EOD Book Review: Bomb Hunters - In Afghanistan with Britain's Elite Bomb Disposal Unit

Bomb Disposal within Taliban Crosshairs:
IEDs are the weapon of choice for terrorists and insurgents from Afghanistan to Ireland. Among the best in the business of defusing these horrific devices are the Ammunition Technical Officers of the British Army’s Royal Logistic Corps. Commonly called “ATOs,” they are the equivalent of what Americans refer to as Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians or “EOD Techs.”

In Bomb Hunters, former British para-turned journalist Sean Rayment tells the story of Royal Engineer Search Teams (REST) that locate IEDs, the “bleeps” that jam the electronic spectrum to prevent radio-controlled detonations, the ATOs who take “the long walk” to disrupt, defuse, or render safe IEDs, and the weapons intelligence specialists who collect post-blast information that can lead to the bomber or bomb-maker. Rayment specifically focuses on counter-IED efforts in Helmand province in Afghanistan based on several visits there between August 2008 and March 2010.

Rayment relays in vivid detail the challenges of bomb disposal while enveloped in unbearable heat and operating – literally –  within Taliban crosshairs. The heroism described through Bomb Hunters, including one ATO disarming IEDs with one hand after his dominant hand is broken, and the somber remembrance of several ATOs who made the ultimate sacrifice, will humble any reader. The book also includes several accounts of direct action between British soldiers and the Taliban before, during, after, and outside of counter-IED operations. Perhaps Rayment’s most salient and interesting account is not of bomb disposal, but of a sophisticated ambush derived from the British study and analysis of Taliban tactics vis-a-vis medical evacuations via helo.

Bomb Hunters is another important book on the war on terrorism that will prove invaluable to soldiers, historians, and the friends and family of disposaleers who served so honorably in Helmand Province.

EOD Book Review - RED ONE: A Bomb Disposal Expert on the Front Line by Captain Kevin Ivison, GM

In Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers have displayed countless acts of courage, and demonstrated immeasurable heroism. Through his autobiography, RED ONE: A Bomb Disposal Expert on the Front Line, Captain Kevin Ivison reminds us that courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to overcome it, and heroism occurs not only during one’s service, but in the sacrifices endured long after it.

Ivision, a British Ammunition Technical Officer or “ATO” – the UK’s term for Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians – deployed for four months to Northern Ireland followed by four months in Al Amarah, Iraq. While there, he and his unit defused improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by day and endured indirect fire by night.


An IED attack against a convoy of paratroopers at a spot in Al Amarah the Brits called “Red One” became the defining moment in Ivision’s deployment. He was called to render safe a “secondary,” an explosive formed penetrator (EFP) that was not triggered, within sight of two fallen Paras before the force could safely extract. He did so while an angry mob threw rocks at the security cordon and a sniper took shots at them. To make matters worse, his EOD robot and the team’s electronic jamming equipment were inoperable. Ivision defused the IED with his wits alone. He was subsequently awarded the George Medal, second only to the Victoria Cross.

Upon returning to his parent command, Ivision soon discovered that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder or “PTSD.” His initial cries for help, including reaching out to medical personnel, went unheeded. As a result, his struggle back to normalcy was almost as arduous as combat on Red One…and maybe a continuation of it.

This is the one of the rawest books about the war in Iraq from a man who served there in the most dangerous of professions. It is recommended reading for all who serve in combat arms, and especially those who are or seek to be disposaleers.

EOD Book Review: The Longest Walk

This is word-for-word what I posted on amazon.com about The Longest Walk.

"The Longest Walk is a well written history of the U.K.’s explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) community from its inception through the late 1990’s. As implied by the cover, Peter Birchall provides insight into the heroic actions of Ammunition Technical Officers (ATOs) operating in N. Ireland – but The Longest Walk includes much more. Birchall describes the birth of EOD in the UK, provides insight into EOD selection and training, and devotes pages to several counter-IED campaigns to include actions in Hong Kong, Cyprus, and the Falkland Islands. He even gives a nod to the Draper Kauffman, the father of the U.S. EOD community. Birchall served as an ATO, so his writing is strengthened by an authenticity that only someone who has “Been there, done that...” can provide. This book will serve as a valuable addition to any historian’s library, and is a must for all displosaleers."

EOD Book Review: Eight Lives Down

The heritage of American EOD forces comes from the UK. Draper Kauffman was a Royal Navy Bomb Disposal Technician before returning to the U.S. to stand up the first mine and bomb disposal school here. From that point until 9/11 the Brits encountered more IEDs than American forces, especially during "the troubles" in Ireland. Their units are structured differently from those in the U.S. and their EOD Techs are called Ammunition Technical Officers or "ATOs."

Eight Lives Down by Major Chris Hunter, is one ATO's account of his tour of duty in Basra as part of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. I highly recommend it for someone who is interested in the life of an ATO and the counter-IED effort in Iraq. See my detailed review on amazon.com at: Eight Lives Down.