Quote:
Originally posted by Razor
TR, do you happen to also have a picture of the Range Control guy's face that came to see why you guys suddenly called for a cold range? 
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We had the keys to the range permanently.
EOD refused to respond to our range allegedly due to the improvised, expedient and other non-standard munitions we employed.
As they put it. "You built 'em, you shot 'em, YOU clear 'em. We ain't coming to Coleman Range for you guys, ever."
Nice, since Demo Committee shot 60,000 lbs of demo per year, much in the aforementioned more hazardous improvised munitions, expended it training almost 1,000 students per year, and were on the range an average of 10 days per month, and were not authorized Demo Pay, but EOD was.
We did get put in check fire occasionally when someone in the area (COSMONITES camping adjacent to the range, low flying planes, people back on main post with rattled windows) would complain.
War Story for RL:
We had almost 500 lbs. of charges placed on five seperate ring mains burning downrange, the first (a steel cutting shot) went off. Radio starts squawking, Range 69, check fire, CHECK FIRE!!
I reach out of the bunker and grab the handset to see what is up while continuing to look at my watch for the countdown.
Ask Range Control what is up. They say that a unit has taken incoming frag from our range. I ask how the unit knows it is ours. He says that they are up by the entrance to the range where the stopped for lunch and they heard the boom before they got fragged. I ask him if he means by the sign saying "Range 69, Coleman Demo" and "Danger, Explosives" right by where the big red hot range flag is flying, he checks with them and says "yes".
Since he missed my first attempt at humor, and we have a few seconds before the next explosion takes place, I ask Range Control if he has one of those Ft Bragg Range Special maps handy, he says of course, it is right there on the wall. I ask him to look at the big red circle around Range 69, and tell me if they are in the clearly posted "Danger Zone" area indicated on the map.
He says yes, and reminds me to check fire. I tell him that I cannot, I have fuzes burning downrange. He tells me to go cut them. Everyone in the bunker is looking at me by this point, and I tell him, "I don't think I will". He "orders" me to do so. I laugh and tell him that if he wants someone to go downrange and cut burning fuzes on 400 lbs. of demo, he needs to drive out to the range real fast and do it himself. I then key up the handset as the next charge goes off about 5 seconds later so that he can hear it back at Range Contol. He tells me to safe and clear after the charges are all shot and call him on the land line. I call his boss instead, and talk about safety and common sense.
Fun and games with explosives.
TR