Afghanistan VI

The Real Hurt Locker, August 2010

Hunting for Improvised Explosive Devices in deadly Helmand Province in Southern Afghanistan is painstaking and punishing work – but lives depend on it.

I was privileged enough to spend time with on a Counter IED operation this summer. The Governor of Gereshk had requested about 100 soldiers from 1 Scots and the Royal Engineers to remove IEDs from a 1.5-mile stretch of road running out of town along a canal towards an Afghan National Police checkpoint in insurgent-held territory. There had been 3 IED incidents involving civilians along the road, as well as one attack on an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) vehicle. This has made the road impassable and the Afghan police checkpoint unmannable. The plan is for the British unit to clear the road, and use the opportunity to show the Afghans how it’s done.

This series of images show the relentless process of IED clearance in the face of inexplicable danger.

A controlled explosion is detonated by a British CIED team on a 2.5 km stretch of road, that has a large number of IED's in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 5th August, 2010.
Soldiers from 4th Regiment the Royal Artillery prepares rounds of illuminators to fire over a road that is being cleared of IED's to stop insurgents laying more in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 5th August, 2010.
Soldiers from 4th Regiment the Royal Artillery fire rounds of illuminators from a gun located on a hill, over a road that is being cleared of IED's to stop insurgents laying more in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 5th August, 2010.
ATO, Jay Hobden, of 11 EOD of the Royal Logistics Corps "lies on his belt buckle" while manually deactivating an IED, guarded by Corporal Stan. (Cpl Paul Bowes) 660 Signal troop Royal Signals and members of the Afghan National Army (ANA) at the far end of the road in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 5th August, 2010.
ATO, Jay Hobden, of 11 EOD of the Royal Logistics Corps (Left) and Cpl Tim Latchford of 5131 BD Sqn of the RAF, his number 2 in command, hurrry back towards a Mastiff armoured vehicle after placing a detonation cord on explosive charges of IED's that had been found on a stretch of road in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 5th August, 2010.
Corporal Kevin Bain, of 20 Field Squadron of the 36 Engineer Regiment, and leader of his Royal Engineer Search Team (REST), stands guard with is weapon, while Sapper Steven Anderson, of the same unit, searches for IEDS' using a paint brush, on the side of a road in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 5th August, 2010. This REST team were in the process of searching a 300 m stretch of road on which 14 IED's were found.
Soldiers from 1 Scots Guards and the Afghan National Army (ANA) run with stretchers bearing civilian casualties of a suicide bomb attack in which two ANA soldiers were killed and over ten civilians injured in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 7th August, 2010.
A battery pack and pressure plate, that have been disconnected from an IED lie on the side of a road after having been taken out of the ground by an ATO in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 7th August, 2010.
Lance Corporal Matt Robeson from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps gives Molly some water while she has a break from working in front of a Mastiff armoured vehicle in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 8th August, 2010. The 300 m stretch of road had taken 5 days to search and clear, with 14 IED's found. Molly was used at the end of the 5 day search to ensure that no explosive charges had been missed in the ground.
SAC Tech Tim Latchford (5131 BD Sqn of the RAF), uses a remote control device to maneuver the Wheelbarrow (a robot used for remotely disarming EID's) from the back of a Mastiff Armoured Vehicle in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 5th August, 2010.
SAC Tech Tim Latchford (5131 BD Sqn of the RAF), uses a remote control device to maneuver the Wheelbarrow (a robot used for remotely disarming EID's) from the back of a Mastiff Armoured Vehicle in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 5th August, 2010.
Ammunition Technical Officer, Sargent Jay Hobden, from 11 EOD of the Royal Logistics Corps, (LEFT) tests his Vallant while other members of the REST (Royal Engineer Search Team) gather on part of a road they are about to clear in front of a Mastif Armoured Vehicle in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 5th August, 2010.
Lance Corporal Matt Robeson from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps sleeps on his day sack in the hot mid day sun, with Molly, his IED search dog lying next to him, on a road that is being cleared of IED's in Gereshk, Helmand on August 5th, 2010.
A member of the Royal Engineer Search Team (REST) holds up a pressure pad (that consists of two pieces of wood taped together with wire inside) after it was deactivated from the main charge on a road that is being cleared of IEDS in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 6th August, 2010.
Captain Ian Wilson of 1 Scots sticks labels on a map indicating where IED's had been found in an IED clearance operation in the operation room that had been set up on Artillery Hill, an Afghan National Army (ANA) outpost in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 6th August, 2010.
A soldier from the Royal Engineer Regiment lights a cigarette in the evening light, at a camp they are sharing with the ANA (Afghan National Army) from which they are carrying out counter IED operations in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 6th August, 2010.
A soldier from the ANA (Afghan National Army) and a Danish Soldier view the remains of a Humvee belonging to the ANA after a suicide bomber detonated himself in front of the vehicle, killing two ANA soldiers and injuring over 10 civilians, in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 7th August, 2010.
Lieutenant Alex Findlay, the RESA (Royal Engineer Search Adviser) (C) assists Cpl Tim Latchford, of 5131 BD Sqn of the RAF, of the ATO team to wheel the Wheelbarrow into the back of a Mastiff armoured vehicle after a day of searching and clearing a 300 m stretch of road in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 7th August, 2010.
Lieutenant Alex Findlay, the RESA (Royal Engineer Search Adviser) spray paints the 300 m stretch of road his team have finished searching after 5 days, with yellow spray paint in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 7th August, 2011.
Sapper Steven Anderson, sits on top of a Danish Armored Vehicle looking out over the road his REST (Royal Engineer Search Team) have just finished searching on their way back to camp in Gereshk, Helmand, Afghanistan on the 7th August, 2010.

A controlled explosion is detonated by a British CIED team on a 2.5 km stretch of road. Kate Holt.

Soldiers from 4th Regiment the Royal Artillery prepares rounds of illuminators. Kate Holt.

Soldiers from 4th Regiment the Royal Artillery fire rounds of illuminators from a gun located on a hill. Kate Holt.

ATO, Jay Hobden, of 11 EOD of the Royal Logistics Corps "lies on his belt buckle" while manually deactivating an IED. Kate Holt.

ATO, Jay Hobden, of 11 EOD of the Royal Logistics Corps (Left) and Cpl Tim Latchford of 5131 BD Sqn of the RAF. Kate Holt.

Corporal Kevin Bain, of 20 Field Squadron of the 36 Engineer Regiment, and leader of his Royal Engineer Search Team. Kate Holt.

Soldiers from 1 Scots Guards and the Afghan National Army (ANA) run with stretchers. Kate Holt.

A battery pack and pressure plate, that have been disconnected from an IED lie on the side of a road. Kate Holt.

Lance Corporal Matt Robeson from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps gives Molly some water. Kate Holt.

SAC Tech Tim Latchford (5131 BD Sqn of the RAF), uses a remote control device. Kate Holt.

Ammunition Technical Officer, Sargent Jay Hobden, from 11 EOD of the Royal Logistics Corps. Kate Holt.

Lance Corporal Matt Robeson from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps sleeps on his day sack. Kate Holt.

A member of the Royal Engineer Search Team (REST) holds up a pressure pad. Kate Holt.

Captain Ian Wilson of 1 Scots sticks labels on a map indicating where IED's had been found. Kate Holt.

A soldier from the Royal Engineer Regiment lights a cigarette in the evening light. Kate Holt.

A soldier from the ANA (Afghan National Army) and a Danish Soldier view the remains of a Humvee. Kate Holt.

Lieutenant Alex Findlay, the RESA (Royal Engineer Search Adviser) (C) assists Cpl Tim Latchford. Kate Holt.

Lieutenant Alex Findlay, the RESA (Royal Engineer Search Adviser) spray paints the 300 m stretch of road. Kate Holt.

Sapper Steven Anderson, sits on top of a Danish Armored Vehicle. Kate Holt.