Soldiers tell of 'draining' task of bomb clearing in Afghanistan
Two members of the British Army’s Counter-IED Task Force today described the “mentally draining” task of clearing a bomb factory in southern Afghanistan.
Captain Nick Welby-Everard Torbet and Corporal Ed Williams spent two full days working in the compound in the Nahr-e Saraj area of Helmand Province.
It contained enough components and equipment to make over 80 Improvised Explosive Devices.
Capt Torbet, from the Royal Logistic Corps, told the British Forces Broadcasting Service: “Some of the devices were very carefully hidden, and finding them was long and exhausting work because we have to be so meticulous and thorough.”
The 28-year-old from Guildford, Surrey, added: “Despite being tired and sweating from the heat, there is no margin for error. We can’t rush or skip through or it could be fatal. So as well as being physically tired, a big, long job like this can be mentally draining too.”
Once the compound was cleared the team conducted controlled explosions to dispose of all the material they found.
Cpl Williams, 23, from Chelmsford, Essex, said: “As well as removing the danger, we also want to make sure we remove the chance that the insurgents come back and try to make use of any of the component parts, so if we can we take it away to do analysis but the rest of it is destroyed in a safe controlled way. It is hard work but rewarding to know that you are making a difference.”
