How to Locate ****y Traps

Mines and ****y traps have been in the human arsenal for thousands of years. The psychological damage of a hidden threat that you can't retaliate against causes damage above and beyond the physical damage done by ****y traps. The only defense against such a hidden offense is increased awareness and a calm attitude. The following steps will help you locate ****y traps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Learn what sorts of mines, ****y traps or Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) are commonly used in the area. Usually bombs made in a certain area are made by a few individuals and the styles of trigger mechanisms and the types of explosives used are all pretty similar.
2. Look for things that seem out of place. Broken down vehicles, dead animals or a wire across the road could be the sign of a ****y trap. The art of placing a ****y trap depends upon the use of camouflage. Camouflage can be as simple as burying something, so look for signs of freshly dug holes. As you move through an area, think about what you might use to camouflage an IED.
3. Discover possible secret markers. A ****y trap emplacer will often leave a secret sign to indicate to his buddies that this area is mined. Crossed sticks or oddly stacked or spray-painted rocks are often used as warnings. A marker could be anything, so look for possible markers in areas prone to being mined.
4. Pay attention to military markers. Red triangular and rectangular signs are used by NATO and the United Nations to mark known mined and ****y trapped areas. The "Skull and Cross Bones" and the word "MINES" often adorn these markers. Move with caution around these areas.
5. Stay alert. The bomb that gets you is the one that you don't see. Rarely are ****y traps discovered by direct visual surveillance. A constant state of alertness is necessary to notice the tell-tale markers of a bomb. People who see the possible signs of traps and move cautiously are the ones who find bombs.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember: "If you hear the boom, you are going to live." The flash of heat and shrapnel involved in an explosion move faster than the speed of sound. Once you hear the explosion you know the worst has past, so go ahead and check yourself and your equipment and report your status to higher-ups.