Afghanistan's Most Dangerous Job: Finding IEDs

(CBS)  Roadside bombs are the greatest threat to U.S. forces in the Afghan war - and that threat is growing. In 2005, 20 coalition troops were killed by improvised explosive devices - IEDs. This year, that number is ten times higher. Roadside bombs now account for about 60 percent of all fatalities. The U.S. military uses elite teams of experts to locate and defuse the insurgents' hidden bombs.

CBS News correspondent Terry McCarthy was with one of those teams in the southern town of Safar Bazaar in Helmand province - and saw firsthand the harrowing danger it faces day after day.

Special Section: Afghanistan | The Road Ahead

In the chaotic moments after a bomb blast, Marines run with stretchers to help their fallen comrades. An explosion went off behind a building. Moments later, a radio call comes in saying that two Marines are down.

Two men are carried away, a third, less seriously wounded, manages to walk out. They are two bomb disposal experts - known as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team - and a combat engineer.

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Captain Nathan Opie rushes to the scene and gets the bad news from one of his men.

An emotional Capt. Opie described the scene: "He said that they got Greer and they got him pretty bad. At that point he brought me over there to Greer and I saw the EOD techs as well and we just started getting them on stretchers and getting them out of there."

Corporal Daniel Greer, of the 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, suffered a serious brain injury which later claimed his life.

Sgt. Johnny Jones, an explosives disposal expert lost both his legs. Staff Sgt. Eric Chir, also a bomb expert, suffers serious shrapnel wounds.

McCarthy's Blog on this Incident

In the week before this blast, we followed these three men closely as their unit occupied Safar Bazaar, which has been heavily mined by the Taliban.

As the initial wave enters the town, Sgt. Jones, wearing a helmet camera, sees the first bomb explode.

"Is everyone alright?" Sgt. Jones yells.

This time the Marines are lucky. No one is hurt. Jones and Chir examine the device that had gone off. They then find two more bombs that are ready to explode, and begin to slowly unearth them.

As they prepare to cut the wire to a detonator, a flash of humor breaks the tension.

"I love you man."

"Right now, I love you too."

Greer's job as an engineer is to open up safe routes for the other Marines to travel along. Often that means blasting holes in walls to avoid possible booby-traps

After four days inside the town, the Marines have already found 40 IEDs. Now, the work is slow and meticulous, and in areas that are laced with bombs the Marines walk along narrow paths which have been cleared. They're literally stepping in each other's footsteps.

When possible they use robots and explosives to try to detonate IEDs from a distance. Going in on foot is the last resort.

It is on day seven that Jones, Greer and Chir are blown up. They are medivacked out of the area. The Marines they leave behind are devastated.

How does one react to something like this?

"You kind of have to stay static on it, - I mean, later it will take effect," said Sgt. Matthew Jackson of the 1st EOD Company, 1st Marine Logistics Group. "You know we've had a relatively rough summer, but you just got to keep grinding."

Sgt. Jackson is another bomb disposal expert who worked closely with the team - he is asked to do the post-blast analysis.

"There was just something they didn't see, you know it's nobody's fault, you know, that's just how it happens," Jackson said.

The Marines will continue to press forward - that is what they do. They are gaining ground in Helmand, but the human costs are mounting. On the outside, they will hang tough. On the inside, the hurt is growing.

More of Terry McCarthy's "Thundering Third" Blogs:
In Afghanistan, a Beautiful Desert Goes Boom
A Day in the Life: Wardak, Afghanistan
Preaching to the Corps
Bedtime Stories From Marines to Children Back Home
Sweet Surprise at Afghanistan's Lakari Bazaar

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Petraeus Talks about Challenges in Iraq
On the Afghan Frontlines with Gen. Petraeus
Setback for Women's Rights in Afghanistan?
The Plight of Afghan Women
Final Thoughts on Afghan War
High-Tech Help for Clearing Afghan IEDS
Advanced Weaponry Removes IEDs
Crossing the Deadly Afghan Roads
Bomb Disposal Expert's Cheat Sheet Tattooed on His Arm
The Most Dangerous Job in Afghanistan - Clearing IED's
Ahmed Karzai: No Proof in Criminal Accusations
Training Afghan Recruits, Behind the Scenes

[buckslvr02]

We assassinate tons of peopel over there everyday with our drones and missles? Lets be honest here people, at this point in the game half of the people over there that our American troops are killing deserve it. Look what they are doing to our military. July was the most deadly month since we have been over there for 9 years. Sergeant Johnny Jones who was critically injured in this video clip was one of his good buddies for years when he was in active duty as a Marine. Do you know how hard it is to see our troops over there and from a families point of view? Its hard, I'm the sister of a Marine whos good buddy's life was just changed forever and who has a little one at home. Its terrible. All we can do sitting here at home not worrying about our freedom is support our troops. They are doing their job that they are ordered to do. For Greer who lost his life in this clip, I pray for you and your family that you watch over them and they will miss you deeply.And thank you. Sergeant Jones, we the Lipovsek family are all praying for your recovery. Stay strong and give em hell. And Thank you.... And the other Staff Sergeant, thank you and we pray for you as well! You men are true AMERICAN HEROS!

[teresarn1]

I attended the funeral of one of these men yesterday, Daniel Greer. It was so sad to see his wife, family and his close frinds attempting to deal with their grief. His toddler son will not even remember his Dad. I wonder, is it worth it?

[bamio]

Notice Obamie doesn't do this stuff. He just orders predator drones to blow the heads of 3 yr old kids.

[Sengland81]

Why would you follow the three troops for 7days and only put less than 5 min of coverage that ended in devastation on the news? I am thinking that if it took eight days to see them blow up you would have done that. Are your ratings worth exploiting heros? I am engaged to a man that has had two sons in the war and he is a 21 year veteran of the army and this caused him a lot of pain. can you imagine how the family feels seeing this on Tv. Is this all for ratings? Katie has children. Would she expolite her own children for ratings, I think not.

[EODWife]

I have to agree with you. I actually know the two EOD techs in this report. Also, the day this was reported on the news my husband was injured while trying to clear an IED. This was incredibly hard to watch and it is unfortunate the focus on how much they did accomplish played second fiddle to their injuries. Also, because of how graphic this was one of the Tech's children were not able to see "Daddy" on TV.

[f16poor]

Our Marines are too precious -- I don't think we should use our Marines to clear those IEDs because they have been doing that over-and over-and over-many, many, many times in the past already!!!

I suggest that (1) first, we PAY locals good money to clear the IEDs (because they know where those IEDs are buried - if they don't know, they can ask ....); (2) second, we will send in well-trained ANA/ANP to do the 2nd round of sweep; (3) third, we will use the robots and Mine Clear charging machines to clear the way; (4) Finally, we will send our precious, Marvelous Marines with well-trained dogs to sniff out the remanent IEDs (there shouldn't be any more IEDs left though).

It is SO WRONG that we use our precious Marines to clear the same towns over and over again -- it is like playing Russian Roulettes: the odds are against them. I don't want to lose any more of our young precious Marines.

We will prevail in Afghanistan; however, we need to use the "CORRECT" resources: The Afghan people!

(if necessary, we should use the captured Taliban to clear the IEDs that they buried themselves).

[ToolMangler1]

And you really believe they would do that for us!!!!!!!!
Nobody in Afghanistan is interested in protecking us. If they were, then they would come behind the Taliban (without being seen and spray paint the locations of the IEDs. Do you see them doing that???? NO!!!!!!

[ToolMangler1]

by GunsInTheSky August 19, 2010 9:19 PM EDT
"No such thing as "the afghan people"."


Well said, and closer to the correct situation in Afghanistan (and much of the Mid East) than many wish to admit....

[wyodutch]

For God's sakes... enough of the whining about IED's.
.
We assassinate hundreds of people every month with our drones and missiles.
.
An IED is simply a poor man's cruise missile.

[ToolMangler1]

So in your opinion, we should kill one of our soldiers everytime we strike a Taliban or Al Qaeda operative!!!!!
Failing that how many American soldiers do you plan to give info on to Wikileaks????

Listen!! It doesn't matter if we are right or wrong in being there, If we are wrong, "MAKE THE POLITICIANS" tell the Afghanis to go scr@w themselves and pull our troops home. Don't sit behind your keyboard "CHEERING" for more American deaths. If we are right!!! then keep your mouths shut or support the troops.

[rwsmith29456]

We are at war with terrorists that have demonstrated that they want to and will "assassinate" Americans on our own soil. I think it better that we try to blow them up without getting blown up ourselves. Until we decide to disengage, up the Americans and down with terrorists.