The bomb disposal 'comfort zone'

Sunday Telegraph:

Staff Sergeant Karl "Badger" Ley worked in temperatures of 122F (50C) defusing improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and braved being targeted by insurgent snipers, while deployed to Helmand.

The 29-year-old bomb disposal expert from Sheffield saved the lives of countless British soldiers and Afghan nationals during a tour of duty in which three of his closest friends were killed and several others were injured by Taliban bombs.

SSgt Ley, who is married with four children, insisted he was not a hero and said: "I was just doing my job – and by the way it's nothing like The Hurt Locker."

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, the soldier with 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment (11EOD), Royal Logistic Corps, said: "Soldiers tend to be scared of IEDs because they know that they can kill.

"They don't scare me because it's my job to defuse them. It's all about being in your comfort zone. When I'm defusing bombs I'm in my comfort zone.

"I have been under fire many times and that is something which does scare me. I hate it because I am not in my comfort zone but many guys in the infantry enjoy it, they get a real buzz out of being in a firefight - but it terrifies me."

...

Winston Churchill said that there was nothing quite as exhilarating as being shot at--and missed. It must have been a reflection of his own comfort zone. It is hard to imagine defusing bombs as ones comfort zone, but these guys do an important job that must be very frustrating for the Taliban. Note that like other people in this line of work, he felt The Hurt Locker was not realistic.

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