The Watchdogs of Fallujah ("If A Muj Blinks, The Marines of VMU-1 See It")

Slate ^ | November 10, 2004 | Bing West

[lugsoul]

In a small ops center inside a tent, a dozen Marines peered at two 26-inch flat-panel displays. On the screens, the black edges of the hospital roof stood out in sharp contrast to the white thistle clumps of palm trees in the courtyard below. A line of white ghosts snaked around the trees and flowed onto the roof.

[lugsoul]

Great Stuff.

[Bluegrass Federalist]

Awesome.

[Elvis van Foster]

What will eventually beat the terrorists is blanket surveillance of the country. Someone attacks, and they rewind the tape and see where he came from.

[woofer]

Greqt stuff, indeed!

I wonder if the most asked question by the "muje" in Fallaja is:

"By the mercy of Allah! How'd they know I was there?"

[Mojave Mark]

A heart warming story for the whole family. HOO-ah.

[mattdono]

Here's an interesting excerpt...

"I confirm weapons," said Sg. Jenifer Forman, an imagery analyst. "Watch their right arms when they run. They're shooting across the river."

When the black spots bobbed together, the screen suddenly bloomed white, then settled back into focus, showing a thick gray cloud and a scattering of small black spots, like someone in the cloud had thrown out a handful of rocks.

"Tank gun got them," Neumann said. "Picked them up on their thermals. They're scratched. Scan up the street."

I do want to re-phrase that last sentence.

It should read: Next?

The skill and precision of our War Fighter and his assembled band of brothers is something to behold.

God Bless all of our men and women that are putting their lives on the line for our safety.

[Walkingfeather]

You know that if they produced a reality show using this kind of video material it could pay for all their weapons systems.

[Pointblank]

It has got to be unnerving to have that kind of technology aligned against you. I wonder if they realize...

[Mikey_1962]

Cool site

[Joe Miner]

What will eventually beat the terrorists

Actually it will be when the people get tired of their crap.

No guerrilla army can succeed without the support of the people, especially when you got marines there kicking butt with 26 inch computer screens and more importantly close air support, never forget that air power rules and we have it.

The sounds of an AH-1 or AH-64 or a fast flyer are godsends to the marines.

[A.A. Cunningham]

VMU-1 Pioneer UAV provides 'birds eye' view of combat zone

PhotoID: 200492133221
Submitted by: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Operation/Exercise/Event:
Operation Iraqi Freedom

A Pioneer Unmanned Aerial Vehicle with Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, soars toward another aerial reconnaissance and intelligence gathering mission at Al Taqaddum, Iraq, Sept. 17, in support of I Marine Expeditionary Force during Operation Iraqi Freedom II. The tactical Pioneer UAV provides airborne intelligence to assist in intelligence preparation of the battlefield, early warning of enemy attack and also assesses target strikes among other tasks over places like Ramadi and Fallujah, Iraq, to help save Marines' lives. Photo by: Cpl. Paul Leicht

[Billthedrill]

"Tank gun got them," Neumann said. "Picked them up on their thermals. They're scratched."

Scratched, heck, they're blowed to itty bitty pieces. BTT.

[jer2911tx]

anyone have more links to articles like this one?

[Fudd]

I wonder if the most asked question by the "muje" in Fallaja is: "By the mercy of Allah! How'd they know I was there?"

I doubt many have the luxury of time to ask the question.

[BushisTheMan]

This came from Slate?

[Another-MA-Conservative]

First the video of the marines in urban combat, now this.

Damn. The US of A is scary. (but in a good way)

I see stuff like this and it makes me think of the 1997 movie adaptation of Heinlein's Starship Troopers: a gung-ho high-tech militarized world fighting for survival against a world of primitive giant bugs.

'cept this ain't no movie... God Bless the troops.

[lugsoul]

I remember reading a comment from a captured Talibani, who was talking about the tech prowess of the USA - both from a battlefield intel and precision firepower perspective - who said (paraphrasing) "If one of us drops a lit cigarette, the Americans can spot it and put it out with their bombs."

[kimosabe31]

bump

[airborne]

"A black spot broke out of the smoke. Against the background of the macadam on the street, the man's silhouette stood out plainly. He was running with the speed of a sprinter.

"Ten to one he's headed for the mosque up the street,'" Neumann said.

"Same as always," Lt. Parchman said as he watched the runner climb over a wall. "He's made it. Can't hit him there."

Islam is a religion of cockroaches!

[nascarnation]

I assume these guys grew up becoming proficient at video games and are now putting it to good use.