Building Be Gone

Hello again everyone. Things here in Iraq are still going well. In fact, this week, I had the opportunity to tag along with some Army engineers.
One difference between Air Force and Army engineers is that the Army engineers use explosives to breech doors, or in this case to bring entire buildings down. It worked out as a great joint training opportunity. The Army conducted their training and we in the Air Force provided support. I was there as an observer and to help coordinate Air Force support. The overall goal was to use a number of small charges to teach what damage different types of charges cause and to eventually completely destroy the building. It was a condemned facility that we no longer needed.
Here’s what the building looked like at the beginning (remember what it looks like here … it won’t stay this way very long).

As most male children will agree, it’s fun to watch things go boom. Here is the first of the day.

This is the damage that the explosive charge and the over-pressure caused by the explosion wreaked on the building from that first blast.

This is a perfect example of what a breaching hole looks like. The idea is to use an explosive charge only large enough to create a man-sized hole to enter through, not bring the whole building down.

Here is another charge being built.

The finished product, proudly on display and ready to be placed.

Here it is in place and the fuse being lit.

Boom.

The base videographer, Roidan, was on site to document the event as well.


This is an interview with the Engineer Company First Sergeant, who was the main force in setting up this operation.

Since it took a while to inspect the damage of each blast and place the next one, the soldiers took refuge from the heat in their vehicles.

Lighting the fuse … Ready.

Set…

Boom.

Here I am standing on the partly destroyed building.

Setting another charge.


Ready to blow again.


It’s starting to look more like a pile of rubble than a building. A few more blows and there will be nothing left.




After the day’s explosions. This is all that was left.

It was a success for everyone involved.
–Jim