Bomb Technician: One Of The Most Dangerous Jobs In The World

I saw a shirt recently that said, "I am a bomb technician.  If you see me running, try and keep up."  While the sentiment was amusing, it is a very sobering truth that bomb technicians risk their lives every day to keep others safe.  At the Hazardous Devices School in Alabama, US Army Master Sergeant Paul Carter explains, "We take safety seriously.  Everything was learned the hard way.  Meaning someone was hurt or killed."  Not many other jobs in the world have as high a mortality rate or element of danger inherent to the profession.Bomb disposal became a formal profession in World War One.  Since there were so many explosives being mass produced, many had defects causing them to land without exploding.  The British were the first to recognize the need for technicians to dispose of these types of bombs.  That need was further exemplified by the German's creation of unexploded bombs (UXB).  The United States began their own bomb disposal unit in 1941 after seeing the success of the British units during "The Blitz" of bombings on the United Kingdom by Germany in World War Two.  In the beginning, there was no formal training or tools for technicians to utilize to dispose of bombs.  As bomb technicians would learn how to safely dispose of one type of bomb, its makers would already be working on variations and "anti-handling devices" to thwart bomb disposal techniques.  "This trend of cat-and-mouse extends even to the present day, and the various techniques used to disarm munitions are not publicized."Today, training for almost all bomb technicians in the US is done at the Hazardous Devices School in Alabama.  Opening in 1971 the school provides a uniform basic training for military and law enforcement personnel.  Only 16,000 individuals had attended the school by 2003.  Bomb disposal is dangerous and difficult work as many in the field are first to admit.  "I'm here to tell you I am not an expert," says Master Sergeant Carter.  "I have been doing this for twenty-seven years and I am not an expert."  Coming face to face with an IED or Improvised Explosive Device has become more and more common over the past several years as terrorism has become a serious threat worldwide.  The heroes who risk their lives to disarm and dispose of live explosives deserve our support and gratitude for constantly putting their lives on the line for our safety.