MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- A mail bomb lies on the cold floor of the post office. The bomb has potential to cause massive damage to the area and the surrounding buildings, so people have been evacuated.
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar's Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit trained with this scenario Sept. 23, to ensure the safety of the Marines, Sailors and civilians on the station.
"Our main focus at Miramar is force protection," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robert S. Schmidt, Exlosive Ordnance Disposal officer, MCAS Miramar.
The exercise offered a realistic training scenario for EOD to test their readiness and response times.
"This is a training opportunity to evaluate a threat, devise a course of action and neutralize the threat," said Kevin T. Kelley, force protection program manager, MCAS Miramar. "It's realistic training. They don't know what they're dealing with, so they have to go through the same procedures as if it were real."
Preparation is key for EOD to be successful and adapt to the current battlefield.
"You have to train as you're going to fight," said Schmidt. "You don't want to find out you're not prepared. With new technology, the devices get more complex. So we train to defeat them."
For example, a mail bomb is not designed to blow up during transit.
"History has shown that a typical mail bomb is designed to explode when they are opened by the recipient and hurt him and those who are nearby," said Staff Sgt. Blanton J. Austin II, operations chief, military post office, MCAS Miramar.
There are specific characteristics that can identify a suspicious piece of mail or parcel.
"We look for abnormalities in mail or anything that is out of the norm," said Austin. "Whether it meets one indication or five, we take every situation seriously."
According to Austin, suspicious mail includes illegible or insufficient return and forwarding addresses and fuel or chemicals odors. Sounds such as buzzing can also be an indicator of a bomb.
When a suspicious piece of mail is found, the military police are notified and they evacuate everyone from the area.
After the area is secured by the military police, EOD technicians move in to neutralize the bomb.
"We'll use an X-ray to examine the contents of the piece of mail in order to identify if it's a threat," said Schmidt. "Every remote means necessary is applied to lessen the chance of damaging property."
After the package is determined to be a threat, it's transported by the bomb squad to an area where it can be neutralized.
In this training scenario, the package containing the bomb was placed in between barriers where it was then detonated.
The EOD personnel successfully neutralized the bomb while preserving the evidence inside. The proper authorities could then check the contents for fingerprints to assist in bringing the suspect to justice. Lives count on EOD being prepared.
"These guys need to be ready to go," said Kelley. "If they were to mess up a scenario like this, it could be life or death. They have to be professional because lives depend on it."