Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)

Question 1

Define Improvised Explosive Device (IED)

Answer 1

A device placed or fabricated in an improvised manner incorporating destructive, lethal, noxious, pyrotechnic, or incendiary chemicals and designed to destroy, incapacitate, harass, or distract. It may incorporate military stores, but is normally devised from nonmilitary components

Question 2

Define Booby Trap

Answer 2

An explosive or non-explosive device or other material, deliberately placed to cause casualties when an apparently harmless object is disturbed or a normally safe act is performed

Question 3

Define Mine

Answer 3

In land mine warfare, an explosive or material, normally encased, designed to destroy or damage ground vehicles, boats, or aircraft, or designed to wound, kill, or otherwise incapacitate personnel. It may be detonated by the action of its victim, by the passage of time, or by controlled means

Question 4

Components of an IED are

Answer 4

the main charge, initiating system, and casing

Question 5

Initiation Methods of IED are

Answer 5

Time
Command
Victim

Question 6

Common areas of IED emplacement include, but are not limited to:

Answer 6

 Previous IED sites (past successes, laziness, exploiting Techniques, Tactics, and Procedures [TTPs]).
 Frequently traveled, predictable routes, such as roads leading to FOBs and along common patrol routes.
 Boundary turnaround points (pattern).
 Roadway shoulders (usually within 10 feet).
 Medians, by the roadside, or buried under the surface of any type of road, often in potholes and covered with dirt or reheated asphalt.
 Trees, light posts, signs, overpasses, and bridge spans that are elevated.
 Unattended vehicles, trucks, cars, carts, or motorcycles (attached or installed in them).
 Guardrails (hidden inside) or under any type of material or packaging.
 Potential incident control points (ICPs).
 Abandoned structures (sometimes partially demolished).
 Cinder blocks (hidden behind), piles of sand to direct blast into the kill zone, or inside disguised concrete items (fake curbs).
 Animal carcasses and deceased human bodies.
 Fake bodies or scarecrows in coalition uniforms.
 Buildings.
 Employed at the edge of town

Question 7

The enemy may also employ lures to draw friendly forces into an IED kill zone using methods such as:

Answer 7

 Broken down motorist
 Person in need of medical attention
 Unaccompanied young child/children

Question 8

The primary indication of an IED will be a

Answer 8

change in the environment (something new on the route that was not there yesterday).

Question 9

Friendly forces should be especially vigilant around

Answer 9

o Obstacles in the roadway to channel convoys.
o Exposed antennas, detonating cord, wires, or ordnance.
o Wires laid out in plain site; these may be part of an IED or designed to draw friendly force attention before detonation of the real IED

Question 10

The enemy will generally employ the IED in a fashion and an area that allows the attacker to

Answer 10

remain concealed and/or covered (such as a rooftop or window, dirt mound, vehicle [to include motorcycles], vegetation, canal, defile, alleyway, or even within a crowd) during the attack and to egress in a concealed or protected fashion.

Question 11

Vehicle Borne IED (VBIED) are successful because

Answer 11

due to it’s mobility and enabling the enemy to choose the time and place of the attack with much greater flexibility.

Question 12

SBIEDs are

Answer 12

Suicide Bombers

Question 13

Indicators of a potential suicide attack are:

Answer 13

 An individual who deliberately ignores orders to stop or attempts to circumvent a security checkpoint.
 An individual wearing too much clothing for the prevailing weather conditions.
 A person with suspicious bulges in his/her clothing, carrying packages/bags or wearing satchels/backpacks.
 An individual handling wires, switches, an actuator, or a “dead man’s” switch

Question 14

The IED defeat framework is enables commanders and staffs to

Answer 14

plan and take proactive measures to seek out and defeat IED events before they occur

Question 15

The IED defeat framework consists of the following

Answer 15

Predict
Detect
Prevent
Avoid activities
Neutralize
Protect

Question 16

The IED defeat framework can be broken down into two major sub-elements:

Answer 16

Proactive (pre-detection) and Reactive (post-detection).

Question 17

Pre-Movement Rehearsals. Moving units must be prepared to

Answer 17

react quickly and efficiently to any attack–especially IED attacks.

Question 18

One of the most important things you can do to protect yourself and your unit against the possibility of an IED attack is to limit your

Answer 18

predictability

Question 19

The key to surviving a VBIED attack is

Answer 19

standoff and cover

Question 20

At every halt, no matter how short, the crew must

Answer 20

clear 5 meters around the vehicle while inside

Question 21

For extended halts, teams must clear

Answer 21

25 meters around the patrol or convoy

Question 22

5 meter checks consist of

Answer 22

Identify a position to halt.
 Visually check the area 5 meters around your vehicles .
 Look for disturbed earth and suspicious objects, loose bricks in walls, and security ties on streetlights or anything out of the ordinary.
 Start your search at ground level and continue up above head height.
 Then conduct a physical check for a radius of 5 meters around your position. Be systematic, take your time, and show curiosity. If the tactical situation permits, use a white light or infrared (IR) light at night.
 If in an armored vehicle, remain mounted during your 5 meter check to take advantage of the vehicle’s protection.

Question 23

25 meter checks consist of

Answer 23

 Add to the 5 meter check when the patrol or convoy leader decides to occupy an area for any length of time.
 Once 5 meter checks are conducted, continue visually scanning out to 25 meters.
 Conduct a physical search for a radius of 25 meters around your position.
 Look for IED indicators and anything out of the ordinary.

Question 24

What are The Five “Cs”.

Answer 24

The five "Cs" represent a simple set of guidelines that you should use when you encounter a suspected IED 
 Confirm
 Clear
 Cordon
 Check
 Control

Question 25

Suspected IED — What Not To Do

Answer 25

Never approach a suspected IED
Do not pick up det cord
Tracing command wire (CW).

Question 26

The enemy may often combine the IED attack with

Answer 26

a direct fire ambush to increase the lethality of the attack

Question 27

REACTER stands for

Answer 27

Report
Evacuate
Area
Clear the kill zone
Treat casualties
Establish CCP and LZ away from kill zone
Report/recover

Question 28

Standoff munitions disruption (SMUD) is

Answer 28

remotely detonating, disrupting, or deflagrating small ordnance at safe distances.

Question 29

IED hunting requires

Answer 29

patience, practice, and proactive approaches to the mission.

Question 30

Key points to IED hunting are

Answer 30

 In depth knowledge of the area
 Concentrate efforts on high threat areas
 Clear the route often
 Use combination of mounted/dismounted teams
 Move slow enough to observe
 Observe from multiple angles
 Investigate every clue that tends to point to an IED
 Take size of object into consideration
 Look for other IED indicators
 Use optics to maximize standoff
 Elicit information from Iraqi citizens