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| Iraq |
| Michael Yon: "I wanted to see the F-16 drop a boulder on the people that shot at our guys." |
| 2007-07-26 |
| . . . I walked into the TOC at about 0320 that Saturday morning, and there was a video feed coming in from an F-16. Crosshairs were steady on a house the pilot was circling. We could sometimes hear the jet as it orbited over the Baqubah. The Shadow was circling the same house but from a lower altitude. “What’s up with the house?” I asked. “An element took SAFIRE (small arms fire) and the enemy ran into that house.” “What’re you gonna do?” “Trying to decide. Probably bomb it.” ‘Bomb it,” he said. Sounded simple. Question is, with what? Commanders have myriad options. Some weapons are within their direct authority to use, while other weapons require higher permission. Rules of Engagement (ROE) constantly change, and in order not to tip the enemy, I’ll only talk about the ROE in a general sense. For the early days of operation Arrowhead Ripper, the ROE were relaxed, giving robust options further down the chain, with caveats to mitigate civilian deaths, which had been few. The 3-2 is combat seasoned—many 3-2 soldiers have served three or more combat tours—but if such relaxed rules were extended to a brigade without a similar depth, the results might be muddier missions from commanders whose soldiers had either sticky trigger fingers, or were too quick on the draw. Either extreme could result in catastrophe. . . . The F-16 and Shadow both beamed down live images of the house where the terrorists had hidden after firing on US forces. Now was option time. Which weapon to use? There were so many choices: mortars, missiles, and cannons of various sorts, among others. With the enemy hiding in the building, an F-16 and a Shadow orbiting in the black above, both peering down on thermal mode, the Battle Captain asked the Air Force experts,(the JTACs) what weapons the F-16 was carrying. As a JTAC started ticking off a long list, I was thinking, “How in the world to do those little jets carry all that?” In fact, I believe they were reading down the list for two jets flying in the same package. They carry a mixture of weapons cross loaded between the jets so that they will have the black magic needed for a likely situation. In addition to the F-16’s bombs of various sorts, there was the MLRS rocket system dozens of miles away that had been precisely punching rockets through Baqubah rooftops for days. The MLRS had been flattening buildings that were rigged as giant bombs. There were the 155mm cannons on this base that can hit and flatten anything in Baqubah and beyond. The Apache helicopters could spin up with their rockets and cannons. Infantrymen could just roll in. Or tanks. Or Bradleys. Or Strykers. Even Humvees. The idea was to use just the amount of force to kill the enemy fighters, but leave everyone in the surrounds unscathed, if possible. If that was not possible, often they would simply not fire, but other times they would. Judgment call. By about 0400, the Battle Captain had decided to use 120mm mortars. As a reference, if a 120mm were to land on a car, the car would be obliterated, but a 120mm would not be enough to flatten a decent house. The first round was shot, and the explosion left a black-hot thermal cloud on the two video screens. The impact looked hundreds of yards off target. Successive shots did not hone it, but got worse. It was starting to look like a turkey shoot, so the Battle Captain ordered the mortars to cease fire and refused to consider using the mortars again for that mission. They discussed dropping a JDAM (a special type of bomb from one of the jets), but were worried about CD (collateral damage). The idea of a strafe run came up but that would likely cause even more CD, and so that idea was also nixed. Things sure look different from the comfort and safety of the TOC, even though the TOC is still so close to the battlefield that often the explosions can be felt from there. Still it’s like being a thousand miles away by comparison to being with the infantry in the dark and danger. (TOCs do get hit by rockets or mortars sometimes.) The MLRS rockets and JDAMs were good enough to actually hit buried IEDs, and could easily take the house. The F-16 was carrying at least one concrete bomb—literally, just a bomb made from concrete, like throwing boulders at people—but a JTAC said, “We are not dropping a concrete bomb.” For some reason he didn’t want to just throw a rock. Personally, I don’t like to see bombs explode because it means we are still at war. But a strange feeling came over me: I wanted to see the F-16 drop a boulder on the people that shot at our guys. I knew if the rock hit them, the neighbors would be fine. . . . Go read it all, of course. |
| Posted by:Mike |
| #20 The soft war has ended and the hard war has begun. Yon is the finest wartime journalist I have ever head in any war. Please support him and his Kin duely. |
| Posted by: newc 2007-07-26 23:48 |
| #19 I would think that the consideration was whether there was a family inside that had received some surprise unwelcome guests. If they could have gotten the mortar close, the roaches would have scattered and snipers could have taken them down. I think the commander knows that these jihadis have already written their check and it will be cashed shortly. Baquba is the end of the road for these three. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2007-07-26 23:26 |
| #18 fuck bob down the street do you think they would consider the collateral damage on you? The more pertinent question is: do you think? |
| Posted by: Pappy 2007-07-26 22:24 |
| #17 Concrete Bombs are just chubby "Rods from God" which can minimize CD. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-07-26 21:01 |
| #16 Our military is, in a sense its own little country, with city-states spread out all around the world. Each base is like a little city-state. The military commander must understand how the water, electricity, sewerage, food distribution, police, courts, prisons, hospitals, fire, schools, airports, ports, trash control, vector control, communications, fuel, fiscal budgeting, fire, for his “city” all work. They have “embassies” all over the world and must deal diplomatically with local officials in Korea, Germany, Japan and many dozens of other nations. The U.S. military even has its own space program, which few countries have. In short, our military is a reasonable microcosm of the United States – sans the very important business aspect which actually produces the wealth the military depends on. The requisite skill-set to run a serious war campaign involves a subset of skills that include diplomacy and civil administration. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2007-07-26 15:07 |
| #15 People say Al Qaeda also outlawed cold water, but I have no idea why because it is refreshing? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2007-07-26 14:59 |
| #14 fuck bob down the street do you think they would consider the collateral damage on you? |
| Posted by: sinse 2007-07-26 14:21 |
| #13 How about a REALLY REALLY REALLY big anvil? |
| Posted by: OyVey1 2007-07-26 13:59 |
| #12 You'd be surprised how many former officers have found jobs as city managers and other such offices. They usually do well. Some NCOs make equally as good managers - they've had the equivalent experience managing offices, teams, and units. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2007-07-26 13:55 |
| #11 FYI, my call in the situation above would have been to have the viper smack the blivet into the house, and if that failed, then get a hellfire round on it. If there are any in theater, a Stryker MGS 105 HE would work well in direct-fire mode too (particularly if we still have the old HESH rounds which would help limit CD) That officer needs to learn the limitations of artillery in urban environments, its way different than rural arty planning. 120mm (4.2") mortar in this heat = inaccurate - its not spin stabilized, so thermals, etc will throw off the ballistics. Throw in a gun round that is stable and accurate, then you might have trajectory issues - they fire flatter and there may be higher buildings around. Howizter seems to be the weapon of choice for this scenario due to higher trajectories, but do we have any guided howitzer munitions anymore? If not, you have the same issues as the mortar. So, let the zoomies earn their pay, then follow up with Apaches, and then organic support. Thats how I'd decide it (lacking any other inputs) |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2007-07-26 13:29 |
| #10 Penguin, we have been trying that but the heads at the top of the Republican party are deaf as a friggen post. They are Country Club Repubs (Bush, Lott, Spector, etc), we are Sam's Club Repubs, and they don't want the riff-raff joining the old boys club in DC. Might shake things up with the pork and lobbyists and they already have their hands full with the few we managed to get in there, like Sen Coburn fighting pork and Rep Shadegg trying to force earmarks out into the open. Seriously! The old guard is more interested in keeping washington going the way it is than they are in anything else - even if it means keeping idiots like Murtha and Pelosi and Reid around (and in charge). Craven bastards to be that way - we need these veterans in congress to turn things around. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2007-07-26 13:19 |
| #9 I don't think the experience military officers are getting in running civil matters is getting enough play time. Each of these guys can come back to the US and have serious political traction in politics. If I was a political animal, I would spend some time looking at officers getting out for political prospects. Possibly even headhunting them. |
| Posted by: Penguin 2007-07-26 12:59 |
| #8 Dropping rocks on people from great heights is always fun. It's been a seasonal recreational activity since the time the first neighbors decided to 'liberate' the goods of the first |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2007-07-26 12:42 |
| #7 It seems that SteveS is saying that the terrorist (sorry Michael-minutemen)ROE are more efective then ours. Should we change? |
| Posted by: plainslow 2007-07-26 12:42 |
| #6 If they're out of rocks they could try a MOAB. |
| Posted by: Stargazer 2007-07-26 11:56 |
| #5 And now you are going to blow up my house and children? Stop whining about such petty things as home and family. |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2007-07-26 11:17 |
| #4 If you live next door to a house full of jihadis, you may accidentally get bombed, tough luck. Jihadis have moved into my neighborhood. They have personally threatened to harm my wife and children if we cooperate with the national government or coalition forces. They killed Bob down the street. Left him lying in the road minus his head; probably more for an example than any actual act of collaboration. And now you are going to blow up my house and children? Tough luck, indeed. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2007-07-26 11:06 |
| #3 An image of the enemy forces in the house holding up signs that say "uh oh" followed by "ouch" came to mind. |
| Posted by: eLarson 2007-07-26 10:41 |
| #2 It's no wonder we're still in Iraq if this is the way we pussyfoot around with those animals. If you live next door to a house full of jihadis, you may accidentally get bombed, tough luck. |
| Posted by: Chainter Sinatra7937 2007-07-26 10:38 |
| #1 Dropping rocks on people from great heights is always fun. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-07-26 10:37 |