Courses were held on the ACT´s premises at the Novaky military base from July 08 to July 10, 2014 and from August 19 to August 21, 2014. A total of 27 participants were from 7 NATO countries, specifically Netherlands, Germany, France, Slovakia, Slovenia, Belgium and Czech Republic.
In the first two days of each course, students were taught to identify precursor chemicals used for manufacturing improvised explosives as well as with risks that illicit activity brings. During the 3rd day, the role of “first responders” was given to students for specific situations and their tasks consisted of positive identification of illicit production of chlorate, perchlorate, nitrate, nitromethane or peroxide-based home-made explosives. Moreover trainees could take an advantage of the opportunity to mix selected improvised explosives and watch the real effects in the field.
All trainees successfully graduated, received certificates of the course, and expressed satisfaction with the content of Homemade Explosives Course – basic. In the very end of each run of the HME Course it was noticeable that students had understood that food placed somewhere on kitchen counter together with bathroom chemicals not always mean “Sunday lunch”.
Author: LT Dušan Harabin (SVK-A), HME-basic Course leader
Photo: SSG Tomáš Kubík