MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, North Carolina -- Marines with 2nd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 8th Engineer Support Battalion, conducted dynamic entry sustainment training using compressed water in coordination with the principles of explosives during a Military Operations in Urban Terrain exercise aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, March 9, 2015.
Combining water and detonation charges, technicians with 2nd EOD used the properties of water to exert a pushing effect on metal doors with enough force to push them open and off the hinges.
“This training reinforces what EOD technicians already know about dynamic entry,” said Master Sgt. Brian Diaz, an EOD technician with the company and a native of Bronx, New York. “It allows them to enter a barricaded structure occupied by hostile forces without catastrophic damage to the personnel inside or outside.”
Marines with 2nd EOD have gone through advanced breaching schools to obtain the skills and knowledge they have today. Marines with the unit who have had hands on experience with the sustainment training events can help other Marines who are new to the job field.
“Getting the opportunity to do the breaching ranges gives me the knowledge to employ these charges when I have to,” said Staff Sgt. Jeramie Pawloski, an EOD technician with the unit and a native of Stockton, California. “Learning hands-on during these dynamic entry training events helps sharpen my skills to be able to assist and enable the ground combat element when forward deployed.”
2nd EOD is not the primary assault force, but the Marines still have to be proficient in dynamic entry techniques and safety standards as the support group for the ground combat element. In a five-man stack, the lead Marine holds up a shielding blanket to dampen the shockwave and block debris after the explosion. The team then moves in to inspect the breach and clear the room of potential risks before the ground combat element enters.
“The Marines conducted drills with the explosive charges, but we still focused on staying safe during the explosion,” Diaz said.
Diaz explained the importance of net explosive weight calculations, explosive hazards and effects, charge construction, safety and proper target analysis that would lead to the correct charge calculations for a target door; otherwise they could create unintended hazards and injure personnel.
Safety was a key aspect when they conducted dynamic entry with explosive charges, and the Marines rehearsed each set up before going live. Rehearsals also help maintain knowledge and skills when going through breaching ranges for the technicians.
“This is all about learning,” Pawloski said. “Marines go to the school and obtain knowledge and then come back here to teach younger Marines how to implement techniques and tactics when performing dynamic entry with explosive charges.”