Fort Novosel, Ala.-- Souvenirs, UXO, duds, training rounds, war trophies... No matter what you call them, they can be deadly!
People are the Army’s greatest asset, to include our Veterans and retirees. The Army cannot complete the mission without our people and we want to ensure everyone is kept safe and comes home at the end of the day. You never know the impact you have and what accidents you can prevent by turning in souvenir munitions.
Taking or collecting munitions as souvenirs poses real dangers to you, your family and the public. Souvenir munitions, even Civil War cannon balls that may have been kept by a family and handled for years, can be deadly. If you have taken or collected munitions as souvenirs, keepsakes, or war trophies, call local law enforcement to request EOD support or turn them in under the amnesty program (e.g., place them in an amnesty box). Also note that buying souvenir munitions online does not guarantee they are safe.
In 2001, a 9-year-old boy lost his forearm when he dropped a munition that he collected in 1999 at a former artillery range in Tennessee. Unfortunately, his parents, who were aware he had it, did not recognize the potential hazard posed, and their son’s life was changed forever.
In 2006, an adult, who had kept a munition as a souvenir for over 15 years and “thought it was harmless,” allowed neighborhood children to play with it. The children threw it up in the air and when it struck a table, it detonated killing two children and injuring six more. Even though handled many times and kept for years without incident, the munition still proved lethal. Failure to recognize the danger posed by keeping a munition as a souvenir was a heartbreaking error.
Do not take munitions home or to the office as souvenirs. If you or your family has a munition or several munitions as souvenirs, even if kept for years, please call 911 or local law enforcement to report it. The police will arrange for support from a Department of Defense Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit or a civilian bomb squad to retrieve the munition and destroy it safely. In most cases, only specially trained EOD or bomb squad personnel are able to determine the dangers associated with a munition. Throwing munitions in the trash or discarding them in parks or wooded areas places your community and the public in danger.
By following the 3Rs of Explosive Safety, you can prevent accidents.
Recognize - when you may have a souvenir munition and that munitions are dangerous.
Retreat – do not approach, touch, move or disturb it, but carefully leave the area. Do NOT Transport! Souvenir Munitions could be unstable. Transporting the munitions to the installation puts you and others at risk.
Report – Call 911 and tell the operator there is a “Souvenir Munition.” The dispatcher will take their name and address and send the bomb squad to the house. The homeowner will NOT be in trouble or questioned, but will have to fill out an incident report stating what they turned in (grenade, rocket, etc.)
For more information visit the website at: https://3Rs.mil
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