Committed to improving safety

A multinational team of explosive ordnance specialists disposed of 18 remnants of World War 2 during Operation Render Safe in Nauru last month.

CAPTION: Explosive ordnance disposal specialists from Australia and the US conduct x-ray procedures to determine the safety state of explosive remnants of war during Operation Render Safe in Nauru. Story by Pilot Officer Shanea Zeegers. Photos by Sergeant Craig Barrett.

The mission diminished the threat of casualties caused by unexploded ordnance (UXO), according to Sergeant Noah David, a technician from the 20th Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Squadron, who said he was proud of the team’s accomplishments following an initial reconnaissance mission in 2023.

“Following the past 12-month investigation, our team has tackled the challenge of identifying and safely disposing of multiple 5-inch US naval projectiles, Type 97 and 99 Japanese bombs, and an M249A2 US mortar,” Sergeant David said.

In its 20th year, Operation Render Safe is Australia’s commitment to its neighbours to remove the threat of UXO in the south-west Pacific.

Lieutenant Jackson Beal, an EOD officer from the US Army, played a role in orchestrating the execution of the disposal operation and said the threat posed by explosives could not be understated.

CAPTION: Senior Constable Mikka Detabone, right, of the Nauru Police Force, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist Lieutenant Jackson Beal, of the US Army, prepare Hesco barriers during Operation Render Safe.

Senior Constable Mikka Detabene, of the Naurau Police Force, said the ADF and multinational allies had improved the safety of Nauru for local families and the community.

The 20th EOD Squadron from the 6th Engineer Support Regiment in the Australian Army and EOD technicians from the US Marine Corps, the US Army, the New Zealand Defence Force, and the French Armed Forces in New Caledonia were joined by medical specialists and technical support staff from the US Navy, the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air force.

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