ABSTRACT
The use of explosive-filled military ordnance by criminal elements or terrorists poses a series of significant hazards to the bomb scene investigator. This chapter enlightens explosion scenes' first responders and investigators with the identification characteristics of various types of military explosive ordnance. The identification of the ordnance, that is, a hazard, is the first step in the avoidance of that hazard. The main categories used to characterize military ordnance are as follows: weight, size, body, filler, shape, fuzing system and markings/color coding. The general categories of military explosive ordnance include the following: dropped ordnance, projected ordnance, thrown ordnance and placed ordnance. The chapter also familiarizes explosion scenes' first responders and investigators with the specific hazards normally associated with an unexploded military ordnance. By understanding the hazards, the investigator can best provide protective measures to his or her team, other first responders, and the general public until the arrival of bomb technicians.
