This Soldier Sat on an IED and Watched the Enemy Try to Detonate it
6/1/20261 hr 41 min
David Aceron served in the United States Army from 2003 to 2012 as a combat engineer and counter-IED specialist, conducting deadly route clearance missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. His job was simple in theory, but brutal in reality: find the bombs before they found his convoy. As a Husky operator and combat engineer, David spent years hunting hidden IEDs, landmines, command-wire explosives, and roadside bombs designed to kill American soldiers.
In this episode, David Aceron shares what it was really like to serve as an Army combat engineer during the Iraq War and Afghanistan War, including the moment he sat directly over an IED while watching the enemy try to detonate it.
This conversation goes far beyond war stories.
David talks about growing up in Southeast San Diego, joining the Army after 9/11, becoming a 12 Bravo combat engineer, deploying with 10th Mountain, surviving route clearance missions, and the psychological toll of spending every day looking for bombs.
He also opens up about the moments most people never hear about: the guilt, the anger, the moral injuries, the loss of innocence, and the terrifying point where hunting IEDs became an obsession.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJosh· Host0:00
Hey everyone, this is Josh, host of the Urban Valor podcast. This week's episode features Army veteran David Aceron. David served as a combat engineer and route clearance specialist during the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His job was one of the most dangerous in the military. As a husky operator, David drove hundreds of meters ahead of the convoy, searching for hidden IEDs buried beneath roads and trails before they could kill American soldiers. For years, finding bombs became an obsession. Every device he located meant lives saved. Every mission required him to drive directly toward the danger while everyone else followed him. But war took its toll. David witnessed civilian casualties, lost close friends, lost family members, and began carrying emotional wounds that were harder to see than the physical dangers around him. Then one day, after discovering an IED, David sat on it. He watched the enemy triggermen trying to detonate the device and hoped they would succeed. What happened next became one of the most defining moments of his life. If you enjoy this episode, go give us a five-star rating and leave a comment to help support our veterans. The bigger the community, the bigger the impact. If you'd like to contribute your story to Urban Valor or know anyone else who may, you can email me at josh@urbanvalor.com. Enjoy the show.
David Aceron· Guest1:12
Name is David Aceron. I am United States Army, uh, soldier. Um, I served from 2003 until 2012, and then I was a corporal when I got out. I am from San Diego, California, from Southeast San Diego.