The protection of an Up-Armored HMMWV that the soldiers were riding in saved their lives. This XM1114 vehicle was specifically designed to defeat threats from land mines. The blast that took place last week caused damage to the front hood, shrouds and fenders. The right front wheel was blown off. The passenger compartment remained intact and the three-man crew suffered only minor injuries (headache and ringing in ears). "The protection afforded by the armored Humvee was largely responsible for minimizing injuries," according to Lieutenant Colonel Kevin J. Bergner. The blast from the explosion produced a crater 1.5 feet deep and 2.5 feet wide. It sent pieces of the Humvee 50 feet into the air and 50 meters away. Pieces of the hood were visible in trees at those distances. Two windows on a house 40 meters away were shattered by the blast.