Ammunition Technician
Encyclopedia
An Ammunition Technician (AT) is a British Army
soldier
trained to inspect, repair, test and store, and modify all ammunition and explosives used by the British Army. They are trained to safely dispose of ammunition and explosives (EOD), and those who show the appropriate qualities are given extra training to render safe Improvised Explosive Device
s (IED) by a process called Improvised Explosive Device Disposal, and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO).
The basic AT course is 6 months in duration, part of which is spent at The Royal Military College of Science. The course covers conventional land munitions, conventional munition disposal, guided weapons and explosive theory and safety. The majority of the course takes place at the Defence EOD Munitions Search School Kineton, formerly the Army School of Ammunition
.
The Royal Logistic Corps Ammunition Technicians trained at the Defence EOD Munitions Search School, Kineton are regarded throughout the world as the subject matter experts in Improvised Explosive Device
(IED) disposal as a result of their combined experience in Palestine, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Northern Ireland
, Iraq, Afghanistan, Aden, and other conflicts.
Commissioned officers are known as Ammunition Technical Officer
s and for the Sandhurst entrant follow a long technical course in the rank of Captain. ATs that become commissioned are also referred to as ATOs.
within the British Army, but are not exclusively a UK MoD
, but similar personnel also exist in the Canadian, Australian RAAOC, and New Zealand armed forces. Ammunition Technicians trained at the Defence EOD Munitions Search School, Kineton also work in a number of African, Far Eastern and Middle Eastern armed forces.
In the United Kingdom, bomb disposal is carried out in all three services (Royal Navy
, Royal Air Force
, and the Royal Logistic Corps
and Royal Engineers
of the British Army
). The British military carry out bomb disposal within their specialities. Much of this is carried out by the Ammunition Technicians of the Royal Logistic Corps, the Royal Navy
Clearance Diver
s deal with shoreline and underwater tasks, the Royal Air Force
deal with tasks on their own property and from UK aircraft, and the Royal Engineers
deal with area clearance, minefields, conventional, biological and chemical weapons, enemy aircraft bombs (especially German WWII bombs that continue to turn up).
George Medal
Conspicuous Gallantry Cross
Queen's Gallantry Medal
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
trained to inspect, repair, test and store, and modify all ammunition and explosives used by the British Army. They are trained to safely dispose of ammunition and explosives (EOD), and those who show the appropriate qualities are given extra training to render safe Improvised Explosive Device
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
s (IED) by a process called Improvised Explosive Device Disposal, and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO).
Training
To qualify to attend the class 2 Ammunition Technician course, a soldier must first pass a pre-select course, during which time he will be assessed for suitability for role. The pre-selection includes psychometric testing, leadership skills, problem solving and numeracy tests.The basic AT course is 6 months in duration, part of which is spent at The Royal Military College of Science. The course covers conventional land munitions, conventional munition disposal, guided weapons and explosive theory and safety. The majority of the course takes place at the Defence EOD Munitions Search School Kineton, formerly the Army School of Ammunition
Army School of Ammunition
The Army School of Ammunition is the main training school for Ammunition Technicians and Ammunition Technical Officers in the British Army. The school teaches students conventional land munitions, EOD and IEDD....
.
The Royal Logistic Corps Ammunition Technicians trained at the Defence EOD Munitions Search School, Kineton are regarded throughout the world as the subject matter experts in Improvised Explosive Device
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
(IED) disposal as a result of their combined experience in Palestine, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Northern Ireland
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
, Iraq, Afghanistan, Aden, and other conflicts.
Commissioned officers are known as Ammunition Technical Officer
Ammunition Technical Officer
An Ammunition Technical Officer is an officer involved in all aspects of the army's use of ammunition. This includes; bomb disposal, explosives accident investigation, procurement, in service management, storage, and inspection and repair....
s and for the Sandhurst entrant follow a long technical course in the rank of Captain. ATs that become commissioned are also referred to as ATOs.
Scope of work
ATs are employed within the Royal Logistic CorpsRoyal Logistic Corps
The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army, comprising around 17% of its strength...
within the British Army, but are not exclusively a UK MoD
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
, but similar personnel also exist in the Canadian, Australian RAAOC, and New Zealand armed forces. Ammunition Technicians trained at the Defence EOD Munitions Search School, Kineton also work in a number of African, Far Eastern and Middle Eastern armed forces.
In the United Kingdom, bomb disposal is carried out in all three services (Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, and the Royal Logistic Corps
Royal Logistic Corps
The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army, comprising around 17% of its strength...
and Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
). The British military carry out bomb disposal within their specialities. Much of this is carried out by the Ammunition Technicians of the Royal Logistic Corps, the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Clearance Diver
Clearance Diver
A clearance diver was originally a specialist naval diver who used explosives underwater to remove obstructions to make harbours and shipping channels safe to navigate, but later the term "clearance diver" was used to include other naval underwater work...
s deal with shoreline and underwater tasks, the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
deal with tasks on their own property and from UK aircraft, and the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
deal with area clearance, minefields, conventional, biological and chemical weapons, enemy aircraft bombs (especially German WWII bombs that continue to turn up).
Operational Honours
George CrossGeorge Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
- Warrant Officer Class 1 Barry Johnson GC. Royal Army Ordnance Corps. 6 November 1990.
- Staff Sergeant Kim Spencer Hughes GCKim Hughes (GC)Warrant Officer Class 2 Kim Spencer Hughes GC is a British Army bomb disposal expert who was awarded the George Cross as a Staff Sergeant for gallant acts carried out in the Afghanistan conflict. Hughes made safe over 80 improvised explosive devices on his tour of Afghanistan...
, Royal Logistic Corps 19 March 2010 - Staff Sergeant Olaf Sean Schmid GCOlaf SchmidStaff Sergeant Olaf Sean George Schmid GC was a British Army bomb disposal expert who was killed in action in the Afghanistan conflict. Schmid was posthumously awarded the George Cross after he made safe 70 devices before his death in October 2009...
, Royal Logistic Corps 19 March 2010
George Medal
George Medal
The George Medal is the second level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.The GM was instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI. At this time, during the height of The Blitz, there was a strong desire to reward the many acts of civilian courage...
- Warrant Officer Class 1 JRT Balding GM Royal Logistic Corps 12 October 1993, first GM awarded to member of the newly formed Royal Logistic Corps.
- Warrant Officer Class 1 NB Thomsen GM Royal Logistic Corps 1995.
- Warrant Officer Class 2 A Islam GM QGM Royal Logistic Corps 1997.
- Warrant Officer Class 2 Gary John O'DonnellGary O'Donnell (British Army soldier)Warrant Officer Class 2 Gary John O'Donnell GM & Bar was a British Army bomb disposal expert who was awarded the George Medal twice. The George Medal is the second highest decoration for "acts of great bravery" not "in the face of the enemy". His second George Medal was the first such award in 26...
, Royal Logistic Corps. 15 December 2006. O'Donnell was later killed by an IEDImprovised explosive deviceAn improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
whilst serving in AfghanistanWar in Afghanistan (2001–present)The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
. He was later posthumously awarded a second GM in March 2009 for "repeated and sustained acts of immense bravery" for his actions in AfghanistanWar in Afghanistan (2001–present)The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
in two separate incidents in May and July 2008. - Warrant Officer Class 2 Karl LeyKarl LeyKarl Ley is Class 2 Warrant Officer in the British Army and a bomb disposal expert from the 11 EOD Regiment who was awarded the George Medal for bomb disposal duties in Afghanistan, where he defused more roadside IEDs than anyone else during his six month tour of duty.-Personal life:Born in...
GM Royal Logistic Corps 24th September 2010
Conspicuous Gallantry Cross
Conspicuous Gallantry Cross
The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross is a second level military decoration of the United Kingdom armed forces. Created in 1993 and first awarded in 1995, it was instituted after a review of the British honours system to remove distinctions of rank in the awarding of gallantry decorations...
- Staff Sergeant James Anthony Wadsworth CGC, Royal Logictic Corps. 7 March 2008
Queen's Gallantry Medal
Queen's Gallantry Medal
The Queen's Gallantry Medal is the third level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.It was instituted on 20 June 1974 to replace the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry, the British Empire Medal for Gallantry, and the Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry...
- WO1 Eamon Conrad Heakin QGM, Royal Logistic Corps. 7 September 2004
- Warrant Officer Class 2 Colin Robert George Grant QGM, Royal Logistic Corps 11 September 2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8249145.stm
- Lance Corporal David James Timmins QGM, Royal Logistic Corps, 19 March 2010
See also
- William DG HuntWilliam DG HuntWilliam Dennis Goodchild Hunt MBE served a full career in the British Army as an Ammunition Technician and Ammunition Technical Officer and served in the UK , mainland Europe as well as the Middle and Far East.A strong advocate of raising standards in the industry, William campaigns for the...
- Bomb disposalBomb disposalBomb disposal is the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. Bomb disposal is an all encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the following fields:*Military:...
- RAAOC - Royal Australian Ordnance Corps
- Ammunition Technical OfficerAmmunition Technical OfficerAn Ammunition Technical Officer is an officer involved in all aspects of the army's use of ammunition. This includes; bomb disposal, explosives accident investigation, procurement, in service management, storage, and inspection and repair....
(ATO)