagram Provincial
Reconstruction Team's police technical advisory team.
Warren contacted EOD for assistance.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Steven Nidzgorski, an EOD team leader, said
UXOs and landmines pose a serious threat for local citizens and
military personnel throughout Afghanistan. In the past six months,
Nidzgorski's team has responded to about 15 requests for similar
assistance, he said.
Once on site, Nidzgorski assessed the UXOs the Afghan police had
gathered to determine the safest method of disposal.
"Preferably, we will destroy them where they are at if at all
possible," Nidzgorski said. "But today we couldn't do that because
of the proximity of buildings and (their) occupants."
After close examination and deciding the UXOs were safe for
transport, Nidzgorski's team loaded them onto a joint EOD rapid
response vehicle for transport to a safe place for destruction.
After arriving at what appeared to be a large, open area free of
people, structures and crops, Nidzgorski stepped out of the vehicle
to survey the terrain. He noticed an Afghan man herding goats in
the distance.
"We can either go out there and have him move his goats, or we
can go to the range," Nidzgorski said.
Not wanting to disturb the herder, the airmen took the UXOs to a
range near Bagram Air Base for destruction.
"It's good to know we are getting them out of the way and making
it safer for the Afghans," Nidzgorski said.
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