Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) personnel of three Asia-Pacific navies took part in combined EOD field training exercise TRI-CRAB 99 on the island of Guam. These highly trained specialists came from the Royal Australian Navy's Clearance Diving Team One, the Republic of Singapore Naval Diving Unit, and the U.S. Navy's Explosive Ordinance Disposal Mobile Unit 5. These specialists are often the advance combat elements employed to clear beaches for landings, clear roads and airfields for operations, and clear combat operations areas for the safe deployment of men and vehicles. In peacetime, these same skills are used to clear unexploded ordnance and mines from previous -hostilities or old training sites.

Exercise TRI-CRAB involved training in the basic skills needed to carry out these missions, such as rappelling, fast rope insertions from helicopters, parachute jumps into water, and small arms training. The more specialized training involved practicing the specialized skills of EOD personnel, such as rigging and dismantling booby traps, uncovering and disarming various unexploded ordnance, clearing mine fields, and testing for chemical contamination during chemical dispersal drills. These events took place on land, beaches, water, in buildings and aboard a ship. The exercise tasks were based on potential threats that could realistically confront the EOD personnel of each of the participating countries.

TRI-CRAB has become an annual training event between Australia, Singapore and the US. It continues to enhance interoperability between these closely cooperating armed forces. Each country's EOD specialists bring home shared expertise and new approaches to old problems. The photo story which follows illustrates all aspects of exercise TRI-CRAB 99.

Leading Seaman "Rocket" Gabin Stevens of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Clearance Diving Team One (left) and GM2 Trevor Fortner of the US Navy (USN) perform an inverted rappel during rappelling training.

Warrant Officer K. T. Wong, Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), watches BM1 (EOD) John Faught, USN and Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Lawrence, RSN, set booby traps for an improvised EOD drill aboard the VBSS MV Dewayne T. Williams.

RAN Able Seaman Jason Harp and Seaman Andrew J. Smith and USN AOC (EOD) Patrick E. North, prepare to set off an explosive during advanced demolition training in TRI-CRAB 99.

USN Lt. Dale Hoover and another member of EOD Mobil Unit 5 fire Minimi F89 Automatic Machine Guns during the small arms cross-training phase of TRI-CRAB 99.

Staff Sgt. Colin Ho and 1st Sgt. T. NG. Hiong of the RSN Naval Diving Unit prepare to clear a Mark 82 bomb during a runway clearance drill.

USN AO2 Gordon Lewis prepares to disarm an MK-81 during an unexploded ordnance drill in TRI-CRAB 99.

RAN Leading Seamen Darren Timms and Gavin Stevens consider how to disarm an 80-series bomb during an unexploded ordnance drill.