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The Slovak Bomb Squad
A Slovak bomb disposal team has has served for the last six months in Kandahar City where insurgent IEDs remain a constant threat to ISAF forces and civilians. Michael Mieres, team leader, recounts the incident which earned him and his team distinction for bravery. Shotlist: SOUNDBITE -ENGLISH Michael Mieres, Team leader of Slovak EOD: "This is about helping people, you know. We are here because this country is not like my country or your country, you know. People here don't have possibility to go to shop without being aware there is something-- they should be shot or there should be some explosion of IED." NAT SOUND-- IED exploding. VO Michael Mieres leads the Slovak Explosive Ordnance Demolition Team, or EOD. The Slovaks have worked alongside US forces in Kandahar City since July and have now reached the end of their deployment. NAT SOUND: US Army Sgt: "Brigade Commander! Commander: "Carry On, Please." The commander of the US Army Warhorse Brigade recognized the Slovaks for their service. NAT SOUND (Brigade Commander at ceremony for Slovak Team) "I think you've gone out on over 60 missions and had 18 IED events that led to over 2000 kg of explosives being taken off of the battlefield....and in some cases – 3 or 4 -- got some fingerprint matches to known insurgents." VO This ceremony for the Slovak team was an unusual honor. A photo of a particular IED incident had caught the Commander's eye: NAT SOUND (Brigade Commander pointing at Michael) "One of you guys went into the culvert, was that you?" US soldier: "All you could see was his feet!" VO The humor of these men belies the seriousness of what Michael did. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Michael Mieres: "There was just one way from the town to the airport and at the end of the conference the insurgent put an IED in the culvert so we were called there and we had to deal with this threat." VO Many IEDs can be dealt with by these surprisingly capable robots equipped with cameras but when the Slovak team arrived they realized that the robot wouldn't be able to reach the explosives. SOUNDBITE (E¬NGLISH) Mieres: "Because the culvert was small I couldn't go inside with the bomb suit. Because there is a big helmet and it is really huge." VO So he took off the helmet and top before crawling in. SOUNDBITE Mieres- "So we disarmed it, and it was a really big IED, and it could have killed a lot of people. That's what happened there." NAT SOUND- Brigade Commander: "That is that selfless service, putting yourself at risk for the security and safety of the people." NAT SOUND—Sgt. Salazar: "Security we have 1, 280 vehicles in a tight security perimeter around here. All the civilians have been evacuated..." VO An integral part of Michael's deployment with the US EOD company is training. Michael is given a team leader test masterminded by colleague Sgt Salazar: SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) SALAZAR: "As far as explosives go, the only thing real is the batteries and the buzzer, that's it. If he makes a mistake we'll hear a little siren off. Hopefully we won't hear any sirens go off" VO Although there are no real explosives, there would obviously be a cost professionally to Michael if he fails. SOUNDBITE Mieres: "You have to have some kind of fear because it keeps you alive. You cant just go in a rush, cut the cables, not think about anything....controlled fear keeps the adrenaline pumping, keeps you doing things in the right way.....not fear, awareness—to keep you at the right level to do this job." VO But the job requires more than steady nerves. They call it a craft because it requires endless training, and skill-building. "You know we had a lot of training back home. We had training for like five years. VO And there is the constant sharing of information about the enemy's changing tactics. SOUNDBITE: Mieres "Every day we have to learn something. If there are other incidents in other fobs or other bases I try to go through the storyboards and learn." VO Although Michael goes in alone, it's not a solo performance. SOUNDBITE Mieres "My team has been working together for like four years. We know each other. I can rely on them." VO The American EOD team also provide supports. NAT SOUND (Capt Cloverfield, company commander) "We bring them in and treat them like they are part of the company and they have been since day one. They are part of the brotherhood. Like I said EOD is part of the brotherhood and it doesn't matter what country they're from either. " NAT SOUND (Mieres) "They support us, they work with us. If there is some problem we go to them and say 'what do we do with this'?" VO Michael freed the hostages without sounding a buzzer. NAT SOUND "You make me proud man" Soundbite- "He got inside the mind of the bombmaker" VO The EOD must face each bomb like a new puzzle, they can't treat anything in a routine manner because the enemy is always changing tactics. NAT SOUND-- Brigade Commander: "This is a tough operating environment. Unfortunately we lost a soldier tonight." SOUNDBITE Mieres: "You have to realize what this job is about and that we can lose our life every day in this job. And we have to put everything into it because there is nobody else who can do it. " SOUNDBITE: Mieres "Is it worth it? You are asking me if it is worth it? I think it is worth it.....It is like if I disarm some IED and it helps and it doesn't kill any people. Ånd I get some experience and everyone is safe back home...it is kind of satisfaction for me. I think it is worth it. NAT SOUND-- Mieres to Brigade Commander: "It was a pleasure to work with you." VO Jeff Holden, in Kandahar, for the NATO Channel. 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