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It Wasn't a Mutiny in Iraq
From StrategyPage: October 20, 2004: On October 13, five soldiers out of 19 in a fuel delivery platoon of the 343rd Quartermaster Company, refused to take their seven vehicles north along the highway that runs from Kuwait to Baghdad. The soldiers complained that the trucks were in poor shape, had no armor and that the fuel they were carrying was contaminated. The entire platoon was relieved of duty and other troops came in and took the trucks, and the fuel, north. The mission was completed without incident. The "mutiny," as the media described it, was big news. It shouldn't have been. Such incidents have occurred in every war where American troops have to drive trucks through dangerous territory. World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Panama, the Gulf War. In most cases, a senior officer or NCO comes in, has a "vigorous discussion" with the troops, and the mission is carried out. Sometimes that doesn't work, in which case the NCOs and officers of the unit are relieved, or at least see their promotion prospects evaporate. The army goes by the old adage, "there are no bad troops, only bad officers."The 343rd Quartermaster Company belongs to the 13th COSCOM, a logistics and maintenance organization with some 15,000 troops. In the last six months, the 13th COSCOM has lost 26 troops, and had over 200 wounded or injured. Spend a year working for 13th COSCOM, and you have about a three percent chance of getting killed or injured. Historically, that's a low casualty rate. In World War II, units of that size often suffered that many losses in a single day, and for many days at a time. But this is now, this is Iraq, and 13th COSCOM is not a combat division, but a "combat support" organization. However, the war in Iraq is unique. For the first time in military history, the non-combat troops are suffering higher losses than the combat troops. Naturally, the combat troops are better prepared to handle combat than the combat support troops who, historically, rarely get shot at. While the Iraqis are bad shots and lousy soldiers, they are not stupid. They know their chances of surviving are much better if they attack American combat support troops, especially if they are just riding past in a convoy of trucks. Taking on American infantry, especially if they are in armored vehicles, is known to be suicidal. Posted by: Steve 2004-10-20 |
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