It’s not every day an Air Force bomb squad rolls into a local neighborhood, but that’s what happened in Sacramento County last week. A young boy in Carmichael came across something he thought might be concerning while digging in his yard. He was right: it was actually a live 81 mm military mortar.

While it’s unlikely this boy learned from Rusty the Raccoon, he followed the same steps Rusty taught kids living near former arsenals. As a spokesperson for the US Army Corps of Engineers, Rusty’s life-saving mantra is still pertinent today:

• RECOGNIZE: Always be aware you may find dangerous objects.
• RETREAT: Do not disturb anything worrisome and quickly move away.
• REPORT: Tell an adult and wait for the authorities a safe distance away.

Working closely with the City of Benicia and the USACE, Lucy & Company created Rusty in the early 2000s to educate youth (and their parents) at schools and community events. Rusty’s first gig was for the former Benicia Arsenal in California but he shared his expertise for several other Restoration Advisory Boards in Utah.

The recent incident resulted in neighborhood evacuations while the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and the U.S. Air Force worked to safely destroy the ordnance. Thank you for keeping our communities safe.

Wanna know more? Check out Rusty's Activity Book and share it with your kids, grandkids and students.