New Year's Bang

A large explosion of confiscated mortar rounds, grenades, guns and other explosive devices set up by Army explosive ordnance disposal technicians on Contingency Operating Base Q-West, Iraq, Dec. 31. The controlled blast, which contained more than 1,500 pounds of explosives, was set off at midnight as a way to ring in the New Year from Iraq.

White phosphorous ignites and lights up the impact area after a large blast of confiscated mortar rounds, grenades, guns and other explosive devices set up by Army explosive ordnance disposal technicians on Contingency Operating Base Q-West, Iraq, Dec. 31. The controlled blast, which contained more than 1,500 pounds of explosives, was set off at midnight as a way to ring in the New Year from Iraq.

A stack of mortar rounds, grenades, guns and other explosive devices that were confiscated are set up by Army explosive ordnance disposal on Contingency Operating Base Q-West, Iraq, Dec. 31. The controlled blast, which contained more than 1,500 pounds of explosives, was set off at midnight as a way to ring in the New Year from Iraq.


Photos from Spc Eric Rutherford, 115th MPAD

How my friend, Eric, spent his New Year's Eve!