Explosives expert does bang-up job

Photos by Marny Malin-John Fasulo, an explosives expert, holds a mine that is known as a toe popper for students to see in his class. The small device not only takes off toes, but is capable of shattering the bones in a leg.

John Fasulo has all of his fingers and all of his toes, and it's an extraordinary occurrence given the fact he has spent 58 years of his life around munitions and mines.

Known as "The Mine Man," the "Yoda of the explosives world," or "Dr. Demolition,"

Fasulo is a magazine of explosives knowledge and he passes that expertise on to deploying Soldiers, servicemembers and civilian contractors who are headed to perilous places.

"How do you find a mine?" Fasulo asks the mine awareness class as he begins his instruction at Fort Belvoir. "Unfortunately, sometimes the answer can be through direct encounter. I'm here to make sure you are aware of what to look for and to remind you to be constantly alert," Fasulo states.

Stressing the need to remain alert and using a well-developed sense of humor, the former Marine combat engineer keeps class participants riveted. There are well over a hundred explosive examples and Fasulo can tell you the origin, primary use and power of each one of them. He teaches what to look for and asks you to be ever-vigilant.

"Mines and IED's are improvised. If countries can't buy them or manufacture them, they make them from whatever they can," Fasulo states as he holds up a wooden Domino box that had been used to create an explosive device. "A good rule to remember is, if you did not put it down, don't pick it up."

Soldiers who have firsthand knowledge in his classes,"These guys have a feel for it, have experienced it and (have) been injured by them," said Fasulo. Sgt. 1st Class Carlos Acevedo, Staff Sgt. Sean Martinez and Sgt. James Hayes have multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and who have also been injured by mines appreciate Fasulo's efforts and instruction.

"John is a walking encyclopedia. He can tell you and teach you anything you want to know, and he drops whatever he is doing to share his knowledge with Soldiers who are deploying," said Acevedo. Hayes agrees and states that the "Master of Boom" goes out of his way to instill a sense of awareness in Soldiers, to always be careful.

"The war is going to end, but there are 10 times more mines than there are IED's that will remain. Mines are called the perfect Soldier, because they just stay there. John is teaching us ways to be vigilant and to help protect us," said Martinez.

The explosives expert who rises at 3 a.m. has more energy than those half his age, is purposeful and driven about his mission. "I want to make sure these Soldiers and contractors come back home, and,
if I can help protect them, and save a life, then I am serving a purpose, by passing that along," said Fasulo.