Detachment gets rid of WWII ordnance on Tinian

File photo from Aug. 9, 2018, show a cache of unexploded ordnance for detonation in Marpi, Saipan. (U.S. NAVY/MCS3 DANNY RAY NUÑEZ JR.)

ASAN, Guam—Sailors from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 Detachment Marianas disposed of approximately 50 lbs of World War II unexploded ordnance on Tinian last Nov. 3.

The ordnance consisted of both U.S. and Japanese projectiles, grenades, and small arms ammunition that were discovered throughout the island of Tinian over the past year.

Members of the CNMI Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, CNMI Department of Public Safety, and CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management partnered with the U.S. Navy to inform the public of the operation and to restrict public access to the disposal site.

Over a three-day period, the sailors from EODMU 5 Detachment Marianas surveyed safe disposal locations and prepared the ordnance for final transportation. This included planning to conduct a render safe procedure on a U.S. Navy 5-inch projectile. The team verified that this round was armed and could detonate if proper procedures were not followed.

All UXO requires precise handling precautions before the items can be safely disposed of to ensure safety for responders.

During the RSP, the team disarmed the round’s fuze with a specialized tool used to shear off its firing pin, preventing unintended detonation. As a precaution, responders created a bunker of soil and clay-filled bags that covered the round. This method, called tamping, was also used for the final disposal to prevent fragments, soil, or other displaced minerals from traveling far distances outside of the safe zone established by CNMI authorities.

EODMU Five Detachment Marianas Officer-in-Charge Lt. Jason Moyer said residents should immediately vacate the area and contact emergency responders if they discover ordnance.

“All unexploded ordnance inherently contains grave risk to anyone who comes in contact with it,” he said. “If not handled properly there is always a chance for unintended detonation to occur that could prove fatal. We always encourage the public to call local authorities if they suspect that something they’ve come across could be UXO. Unfortunately, the threat of UXO discovery is a reality, but EODMU 5 remains committed to preventing disaster and aiding the people of CNMI.”

The mission of EODMU 5 Detachment Marianas is to render safe all types of ordnance, conventional and unconventional, improvised, chemical, biological, and nuclear to include improvised explosive devices and weapons of mass destruction. EODMU 5 performs land and underwater location, identification, render-safe, recovery, and disposal of foreign and domestic ordnance.

EODMU 5 is assigned to Commander, Task Force 75, which executes command and control of assigned Navy Expeditionary Combat Forces in the 7th Fleet area of operations. They plan and execute Naval Construction, Expeditionary Logistics, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Maritime Expeditionary Security, and Exploitation Forces assigned to Commander, 7th Fleet for crisis response, humanitarian assistance, and major combat operations. (JRM)