eodryan

Yeah, so normally in Afghanistan you can find these: http://www.china-africa.ca/asia-palm-oil/

as the bulk of the charge containers. They're pretty common, and Afghans use them like buckets. That makes them easy to move around when used for more sinister purposes. After the IED went off there are usually remnants of the container in the blast hole that would indicate that the main charge was in one of these. Usually packed with a homemade explosive like Ammonia Nitrate Aluminum (seriously abbreviated as ANAL, giggle).

Your truck getting hit with you in it would very much be a hit. I've seen plenty of traumatic amputations and deaths from stuff like that.

In his defense, that General was an asshat that called us "Elitist Cowboys". He also used a dead EOD tech as a reminder for the base to wear their reflective belts.

I met one. Right after the team I was on shot them. They (ANA) brought him down some stairs with 6 bullet holes in him and threw him in front of us. I just shrugged and started giving him medical treatment. He got 7 chest decompressions and we carried him a mile or two to get a medevac. Dude lived. They later linked him to 6 known IEDs.

Restrepo was mentioned, but for the Marines check out: http://www.historynet.com/the-battle-for-marjah-hbo-documentary-marines-in-afghanistan.htm I actually know one of the EOD guys in that movie. I've been to the mountains and Helmand and they're kind of a different vibe. Helmand has the rolling poppy fields that make it look almost... pretty when the flowers are in bloom. Like a Dr. Seuss version of Holland or something. There is a river on the boarder and the streets are meandering. It would be a nice place if the people that lived there weren't so horrific.

No, we actually train on that. Quite a bit actually.

This is the little job description that is in the book when you pick your job:

Performs, supervises, and manages explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) operations. Locates, identifies, disarms, neutralizes, recovers, and disposes of hazardous explosives; conventional, chemical, biological, incendiary, and nuclear ordnance; and criminal or terrorist devices.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjob3e8x1.htm