Top army bomb squad officer Col Bob Seddon resigns

Col Seddon said it takes six years to fully train a specialist operator

This is very disturbing news and shows how desperate we are in Afghanistan for certain skills.  The BBC has this

The Army’s top bomb disposal officer has resigned, the MoD has said.

The BBC understands from army sources that Colonel Bob Seddon, of the Royal Logistic Corps, quit over fears bomb disposal training could be compromised.

There has been pressure on the Army to produce more bomb-disposal experts quickly as a result of the threat of roadside bombs in Afghanistan.

According to the BBC the MOD admits how stretched the resources are. Panorma will have a feature on this at 8:3o tonight,

In a statement to the BBC, the MoD admitted guidelines for rest periods and the length of tours had been broken in Afghanistan.

“Unfortunately at a time of high operational commitment, breaches of harmony guidelines do occur but we are taking steps to address the situation.”

New defence secretary Liam Fox, who visited Afghanistan this weekend, said he would make sure everything possible was done to ensure that British forces had what they needed to deal with the “indiscriminate threat from IEDs”.

Panorama: A Very British Hero, BBC One, Monday 24 May at 2030 BST

via BBC News – Top army bomb squad officer Col Bob Seddon resigns.