Explosives Expert

Captain Paul Garrod’s working life revolves around destroying bombs, mortars, and other dangerous ordnance – he’s an Army explosives expert. It’s a gratifying job, he says, and one which involves a lot of practical skills as well as technical knowledge.

“It’s good to know that what we do makes places safer for people to live and work in. In many places we work, for example, Afghanistan, unexploded ordnance is a very real danger. The New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction team is regularly destroying large amounts of dangerous ordnance there.”

He served there last year with one other Explosive Ordnance Disposal operator, destroying munitions found by local people and reported to the NZ PRT.

“Often the Afghan National Army or local police would tell us about munitions that had been found, and we would dispose of the items.”

The disposals comprised a range of ordnance, from artillery shells and rocket propelled grenades, to mortars and even a 500kg Russian bomb. His EOD career path in the Army has involved him attending an ammunition technical officers course in Australia, and various courses within New Zealand. He is skilled at disposing of improvised explosive devices, and has completed a team leaders’ course which qualifies him as a bomb disposal officer.

While the biggest risks for the EOD Squadron are associated with improvised explosive devices, the disposal of military ordnance must also be undertaken very precisely.

The unit is often called on to dispose of ammunition or a grenade brought back from the war and discovered in a shed somewhere. Operators are trained to recognise dangerous ordnance and effectively and safely dispose of it.

Bomb disposal is much more complex, as improvised bombs can look like anything, and can be made in as many ways. It is not always known what could trigger it.

Often, improvised explosive devices are dealt with remotely, using a robot, and operators must rely on the description provided by witnesses.

He looks after conventional, improvised explosive device disposal operations in the Wellington region, and is also in charge of the nationwide chemical, biological and radiological response.

“This is a challenging, satisfying job – you are never quite sure what each day will bring.”