MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Marines with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company practice disassembling the
Griffin missile to enhance their skills on unfamiliar weapons disassembly and to
document a how-to procedure to safely remove the explosive ordinance from inside
the Griffin missile at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Dec. 1, 2015.
The Griffin missile is an
air and ground-launched, precise, low-collateral-damage missile used for
irregular warfare.
Marines with EOD are refining their dismantling
procedures, as the disassembly of the Griffin missile has only been completed a
handful of times. These EOD technicians with 2nd Marine Logistics Group are
currently the only technicians in the Marine Corps to dismantle a Griffin
missile.
“There is always room to grow,” said Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan Key,
a Marine from Readiness Evaluation and Doctrine cell with EOD Company. “I can
always be more proficient at my job, and this is a learning
opportunity.”
The training consists of taking apart explosive ordinance
like the Griffin missile and mortar rounds. Since this is their fifth time ever
seeing a Griffin missile they are continuing to learn specific details about the
missile, as well identifying the appropriate methods to properly take it
apart.
“It’s a matter of familiarizing yourself with the tools that
you’re going to use to disarm and remove the explosives,” said Master Sgt. James
Hoffman, an EOD technician with EOD Company. “A lot of people can read how to do
something and not fully understand how it works, but [with hands on training]
you wind up knowing how it functions better than just from reading
it.”
EOD technicians are trained to be able to disarm unknown explosive
ordnance while in theatre. This type of training is vital because it gives
Marines an opportunity to encounter ordnance they have not seen before much like
they might in a foreign country.
Developing and documenting the procedure
for future use is as important as the actual disassembly, as it helps maintain a
continuity of effort and keeps Marines safe.
“If we go overseas and
there’s a new ordnance found that we’ve never seen before we’re not going to run
and go blow it up,” Key said. “We’re probably going to be seeing more of it so
we’ll go in and develop procedures on how to disarm it.”