A few weeks back, we talked about the U.S. military's small fleet of specially-equipped vans that can peek inside cars and trucks for explosives. One Defense Tech reader, who worked with an X-ray van, gives us a rundown of how the thing worked:

I used these vans when I deployed with the 1st Cavalry. We were responsible for entry control points to key facilities, like Baghdad Airport. The vans were a tremendous asset, incredibly accurate.

A prime example: Inside one vehicle we scanned was a gentleman who had been shot by insurgents. The little buggers got him seven times, and he somehow survived. He lived at a village near the airport, and went through our check point. We were able to see the metal still in his body, while he was still sitting in his car. The vehicle didn't have to even stop.

Another example: A guard for a dignitary forgot to declare his pistol. In the scan, we found it in a small box he had cut into the floor – hidden, just in case insurgents stopped him. Another time, we found a pistol that was hidden in a fender. Yet another was a sword found between the gas tank and the body of a KIA bongo.

Once people get screened and discovered, it really does deter them from doing it again. I am sure they tell their friends. One group of guys tried to sneak in small things, like knives and toy pistols. We caught them, they didn't try it again – at least not for a couple of weeks. Finally, they did. And, as luck would have it, we caught them a second time.