need to add title here

IEDs: The Deadliest Weapon

May 30, 2010 6:00 PM

Byron Pitts and 60 Minutes cameras spend two days on the road with a bomb-hunting unit in Afghanistan as they encounter one deadly bomb after another.

60 Minutes Special Edition: The Deadliest Weapon
Add a Comment See all 17 Comments
by WarrenHolleman July 10, 2010 12:06 AM EDT
This is an excellent story. Some of the commenters seem to think that the story is about the rightness or wrongness of the war in Afghanistan. To me, it's a story about the bomb hunters: a day in their life, how they deal with the dangers, what motivates them. Regardless of how one feels about the war, one cannot help but feel deep admiration for these soldiers, a concern for their safety, and the fear that they and their families must live with every day. I was particularly moved by the soldier who risked his life to detonate a live bomb in order to alleviate the possibility of that bomb harming Afghani citizens. Thank you 60 Minutes and Byron Pitts for giving me a taste of what it is like to be a soldier in Afghanistan. I now have much greater empathy for what our soldiers go through each day, especially those who hunt bombs on the roads. Up until now, we always used the metaphor of "life in the trenches." I've got a feeling that my children and grandchildren will use a different metaphor: "life on the roads." Instead of hunkering down, one has to go out and be exposed and sometimes literally take fire oneself to prevent others from taking it. This is a level of sacrifice that is almost above and beyond the call of duty.
Reply to this comment
by chaspvoch July 8, 2010 5:08 PM EDT
Talya Pine, Shawn's daughter began living with us 5 months before his death. I appreciate CBS opening their story with the memorial. I never got to meet her dad, but appreciate all that he did for me and my country. I am thankful for the men and women who give of their lives so that we might remain free from the threats found in that part of the world. I had an opportunity to accompany Talya to the Post Office one time as she mailed OVC medical supplies to her father. He was apparently a caring man that worked for a better world through sharing of himself to others in need. I wish the best for her as she continues her young journey through life, fatherless (because of the hatred of others) because of giving of himself for others.
Reply to this comment
by lahlon June 14, 2010 3:59 PM EDT
Hate speach like the garbage that Frank Pinto spouts are not worthy of response, you are wasting your time if you do. His anti-semtism, and outright lies about the US military are sad and pathetic. It is too bad he doesn't recognize the sacrifice that the men and women of our Honorable military make is what gives him the ability to show his ignorance
Reply to this comment
by talita-koomi June 2, 2010 8:05 PM EDT
There are a couple of comments I'd like to respond to:
Socrates1-Perhaps we should've never gone into Afghanistan in the 1st place, but ousting the Taliban from their strangle-hold IS one of the best things this country has ever done. They are evil incarnate and the U.S. really dropped the ball by helping the "freedom-fighters" drive back the Soviet invasion in the 80's and then NOT helping them to build schools to educate the majority youth population and install a stable government. The extremists just waltzed into the void left by the Soviets, and unfortunate people of Afghan. were thrown from the pan into the fire. Just leaving them high & dry again,"to work out their own problems with the Taliban",as you say, may be the easiest, cheapest and most popular thing to do for US, but it is not the RIGHT thing. If you don't read history, 2 very good and informative movies about this period are "The Kite Runner", about the effect of the Taliban on two little boys in Kabul- no longer allowed to even fly KITES by the new regime- nor to learn anything besides the Koran, especially the parts about "slaying the infidels"; and Tom Hanks in "Charlie Wilson's War" about the U.S. covert supplying of weapons-from ISRAEL(!), via Pakistan, to the Afghan warriors fighting off the U.S.S.R. in '88 (which most Americans know NOTHING about!)They became the only force to drive back the Red army, ever.
And, to namwoc: I totally agree! Our ingenuity ought to be able to come up with some sort of un-manned go-cart kind of thing...or, how about something with a long plow-blade type appendage that stretches the width of the rd. stretching way out in front of them? So they PUSH it along; if they're going so slow anyhow, it'd give them time to stop & NOT blow up the million dollar vehicle and its people! I'm no engineer, but I picture something like the spiraled kind of blade that farmers drag behind a tractor to make furrows to plant crops- except hooked on the front in 2 places w/ a special dolly(to make it easier to steer)& pushed ahead of them as they go. Anybody gotta better idea? GOOD! That's the point! I'd love to hear 'em! Peace to all.....someday soon I hope.
Reply to this comment
by lostinfloating June 2, 2010 4:32 PM EDT
As a EOD techs wife I find the comments left here to be rude. People, Americans should be nothing but thankful for the men and women like my husband that put their lives first to save the lives of others.
Reply to this comment
by namwoc June 2, 2010 1:11 AM EDT
What a sad story. The IED is the most destructive mechanism our enemy has against us and 60 minutes does a story on the poor souls that, essentially, drive over those IED's and hope they don't die. That's our best effort. Billions upon billions spent on our military and the best we can do is the Buffalo? A heavily armored tank with a claw!!! I have an idea. Why don't we stop throwing billions of dollars into unmanned planes and put that into unmanned cars? Hell... even just a toy remote control car with a camera and GPS. A cell phone with wheels! No soldiers would have to die, they would be cheap, could watch for people planting bombs, look for bombs that are already in the ground, take photos of the people planting the bombs, etc. This was a really depressing story. Maybe the next 60 minutes story could cover why our R&D for fighting modern gorilla warfare has failed our military.
Reply to this comment
by EoDBlue June 1, 2010 2:25 PM EDT
Hooyah EOD
Reply to this comment
by Regats May 31, 2010 11:23 PM EDT
Not a bad investment - $10 for a bomb that will disable or destroy
a million dollar vehicle and maim or kill its occupants. If that bomb is found in time, they just replace it the next day. Meanwhile the bombers disappear without being caught.

Weren't we supposed to be looking for Bin Laden?
I'm sure he saw this report and has a big smile on his face.
I'm sure he feels God is blessing him and his operatives.

WHAT AN INSANE, IDIOTIC WASTE OF LIFE AND MONEY !!!
Reply to this comment
by Ritaccoeod May 31, 2010 10:43 PM EDT
As an retired EOD tech I believe this story was as good as a 12 min story can portray. I respect the comments made about the story, however this is a tough job. Success is measured in IED defeated. For every IED that does not function or functions on an EOD vehicle is an IED that won't kill or wound others. EOD techs do not seek recognition, but it is nice that these heros get a little publicity. Initial Success or Total Failure
Reply to this comment
by socrates-1 May 31, 2010 6:14 PM EDT
The Afghanistan people must be weary of outsiders waging war in their country. Let them sort out their own problems with the Taliban.

9/11 occurred not because of Al Qaeda but because there was no oversight of US homeland security; and now the Gulf spill has occurred because there was no oversight of drilling.

Will America be 'successful' if as many service men and women die in Afghanistan as died in the Twin Towers? It needs thinking about.
Reply to this comment
See all 17 Comments
Recent Segments

60MinutesOverTime

60 Minutes Overtime is a weekly web show that begins where the weekly television broadcast ends

  • 48 Hours iPad App

    Big changes for the 2012-2013 season! Watch the current week's episode for FREE up to a week after it airs or subscribe for access to all shows, classic episodes and more!