Workers clearing the backyard of a home in Macon, Georgia, made a discovery that brought both a bomb squad and an Air Force explosive ordnance team to the property.
According to 41NBC, workers found two mysterious objects on Metro Way on Monday while clearing the property for their employer. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad responded alongside the 116th Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit from Robins Air Force Base.
The sheriff’s bomb squad inspected and X-rayed the devices and determined they were likely training devices. The Air Force EOD team then examined both items and confirmed they were inert, meaning they were inactive.
The Backyard Find Brought In An Air Force EOD Team
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The U.S. Air Force says its EOD technicians are trained to identify and safely deal with explosive hazards and also assist civilian law enforcement with bomb-related incidents.
The team from Robins Air Force Base has a history of doing exactly that outside the base.
In fact, Robins Air Force Base has previously reported that its 116th EOD team supports civilian authorities across dozens of Georgia counties when suspected ordnance is discovered.
What An “Inert” Training Device Actually Means
Calling the objects inert means investigators determined they were not live explosives. The U.S. Navy describes inert ordnance as training devices made to resemble actual ordnance but without explosives, electronics, propellant, or functioning fuses.
That resemblance helps explain why suspicious objects may still require examination by explosives specialists. The Air Force says EOD teams use portable X-ray systems to view the internal contents of suspicious devices, which reduces the time technicians must spend near those potentially hazardous objects.
Once the devices were identified as inert training equipment, the Air Force unit recovered them and transported them to Robins Air Force Base.
Military safety guidelines say anyone who encounters a suspected munition should absolutely not touch or disturb it in any way. The U.S. Army recommends the “3Rs”: Recognize, Retreat, Report. Recognize the possible hazard, retreat from the area, and report it to authorities.