Practical Military Ordnance Identification

The threat variables associated with military ordnance are enormous, requiring the application of a structured process to identify unknown munitions. The focus of Practical Military Ordnance Identification is the application of a practical deductive process to identify unknown ordnance items that are commonly recovered outside military control. The author supplies a seven-step procedure to identify unknown munitions by their category, group, and type. Detailed logic trees help users narrow down the possibilities in order to accurately identify ordnance. The book covers the safety precautions associated with each category and group of ordnance. It describes many ordnance construction characteristics and explains the fundamentals of military ordnance fuzing. Appendices define terms and supply abbreviations and acronyms used to describe military ordnances. For any queries please contact the author at tgersbeck@2ig-llc.com.Table of ContentOverview of Energetics Associated with Ordnance The Fundamentals of a Practical ProcessFundamentals of Fuze Functioning Ordnance Category—Projectiles Ordnance Category—Grenades: Hand, Rifle, andProjected Ordnance Categories—Aerial Bombs andDispensersOrdnance Category—Rockets Ordnance Category—Guided MissilesOrdnance Category—Submunitions Ordnance Category—Landmines Ordnance Group—Chemical Ordnance Category—Underwater Ordnance Closing Appendix A: Logic Trees Appendix B: Common Ordnance Related Abbreviations Appendix C: Definitions of Ordnance-Related Terms Appendix D: Explosives Commonly Used inOrdnance Appendix E: Metric and Standard Conversion Chart Bibliography Index Review QuotePraise for Practical Military Ordnance Identification "As a retired Marine EOD technician/officer of 25 years and a currently certified public safety bomb technician, I welcome this work to fill a much-needed void in the education, training, and resources available to the civilian bomb tech community."—Major Pete Lawson, USMC, EOD (Ret) "Tom's book fills an enormous hole in the training of public safety bomb technicians. His book is comprehensive, easy to follow, and an invaluable resource that, without a doubt, will save lives … . A must for your library."—Timothy Cooper, Los Angeles Police Department Bomb Squad (Retired) "When peace comes to former zones of conflict, there will be many people trying to create a new life or recreate the old … . Beyond the first responders and military personnel, the information contained here will be very useful to archaeologists, agriculturalists, and building contractors, because it will save lives."—Dr. Lawrence Babits, Former Director, Program in Maritime Studies, East Carolina University "Outstanding publication! … a source that law enforcement bomb technicians and all first responders so desperately need. The issue of military ordnance identification and the hazards associated with them has been a concern for bomb squads and first responders and now we have a concise reference. … Great job! "—Joseph Sweeney, Former Bomb Squad Commander/SWAT Operator, Pittsburgh Police Department and DHS Explosive Specialist "For the novice who wishes to explore the world of ordnance, this text really gets to the heart of the matter. With easy-to-follow flowcharts and visual representations of the text, Gersbeck’s take on what to do (and NOT do) in this field of munitions provides a useful compendium which is easily accessible and straightforward."—Jalika Rivera Waugh, PhD "Tom Gersbeck’s understanding of explosives and military munition is the most comprehensive I have encountered in my 29 years in this business. Now Tom has put this knowledge in an easy-to-follow text with the best interests of public safety in mind. Laid out in a concise format, this information fills a desperate need for personnel encountering military ordnance, making the path to a safe resolution much more probable."—Tom Conte, U.S. Navy EOD, Senior Chief (Retired) Biographical NoteTom Gersbeck served in the US Marine Corps EOD field while also pursuing an academic education; he retired in 2001 as a Chief Warrant Officer with a masters of forensic sciences degree. Tom has served with the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) as an Explosives Security Specialist and as the Explosives Branch Chief of the National Explosives Detection Canine Teams Program (NEDCTP) before deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and US Department of State programs. Tom ran the International Unexploded Ordnance Training Program at Texas A&M for two years and spent six years with Fairleigh Dickinson University as an adjunct professor. He is an active member of the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI), the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) and continues to work in his field.