Course to Help Seabees Find Roadside Bombs

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Course to Help Seabees Find Roadside Bombs

By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Feb 7, 2009 8:54:22 EST

POINT MUGU, Calif. — The Navy has begun building its first course geared toward hunting improvised explosive devices.

The Navy expects the $5.4 million Joint IED Battle Course, designed to resemble a small Middle Eastern truck stop or village with a small web of roadways, will open for business in August. Seabees and service members from all branches will be able to use it to identify and react to threats associated with IEDs during convoy missions, escorts and patrols.

“This is going to be a huge benefit to our Seabees,” Lt. Cmdr. Scott Anderson, staff officer with 31st Seabee Readiness Group, said before the Jan. 15 ceremony. “It’s when they are on the roads where the dangers are the highest.”

While insurgents’ mortars killed a half-dozen Seabees in 2004 alone, roadside bombs remain the biggest threat to U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, where more Seabees are headed this year. The Point Mugu range will be one of two the Navy will build, said Capt. Brad Conners, who commands Naval Base Ventura County, Calif.

Anderson said the range will provide accessible, invaluable training.

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http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/02/navy_jointied_020709/%2e