bobdina
07-31-2009, 08:03 PM
The CREW system, which consists of a control box, a receiver/transmitter box, and various antennas, is mounted onto a Humvee, or other military vehicle.
It jams transmitted signals from everyday items like car-door remotes, garage-door openers, or cell phones, all things that can be rigged to trigger an explosive device.
Preventing a signal from reaching its receiver inhibits the detonator from being triggered on an explosive device, said Senior Master Sgt. Richard Hunter, 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron, who deployed to Iraq for six months as the first Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer to be certified as an Army Battalion Electronic Warfare Officer.
To put it simply "the CREW system is designed to cut off communication between the remote control and the receiver used to detonate IED's placed by insurgents to blow up our convoys that are patrolling or travelling throughout the area. It basically provides an electronic shield around the convoy to protect it from any radio controlled IEDs," said Maj. Joemar Rodrigo, instructor electronic combat officer, 552nd Training Squadron.
Major Rodrigo is happy to report that "the CREW system has been attributed to the significant decline of casualties due to RCIEDs."
"Because of this equipment, people are still alive," said Sergeant Sutton. "During the time I was in country, my units combined for over 15,000 combat missions and travelled over 60,000 miles of Iraq with zero loss of life or limb due to IEDs."
Likewise, in the six months that Capt. Robert Desautels, 963rd Airborne Air Control Squadron, was in Iraq, neither of the battalions he worked with had a loss of life. "I was able to see everyday how what I did impacted the war effort," he said.
From July 2003 to July 2007, more than 1,500 coalition deaths in Iraq were caused by IEDs, he said. Since the implementation of the CREW system, less than 300 coalition deaths were caused by IEDs.
It jams transmitted signals from everyday items like car-door remotes, garage-door openers, or cell phones, all things that can be rigged to trigger an explosive device.
Preventing a signal from reaching its receiver inhibits the detonator from being triggered on an explosive device, said Senior Master Sgt. Richard Hunter, 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron, who deployed to Iraq for six months as the first Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer to be certified as an Army Battalion Electronic Warfare Officer.
To put it simply "the CREW system is designed to cut off communication between the remote control and the receiver used to detonate IED's placed by insurgents to blow up our convoys that are patrolling or travelling throughout the area. It basically provides an electronic shield around the convoy to protect it from any radio controlled IEDs," said Maj. Joemar Rodrigo, instructor electronic combat officer, 552nd Training Squadron.
Major Rodrigo is happy to report that "the CREW system has been attributed to the significant decline of casualties due to RCIEDs."
"Because of this equipment, people are still alive," said Sergeant Sutton. "During the time I was in country, my units combined for over 15,000 combat missions and travelled over 60,000 miles of Iraq with zero loss of life or limb due to IEDs."
Likewise, in the six months that Capt. Robert Desautels, 963rd Airborne Air Control Squadron, was in Iraq, neither of the battalions he worked with had a loss of life. "I was able to see everyday how what I did impacted the war effort," he said.
From July 2003 to July 2007, more than 1,500 coalition deaths in Iraq were caused by IEDs, he said. Since the implementation of the CREW system, less than 300 coalition deaths were caused by IEDs.