thedrifter
10-10-07, 08:34 AM
EOD to get Bronze Star for disarming 65 IEDs
By Trista Talton - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 9:07:49 EDT
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — If you’re ever wondering whether to cut the blue wire or the green wire, call Staff Sgt. Daniel Bogart.
Bogart, 28, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, has some experience with things that go boom. During his last deployment to Iraq, he disarmed 65 improvised explosive devices and disposed of 11,000 pounds of unexploded ordnance.
It was enough to earn him the Bronze Star with combat “V,” to be pinned on Friday during a ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., where he’s now a team leader for the air station’s explosive ordnance disposal unit.
Bogart said he knew that other Marines couldn’t do their missions in Iraq if he didn’t do his.
“That kind of keeps it in perspective,” he said. “When you pull up and see there’s a line of 200 vehicles being held up, you know how important the job is. It keeps you going.”
As if the act of diffusing a bomb isn’t tricky enough under normal circumstances, many of Bogart’s missions “were conducted under enemy fire and the constant threat of Improvised Explosive Devices, Rocket Propelled Grenades, small arms and indirect fires,” according to his award citation. The most IEDs he faced in one day was nine.
“I did a route clearance where we found seven and were attacked by two,” he said.
The deployment, which wrapped up in March, was Bogart’s second to Iraq. He and his team — from 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Platoon, 1st Explosive Ordnance Company, 1st Marine Logistics Group — responded to more than 174 EOD-related combat missions.
“It’s a lot of pressure, but I wouldn’t want to do anything else,” he said. “There’s never a dull moment and you’re proud of what you’re doing. Even when you’re not in Iraq, or you’re not getting ready to go to Iraq, you’re helping someone else getting ready to go to Iraq. We spend a lot of time and effort trying to train these guys fixin’ to leave.”
Ellie
By Trista Talton - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 9:07:49 EDT
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — If you’re ever wondering whether to cut the blue wire or the green wire, call Staff Sgt. Daniel Bogart.
Bogart, 28, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, has some experience with things that go boom. During his last deployment to Iraq, he disarmed 65 improvised explosive devices and disposed of 11,000 pounds of unexploded ordnance.
It was enough to earn him the Bronze Star with combat “V,” to be pinned on Friday during a ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., where he’s now a team leader for the air station’s explosive ordnance disposal unit.
Bogart said he knew that other Marines couldn’t do their missions in Iraq if he didn’t do his.
“That kind of keeps it in perspective,” he said. “When you pull up and see there’s a line of 200 vehicles being held up, you know how important the job is. It keeps you going.”
As if the act of diffusing a bomb isn’t tricky enough under normal circumstances, many of Bogart’s missions “were conducted under enemy fire and the constant threat of Improvised Explosive Devices, Rocket Propelled Grenades, small arms and indirect fires,” according to his award citation. The most IEDs he faced in one day was nine.
“I did a route clearance where we found seven and were attacked by two,” he said.
The deployment, which wrapped up in March, was Bogart’s second to Iraq. He and his team — from 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Platoon, 1st Explosive Ordnance Company, 1st Marine Logistics Group — responded to more than 174 EOD-related combat missions.
“It’s a lot of pressure, but I wouldn’t want to do anything else,” he said. “There’s never a dull moment and you’re proud of what you’re doing. Even when you’re not in Iraq, or you’re not getting ready to go to Iraq, you’re helping someone else getting ready to go to Iraq. We spend a lot of time and effort trying to train these guys fixin’ to leave.”
Ellie