X-​​Ray Van in Action

A few weeks back, we talked about the U.S. military’s small fleet of specially-​​equipped vans that can peek inside cars and trucks for explo­sives. One Defense Tech reader, who worked with an X-​​ray van, gives us a run­down of how the thing worked:
I used these vans when I deployed with the 1st Cavalry. We were respon­si­ble for entry con­trol points to key facil­i­ties, like Baghdad Airport. The vans were a tremen­dous asset, incred­i­bly accu­rate.
A prime exam­ple: Inside one vehi­cle we scanned was a gen­tle­man who had been shot by insur­gents. The lit­tle bug­gers got him seven times, and he some­how sur­vived. He lived at a vil­lage near the air­port, and went through our check point. We were able to see the metal still in his body, while he was still sit­ting in his car. The vehi­cle didn’t have to even stop.
Another exam­ple: A guard for a dig­ni­tary for­got to declare his pis­tol. In the scan, we found it in a small box he had cut into the floor hid­den, just in case insur­gents stopped him. Another time, we found a pis­tol that was hid­den in a fender. Yet another was a sword found between the gas tank and the body of a KIA bongo.
Once peo­ple get screened and dis­cov­ered, it really does deter them from doing it again. I am sure they tell their friends. One group of guys tried to sneak in small things, like knives and toy pis­tols. We caught them, they didn’t try it again at least not for a cou­ple of weeks. Finally, they did. And, as luck would have it, we caught them a sec­ond time.

September 1st, 2005 | Bomb Squad | 14952 Comments »http://defensetech.org/2005/09/01/x-ray-van-in-action/X-Ray+Van+in+Action2005-09-01+15%3A06%3A48noahmax You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.