Golden West Humanitarian Foundation | Unexploded Ordnance
saving lives through innovation
explosive harvesting program
Golden West’s Explosive Harvesting Program (EHP) a grant-based operation provided by the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA) and the U.S. Humanitarian Demining Research and Development Program (HDR&D) with an overall goal to produce high-quality main charge explosives, in Cambodia, for use in humanitarian mine action operations.
This project is operated under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC). The MoFA allows Golden West to operate as a Non-Governmental Agency (NGO) in Cambodia, whilst the MoU with CMAC provides Golden West a sponsor to operate in Cambodia. CMAC provides Golden West, a dedicated site in Kampong Chhnang located within the boundaries of the CMAC Technical Mine Action Centre (TIMA), which is their main training center.
The objective of the R&D program of the EHP was to recycle and save lives
This program has safely removed the explosives from bombs, anti-tank mines, large-caliber artillery projectiles, and other types of munitions.
Efficiently recycle the recovered usable explosives into disposal charges for the humanitarian demining units and EOD teams in Cambodia.
Create high-quality training aids to improve the knowledge of the personnel in the demining and EOD teams in Cambodia.
our facility
The Golden West HF Advanced Technology Training Center (ATTC) is located in Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia, located 2 hours’ drive from Phnom Penh and located adjacent to the CMAC Training Center. The training site is 24 hectors and has four primary areas of test lanes and fields seeded with various types of ordnance items buried in multiple depths and soil conditions. All munitions are Free-From-Detonators (FFD) or Free-From-Explosives (FFE) and have their original metal contents and some with their explosive fillers intact. The ATTC has an air-conditioned classroom and workshop area which can accommodate up to 25 students with all visual and audio aids. The site also has inerted ordnance items and cutaways for the students and instructors to use for training aids. The EHP and ATTC are considered amongst the best sites for the training of IMAS EOD Lv 1-3 Training in the world, due to the abilities of the staff and the capacity to provide a live variety of live ordnance and the use of multiple explosives for the training.
the real-world experience of the Golden West Staff, combined with the quality of the training site, helps create a world-class training environment
our process
The EHP also provides Technical Advice to CMAC and other Humanitarian Demining Organizations worldwide
With a full-time staff of 8 CMAC EOD Technicians 1 Medic, and 3 Golden West EOD Technicians, the EHP and ATTC provides a year-round production of explosive charges for all Humanitarian Demining Organizations within Cambodia and also provides year-round training of EOD training and logistical support for the other organizations that operate within the site; Humanitarian Demining Training Center (HDTC), Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA), ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) and others. If you are interested in learning more about our Explosive Harvesting Program, click below to contact us today.
Explosive Harvesting Program Director
lEN aUSTIN
Len is a Master Level, Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician with extensive operational experience involving EOD, Humanitarian Demining, and the render safe of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). His background includes training civilian and military personnel in demining and EOD operations. He is also a retired Master Sergeant from the U.S. Marine Corps. If you have any questions about Golden West’s EHP Program, please click below to contact Len.
Connect with Us
Our team serves the global community all year long. Share your email with us and we will share our impact with you.
- Golden West Humanitarian Foundation
6355 Topanga Canyon Blvd
Suite 517
Woodland Hills, CA
91367-2110
- media@goldenwesthf.org
- (818) 703-0024
Copyright 2023 Golden West Humanitarian Foundation
Golden West Humanitarian Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in the United States of America
