- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
05 â “ 06 JULY 05 SLOVENIAN MINE STRIKE RESPONSE
After sustaining a civil war and Soviet occupation, Afghanistan is littered with millions of land mines, which are very real threats, and precautions are taken as part of every operation. This threat became a reality on Tuesday the 5th of July. With only twenty minutes notice, 2 Troop, 23 Field Squadron was dispatched to a mine strike involving three Slovenian armoured Humvee reconnaissance vehicles near a patrol route 20kms south of Kabul. The Slovenian Recce Pl was attempting to occupy a hill overlooking a route leading into Kabul, when they drove over an anti-tank mine. An Engineer Response Section commanded by Sgt Allard and an Engineer Recce Team commanded by Sgt Bentley arrived at the location of the mine strike. Noticing that the three Humvee crews were still on top of their vehicles in the danger area, the Sappers immediately began their extraction drills by clearing a one-meter wide path towards them. After two hours, the first Slovenian crew was extracted to safety. Working quickly and diligently, Sgt Allard's crew then evacuated the second Humvee crew. The clearance began to slow towards the last Humvee due to the large amount of vehicle debris thrown during the explosion. Nearly seven hours after arriving, the last Slovenian crew was escorted out of the danger area. Although shaken up, the Slovenians in the damaged Humvee had suffered only minor injuries and were able to walk out. The Slovenians then precariously backed their first Humvee out of the now cleared danger area. Having completed ten hours of delicate mine clearance, Sgt Allard's section was then relieved by MCpl Penney's. Having daylight and a 180-meter long by 1-meter wide safe lane connecting the two remaining Humvees, he employed two clearance teams simultaneously to speed up the process. Before driving the second Humvee out, the lane was confirmed by Sgt Bentley and Cpl Renals driving the Nyala Mine Protective Vehicle over the route. After nine hours on the site, Sergeant Ross' section relieved MCpl Penney's section and the clearance continued in the same manner. To retrieve the damaged Humvee, RCD Recce Squadron provided a Buffalo Recovery Vehicle with a 25-ton winch. The damaged Humvee was lying across the path and needed to be winched parallel to the route prior to dragging it out. This was done with the crew mounted under the protective armour of the Buffalo, as there was a risk of triggering another explosion from mines that may have existed underneath the vehicle. Once straightened, the damaged Humvee was then dragged some 200-meters to the safe area. Time spent on the site was almost 22 hours with temperatures reaching nearly 40 degrees. Closer examination of the site revealed that the crater measured almost 2 meters wide, nearly 1 meter deep and estimated to be a 5 kg Russian Anti-Tank Blast mine. Cooperation between 23 Fd Sqn, RCD Recce Squadron, Health Support Services and Logistics were an example of the professionalism found within Task Force Kabul.
As submitted to the Maple Leaf....
Pictures to follow...
After sustaining a civil war and Soviet occupation, Afghanistan is littered with millions of land mines, which are very real threats, and precautions are taken as part of every operation. This threat became a reality on Tuesday the 5th of July. With only twenty minutes notice, 2 Troop, 23 Field Squadron was dispatched to a mine strike involving three Slovenian armoured Humvee reconnaissance vehicles near a patrol route 20kms south of Kabul. The Slovenian Recce Pl was attempting to occupy a hill overlooking a route leading into Kabul, when they drove over an anti-tank mine. An Engineer Response Section commanded by Sgt Allard and an Engineer Recce Team commanded by Sgt Bentley arrived at the location of the mine strike. Noticing that the three Humvee crews were still on top of their vehicles in the danger area, the Sappers immediately began their extraction drills by clearing a one-meter wide path towards them. After two hours, the first Slovenian crew was extracted to safety. Working quickly and diligently, Sgt Allard's crew then evacuated the second Humvee crew. The clearance began to slow towards the last Humvee due to the large amount of vehicle debris thrown during the explosion. Nearly seven hours after arriving, the last Slovenian crew was escorted out of the danger area. Although shaken up, the Slovenians in the damaged Humvee had suffered only minor injuries and were able to walk out. The Slovenians then precariously backed their first Humvee out of the now cleared danger area. Having completed ten hours of delicate mine clearance, Sgt Allard's section was then relieved by MCpl Penney's. Having daylight and a 180-meter long by 1-meter wide safe lane connecting the two remaining Humvees, he employed two clearance teams simultaneously to speed up the process. Before driving the second Humvee out, the lane was confirmed by Sgt Bentley and Cpl Renals driving the Nyala Mine Protective Vehicle over the route. After nine hours on the site, Sergeant Ross' section relieved MCpl Penney's section and the clearance continued in the same manner. To retrieve the damaged Humvee, RCD Recce Squadron provided a Buffalo Recovery Vehicle with a 25-ton winch. The damaged Humvee was lying across the path and needed to be winched parallel to the route prior to dragging it out. This was done with the crew mounted under the protective armour of the Buffalo, as there was a risk of triggering another explosion from mines that may have existed underneath the vehicle. Once straightened, the damaged Humvee was then dragged some 200-meters to the safe area. Time spent on the site was almost 22 hours with temperatures reaching nearly 40 degrees. Closer examination of the site revealed that the crater measured almost 2 meters wide, nearly 1 meter deep and estimated to be a 5 kg Russian Anti-Tank Blast mine. Cooperation between 23 Fd Sqn, RCD Recce Squadron, Health Support Services and Logistics were an example of the professionalism found within Task Force Kabul.
As submitted to the Maple Leaf....
Pictures to follow...
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