Vallon Man

Vallon Man is a term used by the British Army waging war in Afghanistan to denote the soldier in a patrol who carries the mine detector. The term originated from "Vallon Machine", another word used for mine detector (the Vallon mine detector VMR3 was widely used in Afghanistan because of its unique ground penetrating radar (GPR). Using a GPR is the only way to find metal free mines and improvised explosive devices (IED). The role of Vallon Man is one of the most dangerous in the fighting in Afghanistan, as Vallon men are often killed in their work.

References

• "Afghanistan bomb dispoal: the lonely walk". Channel 4 News. 9 August 2010.
• Homepage Vallon metal detectors