Article

2004-05-04 Iraq-Jordan

Letter from Iraq -- how to deal with an ambush

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Posted by Mike 2004-05-04 12:14:36 PM|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Just to make the picture clear, since I didn't spell it out over at Winds of Change:

Transportation convoy, lightly armed, carrying tanks on huge flatbed trucks. Huge chains holding the tanks on the trucks. Skeleton crew inside tanks. Convoy commanded by a transportation Captain; 1st Lt. tanker in charge of the tanks / skeleton crews.

They hit a big ambush and a transport truck is disabled. This young 1Lt, probably 24 yrs old or so, sizes up the situation, has his NCOs start firing back from the tanks that are still on the trucks. And WHILE they are firing, he has them break out of the chains by using the shear strength of the tanks, backing off the transports (nobody back there making sure they weren't going off the edge, either), organizes the defense and gets them all out of there, including the lightly armed transportation people, alive.

And saves all the equipment except for the one disabled HET.

Just an incredible display of leadership, quick thinking and courage. No wonder the 2 star met him in the field and wrote to the 4 star about him.

I'm incredibly proud of our young men and women out there.

Robin Burk

Posted by rkb 2004-05-04 1:37:24 PM|| 2004-05-04 1:37:24 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 this was a well planned ambush of probably 50 or so organized in two and three man
teams.

How do they get organized without someone experienced to pull some strings with assistance.

Did the gutsy 1st-Lt see any Al-Jazeera cameramen hanging around acting "innocent"?

Posted by BigEd 2004-05-04 1:53:22 PM|| 2004-05-04 1:53:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 Raises beverage, Well said rkb.

Posted by Evert V. in NL 2004-05-04 2:07:26 PM|| [http://srv.fotopages.com/?o=935389&t=2] 2004-05-04 2:07:26 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 And WHILE they are firing, he has them break out of the chains by using the shear strength of the tanks, backing off the transports (nobody back there making sure they weren't going off the edge, either), organizes the defense and gets them all out of there, including the lightly armed transportation people, alive.

You know, if this was in a movie, nobody would believe it - but it shows the kind of thinking that our guys are best at.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2004-05-04 2:14:00 PM|| 2004-05-04 2:14:00 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 BigEd, no mention of Al-Jiz in the general's letter and I kind of doubt they were invited. This had the hallmarks of an attack planned & executed by ex-Special Repub. Guards or possibly special Fedayeen forces. One colleague here is a tanker who served in GWI and Bosnia ... he says the giveaway is the combination of weapons used in the ambush & the fact that they were split into small coordinated teams.

Posted by rkb 2004-05-04 2:19:41 PM|| 2004-05-04 2:19:41 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 News coverage ratio of the Abu Ghraib prison abuse to this act of heroism: 1,000,000:1 not including Arab media.

Posted by Matt 2004-05-04 2:44:43 PM|| 2004-05-04 2:44:43 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 rkb - I hear "Al-Jiz" often is there uninvited before attacks occur.

Posted by BigEd 2004-05-04 2:47:22 PM|| 2004-05-04 2:47:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Sure. But if the attackers were pros and planned to take out a fair number of tanks in a serious ambush, they might not want the civvies running around getting in the way. The letter suggests to me that the tactics of the ambush were well thought out and not just a couple guys "heroically" "resisting" from rooftops at a distance. TV coverage is great when you think you can get a real photo-op, but as the resulting firefight shows, even 50 attackers well-coordinated can't count on winning.

Posted by rkb 2004-05-04 2:50:33 PM|| 2004-05-04 2:50:33 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 Touche rkb.
We sometimes forget how good and efficient our guys are, and what a crimp they put in the photo-ops by the "Mid-East media sources".

Posted by BigEd 2004-05-04 3:55:08 PM|| 2004-05-04 3:55:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Can somebody explain the following to this clueless civilian:

"A day after this fight, I received an email from CPT Thomas Moore, of the 1175th Transportation, who was the convoy commander. He wrote: "were it not for the courage and actions under fire of the 2ACR and 2-37 soldiers that day, he is certain all his men would have been killed." He asked me if he and his soldiers engaged in that fight with us could wear the 1AD combat patch. I told him I'd be honored."

Which outfit was part of 1AD and which was not, and what is the import of the Transport guys wearing the 1AD combat patch ?

Posted by Carl in N.H 2004-05-04 4:50:45 PM|| 2004-05-04 4:50:45 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 Carl,

It can be really confusing & I confess I still stumble over some of the Army organizational details. Start by distinguishing the combat branches (specialties) from supporting branches.

Combat branches like infantry, armor etc. are expected to initiate and bear the brunt of battle. The other branches are there to support that by providing services, supplies etc.

The tankers are part of the 1st Armored Division. Armor is one of the combat branches. The 2/37 are part of 1AD (2nd Battalion, 37th Armor).

Apparently there was at least one member of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment present - they're not part of 1AD but are in a combat branch.

The transportation people are not in a combat branch. Although they get basic training, their main focus isn't on battle techniques.

What happened here is that when the convoy was attacked, the bulk of the response came (as you would expect) from the combat troops present, i.e. the Armor guys. Soldiers in combat branches who see battle are entitled to wear combat patches.

Normally, transportation people don't get combat patches. In this case, however, the transport guys fought along with the Armor guys, insofar as they could from the cabs of the HETs and their Humvees. I would expect they were armed with rifles but nothing heavier. According to this letter, the transportation Captain who was in charge of the convoy recognized and praised the battle leadership of the young Armor Lt. However, he asked the Armor commanding general if he would authorize the transport soldiers to wear the 1AD combat patch as well, in recognition of their participation in the fight. The commanding MG was happy to do so. So these transport guys (and women, potentially) have the honor of wearing a combat patch from a major combat arms Division - something that transport soldiers ordinarily would never get.

Implicit in the letter seems to be the fact that the Captain realized the fight needed to be directed by the Lt., whom he outranked, but who was doing a great job. Both officers did the right and effective thing in a difficult situation.

Posted by rkb 2004-05-04 5:21:39 PM|| 2004-05-04 5:21:39 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 [Troll droppings deleted]

Posted by Man Bites Dog TROLL 2004-05-04 6:24:16 PM|| 2004-05-04 6:24:16 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Outstanding performance from the Captain and Lieutenants on down! Officers should Lead From The Front. And they did. Magnificently!

Especially the NCOs and Truckers.
React! Respond. Adapt!

In other words, the old Army maxim lives on: 'If something works. Don't screw with it!'

Posted by Jack Deth 2004-05-04 7:26:37 PM|| 2004-05-04 7:26:37 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 It's got to make you warm inside knowing that if Hollywood makes a movie of your military activity, Vin Diesel or the Rock will play your role. I think I know who they would have cast in a role about my military service: :-)

Posted by Super Hose 2004-05-04 10:54:45 PM|| 2004-05-04 10:54:45 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 [Troll droppings deleted]

Posted by Man Bites Dog TROLL 2004-05-04 6:24:16 PM|| 2004-05-04 6:24:16 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 Off-topic or abusive comments deleted]

Posted by Super Hose TROLL 2004-05-04 6:24:16 PM|| 2004-05-04 6:24:16 PM|| Front Page Top