"The Hurt Locker' follows a military unit risking lives to disarm bombs in Iraq. While most say the film is good entertainment, the soldiers that actually conduct bomb disposal missions in Iraq and Afghanistan mostly feel the movie exaggerates their role.

Many have reservations about the way the EOD's work is portrayed, and the reckless attitude of the leading character is under fire. Six years after the film takes place, bombings are still the primary threat to Iraqis.

In Maysan province in Southern Iraq, EOD teams are still finding weapons' caches and clearing roadside bombs. But, the pace of work has slowed for U.S. EOD teams. Security has generally improved across Iraq, and the number of explosive devices and rocket attacks has decreased compared to previous years in the conflict.

When improvised explosive devices are found, more than ever before, Iraqi army and Iraqi police are the ones that respond to the call.

1st class airman Stephen Dobbins explains how they approach a remote bomb clearing. "If we are on an IED call, we always start remote and try and stay to remote for as long as possible," he says. Dobbins goes on to show their iconic bomb suit, which will be familiar to movie buffs watching 'The Hurt Locker'.

"Worst case scenario if this does go down, we've also got the bomb suit to dress the team leader out in, which gives him some protection against the blast and the frag."

The members of this EOD team have witnessed 'The Hurt Locker' and the publicity it has given their profession. But Tech Sgt. Jeremy Phillips says the film's portrayal is not very true to life.

"We enjoy the movie because of the publicity it finally gave the career field, but the way that we were portrayed by the main character in that movie, I think, is grossly exaggerated and not appropriate," he says.

The film's main character, Sergeant William James, has been the centre of much criticism, due to his cowboy attitude. The character is portrayed as being so confident in his skills that he flaunts safety protocols, leaving his colleagues in fear of their lives. Dobbins says this would never happen in real life.

"Our team leaders don't have that kind of invincibility complex, and if they do, they're not allowed to operate," he says.

If Hollywood were to make a sequel of the "Hurt Locker," the leading character might be an Iraqi. Sgt. Jeremy Phillips says the priority has now shifted to training Iraqis to do their job.

"Back in '03 we were strictly worried about protecting ourselves, protecting our assets, and protecting our people. Now we've actually transitioned, in that we're trying to enable the Iraqis through training and joint partnership missions to be able to do more of the EOD job theirself," he says.

As the U.S. military prepares to remove all combat troops from Iraq by August, American bomb disposal teams are training Iraqis how to detect and dispose of the explosives that threaten the civilian population.

It's a high-pressure position for which American bomb technicians usually spend at least a year training. U.S. EOD teams are working to teach Iraqis those same skills in a fraction of the time.
They are acting as ambassadors, teachers and emergency responders to attacks on base.

It's a role very different from earlier years in the war in Iraq, and even further removed from how they are depicted in the "Hurt Locker." Sgt Jeremy Phillips says the film does have its truthful moments though.

"This job is, you know, there is some boredom, and then it's moments of sheer excitement and activity, and I think that they portrayed that correctly in the movie."

But Dobbins adds that the job is less dangerous than it looks in the cinema.

"If you don't get excited blowing stuff up, then there's something wrong with you. But we're much safer than is portrayed in the movie most of the time. Any time we can be."

"The Hurt Locker" is up for nine Oscars including best picture - the same as the sci-fi blockbuster "Avatar."

The title of the movie " The Hurt Locker" comes from the slang for being injured in an explosion. The film has already garnered multiple awards, including best picture and best director at the British Academy of Film and Television Awards.

AP