EOD at COP Meade makes Soldiers feel safer

By Sgt. Mary Phillips, 30th HBCT PAO, MND-BJuly 20, 2009

ZAIDAN, Iraq - Airman 1st Class Hans Metz with the 447th Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, demonstrates the remove-controlled robot used to help with disarming improvised explosive devices recently at Combat Outpost Meade. Metz, of Oak Dale, Minn. is...
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – ZAIDAN, Iraq - Airman 1st Class Hans Metz with the 447th Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, demonstrates the remove-controlled robot used to help with disarming improvised explosive devices recently at Combat Outpost Meade. Metz, of Oak Dale, Minn. is... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
ZAIDAN, Iraq - Tech Sgt. Matthew Stark, with the 447th Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, (left) helps Sgt. Mica Joseph, with 1st Battalion, 113th Field Artillery Regiment, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, put on the bomb suit worn by EOD when they hav...
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – ZAIDAN, Iraq - Tech Sgt. Matthew Stark, with the 447th Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, (left) helps Sgt. Mica Joseph, with 1st Battalion, 113th Field Artillery Regiment, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, put on the bomb suit worn by EOD when they hav... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
ZAIDAN, Iraq - A remote-controlled robot used by the explosive ordnance team at Combat Outpost Meade, puts a bottle of water in a barrel, showing its abilities. Airman 1st Class Hans Metz with the 447th Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, controlled th...
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – ZAIDAN, Iraq - A remote-controlled robot used by the explosive ordnance team at Combat Outpost Meade, puts a bottle of water in a barrel, showing its abilities. Airman 1st Class Hans Metz with the 447th Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, controlled th... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

ZAIDAN, Iraq - The explosive ordnance disposal team at Combat Outpost Meade helps to make Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 113th Field Artillery Regiment, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, feel a little safer about traveling the roads south of Baghdad.

The team deals with many different kinds of threats, helping to protect the Soldiers living at COP Meade. Most of these threats come in the way of improvised explosive devices.

"Pretty-much anything explosive, we're involved." said Airman 1st Class Hans Metz, with the 447th EOD, a native of Oakdale, Minn. "Whether there is an IED on a route, or outside Meade, we take care of it."

The EOD team also includes a weapons intelligence team member, Air Force Staff Sgt. Joel Schanbacher.

"It's really cool to be able to say 'You know what' Today I was able to put away a bad guy,'" said Schanbacher, who hails from Atkins, Iowa. "We collect evidence, send it off, find out who it was [who built or placed the device], and then they can be detained."

Although the EOD Airmen are not part of the 30th Brigade, Lt. Col. Mac Grimes, battalion commander, feels they are still a very important part of the team.

"They give our Soldiers increased confidence that if they come across something," said Grimes, of Thomasville, N.C., "EOD will be there and be able to take care of and threat that may be out there waiting for our troops."