UXO Incidents
Intentionally touching, moving or handling munitions has caused a number of fatalities and injuries. Protect yourself, your family, friends and community by following the 3Rs of Explosives Safety!
The Department of Defense (DoD) has an ongoing effort to prevent accidents involving military munitions; however, such accidents do occur. The Army has developed this web site to educate the public about the hazards associated with military munitions, particularly unexploded ordnance (UXO).
Army-wide analyses of accidents involving military munitions and civilian personnel indicate that failure to respect the explosive hazards associated with munitions, particularly UXO, is the main cause of accidents involving munitions. Remember military munitions are designed to destroy enemy weapons, kill, or incapacitate the enemy. Soldiers are only allowed to handle and use military munitions after extensive training. Soldiers that respond to UXO, known as Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel, are highly trained and specially equipped teams. Their training and equipment are highly specialized and extensive because of the explosive hazards involved. EOD personnel are only authorized to respond to requests from local law enforcement personnel for support in addressing munitions encountered by the public.
The best way to avoid an incident, and avoid becoming another true story on this website, is to learn and follow the 3Rs (Recognize, Retreat, and Report). Remember, if you encounter or think you have encountered a munition, do not approach, touch or disturb it, but call 911.
2015
In January 2015, two women (part of a small group believed to be looking for scrap metal) on McGregor Range in New Mexico were seriously injured when they came across unexploded ordnance (UXO). The women failed to recognize the danger posed and picked up the UXO which then detonated, leaving the women in critical condition. County Sheriff's deputies, who were first on the scene, discovered additional possible explosives. The FBI’s Explosive, Ordnance and Demolition team then conducted an investigation of the site. Had the women recognized the danger posed by the munitions and then retreated from the area, their lives might be much different. http://www.ibtimes.com/texas-explosion-leaves-two-scrap-metal-hunters-critical-condition-near-fort-bliss-1793930
2013
In 2013, two civilians (peddlers or scrappers) illegally collecting metal on an operational range in Texas were seriously injured when a grenade they had picked up exploded. These trespassers failed to recognize the danger of ignoring warning signs and entering an operational range where munitions, including unexploded ordnance or UXO, of different types are present and of collecting metals, including munitions, for sale.
As a result of this incident, military police and federal law enforcement agencies subsequently visited 90 local scrap recyclers and identified four yards that had purchased munitions from peddlers. A military Explosive Ordnance Disposal team worked with law enforcement to recover and destroy numerous munitions and a significant amount of munitions debris from these yards. Law enforcement had to close portions of these yards for an extended time while Explosive Ordnance Disposal team searched the scrap yard and recovered the munitions and munitions debris present.
The failure of these two individuals to recognize the danger of trespassing on an operational range and collecting scrap metal, which included munitions, resulted in their being seriously injured. In addition, these individuals may now face criminal charges for trespassing and theft. Failure of the recycling yards to recognize the hazards posed by the metals the peddlers brought to the yard placed their workers and the public at risk, Additionally, it disrupted the scrap yards normal business.
2011
In 2011, a crane operator in a scrap metal yard recognized there was a munition in the material he was processing. The operator immediately retreated from the area and reported what he saw to police. The state police bomb squad closed the scrap yard for 30 minutes while it removed the military munitions from the yard and transferred it to an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit for disposal. The crane operator followed the 3Rs protecting his fellow workers and company, with only a minor disruption of the scrap yard's operations. http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2011/03/live_120mm_shell_found_in_jers.html
2010
In 2010, personnel at a County Historical Museum reorganized some of the museum's local military history artifacts. During this effort, they discovered approximately 15 packages of black powder wrapped in paper, bullets from the Civil War through WWII era, and a full pouch of live ammunition and stripper clips from the Spanish-American War. Fissures in the bullets' exterior revealed the decay and instability of each one. The museum's director reported the findings to the local police department who immediately contacted the state police's bomb squad. The bomb squad inspected a variety of items and determined that some, like the Spanish-American War bullets, could not be made safe and required destruction. Others could be made safe and retained by the museum. Before the unsafe munitions were removed for destruction, a museum volunteer photographed them to create a historical record for the museum. The museum curators recognized the danger the munitions posed to the staff, public and their collections. http://talkofthetownwc.com/blog/2010/02/discovery_of_black_powder_live.html
In 2010, workers at a Massachusetts shellfish processing plant broke open a muck covered crate that was delivered with a catch of clams. Once opened, the workers recognized the contents as grenades and the plant was evacuated. When emergency responders arrived to investigate the reported munitions, they discovered 126 grenades at the plant. The grenades were transported to a nearby site and detonated. The explosives were still dangerous even though it appeared that the grenades had been at sea for decades. By following the 3Rs of Explosives Safety (Recognize, Retreat, Report), the workers protected themselves and the business disruption was kept to a minimum.
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2010/04/24/Shellfish-workers-net-WWII-era-grenades/74941272152918/
2008
In 2008, an explosion at a Raleigh scrap-metal recycling plant injured two workers. Peddlers had sold a load of scrap metal that contained munitions (anti-tank rounds) to the yard. Plant workers saw the munitions, which were mixed with a batch of scrap metal being processed for recycling, but did not recognize the danger posed. Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel from Fort Bragg recovered 29 munitions mixed with bales of scrap metal. The munitions that EOD recovered included three 90 mm artillery rounds and anti-tank rockets. Police periodically closed roads and evacuated nearby residences during a two-week period that the military inspected and detonated munitions encountered in the scrap yard. Although the workers saw the munitions, they failed to recognize the danger posed. http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2434927/
In 2008, a Civil War cannonball detonated and killed a military enthusiast and relic collector while he was trying to remove its black powder fill. Although he had removed the black powder from hundreds of Civil War munitions before and recognized the danger posed, he still risked handling the cannonball. A large piece of the cannonball flew through the front porch of a house a quarter-mile away. Emergency responders evacuated nearby homes while they removed additional cannon balls that he had collected. Recognize that even old munitions are unpredictable and should never be disturbed. http://www.foxnews.com/story/2008/05/02/virginia-man-killed-in-civil-war-cannonball-blast
2007
In 2007 while on a Scout outing at a park on a former military installation in Oklahoma, a boy digging for crystals broke a glass vial causing his eyes to water and his throat to burn. Following a response to the site, the military identified the vial as part of a chemical agent identification set or CAIS. Soldiers used CAIS to become familiar with the odor of chemical agents. The boy reacted quickly when he recognized he had encountered something unusual and immediately reported the incident. Ultimately, 162 intact CAIS vials, a number of broken vials, and several bomblets were recovered.
2006
In 2006, a Civil War relic collector was severely injured along with his grandson while trying to defuze a Civil War artillery shell. The collector was trying to remove gunpowder from a 140 to 150 year old Civil War era shell at his home. Known as the Grandfather of Relics, he was well respected among diggers and collectors. After the explosion, a military Explosive Ordnance Disposal team destroyed dozens of other shells found at the collector's home. Recognize that munitions do not get safer with age and that explosives can behave in an unpredictable way. Never approach, touch move or disturb munitions regardless of their age. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=20060727&id=RncwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sTsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4541,3491960
In 2006, an adult, who had kept a munition as a souvenir for over 15 years and “thought it was harmless,” allowed neighborhood children to play with it. The children threw it up in the air and when it struck a table, it detonated killing two children and injuring six more. Even though handled many times and kept for years without incident, the munition still proved lethal. Failure to recognize the danger posed by keeping a munition as a souvenir was a heartbreaking error.
www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/local/x746479902/Man-gave-military-shell-to-children
2004
Strong winds and heavy rains from the 2004 landfall of Hurricane Jeanne partially exposed an unexploded 10-foot long Tiny Tim rocket in the driveway a Florida residence. A military Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit responded to remove the 1940s-era rocket that was used in training for WWII's D-Day invasion. A few days later, three additional unexploded rockets were found nearby. In 2004, EOD teams in Florida responded to five explosives and emergency calls after hurricanes. In these cases, the residents recognized the danger, retreated from the area, reported the suspect munitions to the police and helped protect the community. http://jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/100604/D85I9AH01.shtml
In 2004, police in Georgia evacuated several homes and businesses following the explosion of a trash bin that was determined to contain munitions. Although, the sanitation workers picking up the garbage were unharmed, the explosion destroyed the trash container, shattered the garbage truck window, and threw the truck forward several feet, knocking out a fence. A military Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit removed four high explosive 20mm rounds that were found in the truck following the explosion. This incident may be related to the arrest of two suspects who were caught wandering on an operational gunnery range. The actions of these individuals put the community at risk. Luck was responsible for the lack of injuries.
http://old.chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2004/08/11/met_424980.shtml
In 2004, a man collected a bucket of munitions from crushed clamshells that were delivered to pave his driveway. He took the bucket of munitions grenades to a local police station. The police immediately recognized the danger, evacuated the building, and waited for the police bomb squad and a military Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit to respond. An Army investigation determined these munitions had inadvertently been recovered during commercial clamming off the New Jersey coast. The Army immediately took action to educate the public on the 3Rs (Recognize, Retreat, Report) of explosive safety. Although the man recognized the munitions posed a potential danger, he did not recognize that by picking them up and moving them he was placing himself and others in great danger.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2005-12-25/news/0512250172_1_mustard-ocean-shell
In 2004, an antique bottle hunter searching a wooded area in Georgia uncovered an unusual item. Initially, the item was suspected to be an old bottle, or even a flashlight. On further inspection, it was suspected to be a munition. Once the hunter recognized the potential hazard, he contacted the local police and a bomb squad responded. After determining the item was a military munition, the bomb squad requested support from a military Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit. The the EOD team safely removed and properly disposed of the munition, which was identified as a WWII era 40mm anti-aircraft round.
In 2004, the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel was closed when construction workers encountered several munitions at an old ship yard. One of the items was a 4,000 pound WWII-era bomb. A military Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit responded to the area. After an extensive evaluation, military explosives safety experts determined that these munitions were inert that is they did not contain explosives. Only explosives safety experts, such as Explosive Ordnance Disposal or, in some cases, law enforcement Bomb Squad personnel can identify the subtle differences between munitions that pose and explosive hazard and those that do not.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2004-05-06/news/0405060008_1_harbor-tunnel-fairfield-bomb-defused
2003
In Charleston, South Carolina, at the end of 2003, construction workers encountered a civil war-era military munition while digging up a cobblestone driveway. The workers did not identify the munition until the next day, when a Civil War re-enactor recognized it as a Parrott shell. The black-powder filled projectile was about eight inches long and three inches in diameter. The local bomb squad responded and properly disposed of the projectile. Some munitions are difficult to identify, and not everyone recognizes the danger that even old munitions can present.
2001
One afternoon in 2001, an eight year old was raking leaves in his yard when his rake contacted scrap metal. He picked up an unusual item and ran with it to his house. When his brother saw it, he became alarmed. The child dropped the object on the ground, a few feet from a concrete driveway. The family called the local police and the scrap metal the boy picked up was identified as a live military munition, a bazooka round. Military experts responded and carefully removed the round to a nearby military installation where it was detonated. Later, the family learned that their house was built on land the military once used for a military training area. This family was fortunate that the boy's older brother recognized the potential hazard in time. http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/blasts-from-the-past/Content?oid=1188769
2000
In 2000, a nine year-old boy playing near a former artillery range found a munition and kept it as a souvenir. More than a year and half later while the boy was playing with the munition in his garage, the munition exploded. As a result, the boy lost his left hand and forearm. Failure to recognize the explosive hazard posed by munitions irreversibly changed this boy's life.
In 2000, an incident occurred that involved military munitions removed from an operational range. Like most operational ranges, this range had signs warning the public not to enter the area and of hazards present. Nevertheless, some teenagers entered the range and removed some munitions. The teenagers took the munitions, handling and passing them around between themselves and their friends for several days. After changing hands many times, one of the munitions was dropped and exploded. As a result, a 16 year-old boy was killed and another was left in critical condition. Witnesses reported that, at one time, there were up to 20 children handling the munition that eventually exploded. This munition exploded even though it had been handled and moved, including between homes, several times. After investigation, three local youths were arrested for trespassing into a restricted area and taking government property--the munition. Sadly, none of those involved recognized the danger posed by the munitions until it was too late.
1995
In 1995, a family on vacation near an active military base found seven unidentified items and took them home. These items turned out to be munitions (unexploded ordnance or UXO). Two of these munitions exploded while children were playing with them. As a result, five children were injured and admitted to the hospital. Two were in serious condition, one with head injuries. An Explosives Ordnance Disposal Team responded from a local military base and destroyed the munitions. Unfortunately, the family did not recognize the items were munitions and the result was serious injuries. This incident demonstrates one reason the Army advises its soldiers and warns the public, "if you did not drop it, do not pick it up."
1983
In 1983, some boys encountered a munition in a canyon near their home in California. The munition detonated when a boy hit it against a rock. The detonation killed two boys and injured another. After this incident, the military swept hundreds of acres, recovering about 200 munitions. Several years later, a 15-year old reported to his mother that while riding dirt bikes in a nearby canyon he saw what appeared to be a munition. She immediately recognized the danger and reported the munition to fire officials. Fire officials said the 76-mm anti-personnel shell might have exploded had there been a brush fire. By following the 3Rs of explosive safety, this family helped keep themselves and their community safe. http://articles.latimes.com/1985-02-04/local/me-4154_1_tierrasanta-community
1965
In July 1965, a tragedy took place aboard the fishing vessel (FV) Snoopy resulting in the loss of the vessel and the death of eight of her crew. The FV Snoopy was trawling for scallops off the coast of North Carolina when she netted a torpedo. The crew was unsuccessful in removing the torpedo from the net and while attempting to bring it aboard, the vessel rolled on a swell causing the torpedo to strike the ship and detonate. Although the captain recognized the danger, he decided not to cut net but to bring it aboard. This unfortunate incident highlights the danger of munitions at sea. query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=980CEEDA173BE13ABC4C51DFB166838E679EDE
Other
Youngsters recognized that they had encountered a munition and some discarded military equipment in a wooded area near their home. The children carefully retreated and ran home to tell their mother. Their mother reported the munition and equipment to the police. Subsequently, an Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team went to the location where the munition and equipment were encountered to investigate. It turns out the munition was very dangerous and had to be destroyed in place. The children were very smart to follow the 3Rs (Recognize, Retreat, Report) because had they disturbed the munitions, they could have been killed or seriously injured. The community should be grateful to the children for following the 3Rs because their action allowed EOD to remove the danger.