07/03/2023 Stati Uniti (United States-USA), New York (NY), Jefferson County
“If you ever come across anything suspicious like this item, please do not pick it up, contact your local law e enforcement agency for assistance”.
By Mike Strasser, Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs
Encountering unexploded ordnance, or UXO, is not an everyday experience at Fort Drum or something community members likely think about often. And this is why members of the garrison and division safety offices are promoting the 3Rs (Recognize, Retreat, Report) Explosives Safety Program on post. “Because it’s not an everyday occurrence, people may not always be thinking that the odd-looking object they just saw may be UXO,” said Joe Semones, Fort Drum garrison safety director. “The 3Rs program was developed to educate Soldiers, family members, civilians and contractors in our communities about the potential hazards of military ammunition and explosives, and what to do if they are encountered.” If someone encounters a known or suspected munition or UXO, they should mark the general area – without moving closer to the object – and call 911 to report the location to authorities. “It could be a shiny item or a rusty object partially buried in the ground,” Semones said. “Don’t touch it, pick it up or disturb it in any way. Just make the call.” Semones recently spoke about the 3Rs program at the monthly Community Information Exchange, an in-person and livestream forum where directorate representatives update the public on installation activities and events. He said that community members can be proactive about UXO education by visiting the 3Rs program website at https://3Rs.mil where they can download material specifically for children and families, for communities, and for civilian employees. The site contains fact sheets, safety guides, posters, videos, and other educational resources.
Key takeaways on the 3Rs safety program include:
Munitions and UXO can be encountered anywhere, especially near a former or active military training range, or places where combat occurred, such as Civil War battlefields. It is important to realize that old age does not make them safer.
Munitions and UXO vary in type, size, shape, age, and condition. They may not even look like munitions if they are used, corroded, damaged or partially buried in the ground or underwater when found.
Simulators and practice munitions may contain explosive charges that can cause injuries. So, even items that are marked as “dummy” training aids are still considered dangerous.
Collecting souvenir munitions is dangerous, regardless of their appearance. Consider every munition to be UXO. For this reason, you should never pick up anything known to be, or suspected to be, a munition.
In 2019, Fort Drum was one of 10 Army installations selected for the 3Rs project team to implement the program. Installation-specific 3Rs educational resources were developed and provided to Fort Drum last May, with a train-the-trainer workshop conducted in October. The 3Rs has been incorporated into unit and garrison safety briefings, and Semones said that they are working to promote the program this year at a community event to reach a wider audience. Last October, members of an explosives ordnance company on post met with school children at the Fort Drum STARBASE Academy to talk about their jobs and how they are trained to dispose of UXO (see related article at www.dvidshub.net/news/431469/eod-soldiers-fort-drum-show-students-stem-side-their-profession). Additionally, the Garrison Safety Office is inviting directors and supervisors to attend a 3Rs safety class on April 5. For more information about the 3Rs program, call the Fort Drum Garrison Safety Office at (315) 772-4674 or 772-0310 or visit https://3Rs.mil.
If you find anything that appears to be an explosive device, do not touch it, leave it where it is and call the police. We will contact the appropriate agencies to properly dispose of the item.
Dear editors, Biography of a bomb is aimed at highlighting the danger caused by unexploded bombs. Moreover, the most important aspect is that we work completely non profit, raising awerness about this topic is what drives us. We apologize if we make use of pictures in yours articles, but we need them to put a context in how findings are done. We will (and we always do) cite source and author of the picture. We thank you for your comprehension
