Talon Explosive Ordnance Disposal robot gainfully employed in Baghdad

The robots, able to be thrown in the back of a chopper or tactical vehicle with ease, each consist of thousands of interlocking parts. They are primarily designed as a track vehicle with a retractable arm claw and camera, and are also capable of being armed with a grenade launcher or other infantry arsenals.

"You put this [robot] on the ground, and people know who you are," said Carroll about EOD. "[Iraqi] kids go 'Boom! Boom!' when they see us because they know an explosion is going to happen. People start to scatter."

Common city obstacles such as getting over a curb or wading through a foot of sewer water are often overcome with the remote control expertise of a skilled EOD technician, but sometimes a bomb blast can get the best of the robot's size, strength and dexterity.

"One lady came back (to the robot repair depot) with only two tracks in her hands," said Marine Master Sgt. Thomas Bogosh, senior noncommissioned officer of the Joint Robotic System Repair Station in Iraq. "They weren't even whole tracks, only parts of them."

His repair station workers, many of whom are former Army and Air Force, work to salvage destroyed robot parts, some still covered in white phosphorous and oil.

But whatever the hurdles, the EOD teams who are out making a safer Iraq are doing so by learning from each other.

"(EOD) is a joint service environment, but we're definitely one team, one fight," said Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jennifer Smith, EOD information technician. "We're a tight community which shares a lot of information with each other. Whoever needs equipment, gets equipment in EOD."

EOD technicians are schooled on many different types of robots in case the one they prefer is in the repair shop.

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