Bomb Technicians. Their job is to limit damage to people and property by rendering safe or disposing of unexploded, unfired or fired ordnance (Conventional, nuclear, chemical, biological, and radiological). They respond to IED’s, UXO’s (unexploded ordnance) from wars past, clear bombing ranges and much more.
Composition C
Composition C (C4) is the standard HE (high explosive) for the military. One block of M112 C4 weighs 1.25 pounds and has a TNT equivalent of 1.30. It is extremely stable, insensitive and powerful. The plastic explosive has a texture of clay and can be formed to any shape.
Improvised explosive device (IED)
IED’s are the weapons of choice for terrorist. They are crudely constructed bombs made from various conventional or homemade explosives and anything else available to the maker. “IEDs can be carried or delivered in a vehicle; carried, placed, or thrown by a person; delivered in a package; or concealed on the roadside. The term IED came into common usage during the Iraq War that began in 2003.” (DHS, 2015) …show more content…
The way the power is standardized is by the “TNT Equivalent”. A stick of TNT explodes at a set pressure of 1.00. All other explosives are given a TNT equivalent to compare the different pressures it produces. A block of Composite 4 (C4) has a TNT equivalent of 1.30. These numbers are very important when it comes to disposing of ordnance. The larger the number, the bigger the safe area has to be. Additionally, the amount of C4 needed to properly dispose of ordnance is dependent on the overall TNT equivalent of the ordnance being disposed of.