Army - The Soldiers' Newspaper

The man in the iron mask ... a bomb technician’s restricted view of an improvised explosive device from behind a face shield.
Photos by Cpl Sean Burton, Army Newspaper

A unit T-shirt reflects the inevitable black humour

Ammo tech skill sets

Disposal of ammunition
Inspection, repair and modification of ammunition
Manage explosive ordnance/ammunition storage facilities in a field environment
Provide technical advice to commanders and units on ammunition-related issues
Appear as witness in civil and military inquires in relation to ammunition EOD/IEDD
Conduct DMEO (disposal of malfunctioned explosive ordnance) Courses and re-qualification courses
Perform Range Safety Officer duties on demolition and disposal ranges
Conduct Technical Investigations into ammunition incidents, defects and performance failures
Conduct in-service surveillance and proof of ammunition
Conduct EOD and IEDD operations in Australia and on operations and dispose of all types of ammunition (including Foreign and historical EO)

Note: Chemical, Biological and radiological munitions and devises are the responsibility of RAE

Capt Tony Watson, holding a WW2 grenade, has dealt with 200-year-old naval ammunition through to modern Sea Dart missiles in his job as an ATO

WO2 Rick West and his robot partner the Echidna, a 280kg robot-equivalent of a human bomb technician

ATO Maj Keith Parker operates the Echidna from the safety of the command post

Big bang theory

They’re the bullet doctors, the rocket scientists – the specialists who investigate and deal with ammunition
or explosives incidents. Cpl Sean Burton talks to the ammunition technicians whose skills are vital in ensuring the safety and performance of the ADF’s ammunition

MISFIRE! A command usually followed by colourful expletives. As reflected in our weapons training, ammunition malfunctions are a fact of military life.

If your ammunition malfunctions, chances are an ammunition technician (AT) will find out why – whether it is a manufacturer or user problem.

As an AT, they are one of 80 ammunition and explosive specialists, ECN 401, who make sure the ADF gets more bang for its buck.

With 30 years service under his belt, AT WO1 Trevor Turner, Joint Ammunition Logistic Organisation (JALO), is well qualified to manage the investigation and resolution of all ammunition incidents that occur in the Army.

With this wealth of experience in the AT trade he can confidently say the best ATs have traditionally come from the arms corps.

“An AT needs the widest possible experience, so I feel it is best that they come from an arms corps because they have been the end user,” he said.

“The trade is an excellent option for an NCO looking for a change of direction within the ADF.

“Some of the best ATs have been corporals who have had a good run in their units and wanted to move on and do something new but still had a passion for the Army and its equipment.”

Ammunition Technical Officer (ATO) Capt Tony Watson, JALO, said the type of person they were looking for was a calm and relaxed corporal or above with the mental aptitude to learn, and more importantly, an interest and attention to detail with concern to ammunition.

After meeting the SCMA, Psych and aptitude testing requirements, trainees attend the AT course at the Armament and Construction Wing, ALTC, Bandiana, in Victoria.

AT/ATO courses are held over alternate years and run for eight months followed by the six-week IEDD (Improvised Explosive Device Disposal) course.

On successful completion of the course an AT will continue with on-the-job training at a CSSB, FSB or JALO.

As well as overseeing the safety and performance of the Army’s ammunition, JALO provides tri-service support and advice on all ammunition related issues including Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and IEDD, including support to the SF Group.

JALO EOD and IEDD operators also support Federal and state police in counter-terrorism and anti-criminal operations.

AT/ATOs are also employed on overseas operations to provide all levels of ammunition support and guidance to commanders. This includes supporting foreign police and military forces.

Capt Watson says that a childhood interest in chemistry led to him becoming an ATO and an IEDD technician or, as they are more commonly known, a Bomb Tech.

“I guess I was one of the little kids who used to dream of blowing things up. At Uni I had a great interest in the history of ammunition, the power and chemistry of explosives, so I guess I found my niche as an ATO,” he said.

The bomb techs are the high-profile part of the AT trade and clearly something he enjoys being part of.

“The best part of the AT job is the EOD and IEDD, that’s what brought me to the trade.”

Capt Watson said that as a specialist his opinion was sought at critical times but the responsibility was rewarding.

“As an ATO, a commander will often ask for technical advice in my area of expertise which will obviously effect command decisions.”

As a bomb tech their job is to identify and render safe an IED and, in some cases, disarm the device manually if it can’t be done remotely.

For physical protection, bomb techs wear the EOD 8 bomb suit, which is made from a flame- resistant material called Arama.

With ballistic shield inserts, the suit weighs 35kg, which does not include extra items such as the ballistic plates and heavy metal face shield on a 12kg helmet.

The helmet has internal air blowers to cool the wearer and to stop their face shield from misting as they work. The variable speed blowers have a small external motor, which acts a small vacuum sucking air into the suit.

An operator’s hearing is protected but at the same time not affected by the bulky helmet as the internal microphones have an automatic cut out when loud explosions occur, similar to the ear protection worn by gunners.

When fully suited up, bomb techs have a distorted depth of vision, which is further exaggerated when wearing the steel face shield.

Capt Watson said working in the bomb suit was very hot and tiring both physically and mentally.

“It’s a big monkey suit and it’s very restrictive. You feel like the Michelin Man.”

WO2 Rick West, JALO, who has been in the ammunition trade since 1993, said distance and blast made all the difference to survival in the suit should an explosive device detonate as a bomb tech inspected it.

Comparisons were difficult to make but he was able to describe the effects of an M26 grenade on a AT wearing the suit.

“If an M26 grenade was to explode at your feet wearing this suit you could expect frag damage to the lower legs,” he said.

“The blast you wouldn’t worry about so much but if you were wearing this suit you could expect to get out of it fairly well.”

Working in conjunction with the bomb tech is the Remote Positioning Device (RPD) otherwise known as the Echidna.

The Echidna is the 280kg robot-equivalent of a human bomb technician and it reduces the risk of approaching and rendering safe an IED.

Its primary role is to use a weapons system to neutralise the IED rather than a human equivalent having to render it safe.

The Echidna has a mounted 12-gauge shotgun that is used to gain access to an IED behind locked doors or vehicle windows.

Another RPD weapon is the Remote Actuated Kinetic Energy Device (RAKED), which is used to render safe an IED by using high-pressurized water to disrupt the item.

The Echidna has a long, extendible arm, capable of reaching into confined spaces to apply these weapon systems or to pick up and pull objects clear.

The Echidna is controlled by an AT in the safety of an air-portable command post (CP) vehicle as he monitors the scene through closed circuit television, connected to the Echidna’s two cameras via a command cable.

It is also fitted with two colour cameras with zoom, sound and light capabilities, one of which has a 360 degree pan used for viewing when remotely driving the Echidna.

Back in the CP, an operator remotely steers the RPD with a joystick while watching its progress relayed through the driving camera.

Whether it’s climbing stairs or moving through water-filled sewers the tracked robot can be maneuvered over most terrain.

AT WO2 Shane Della-Vedova was happy to praise the robot but he felt it had now become antiquated and was fast approaching its projected use-by date, having been in service for 15 years.

“It’s a good bit of kit – it’s getting to the end of its service life but we make do and keep doing it,” he said.

The AT is a specialist. They have a job that commands respect and admiration from those of us watching from behind the safety line as they make a long, solitary walk to uncertainty dressed like a Teletubby.