Posted on 02/18/2010 10:37:53 AM PST by TaraP
As the aggressive battle wages against the Taliban in Marjah, may this story remind us to pray for the safety of our troops and those Afghans fighting alongside them.
This week, US and Afghan troops have been fighting Taliban forces in Marjah, Afghanistan, and the opposition has been fierce. Hoping that they will be able to root out the enemy strongholds in the city—much like they were conquered in Iraq's Fallujah—the Afghan and US troops in Afghanistan have endured some of the most intense combat so far.
Out of that mêlée, though, came a miraculous story on Monday, when—as the report states—an insurgent sniper hit Lance Cpl. Koenig dead on in the front of his helmet, and he walked away from it with a smile on his face. (Photo by: Bryan Denton/CORBIS)
The Marines of Company B, 1st Battalion, 6th Regiment had been under "near-constant attack" from the Taliban, as they held the ground they'd taken—a former drug lab and roadside bomb factory.
Cpl. Koenig, a designated marksman looking for Taliban targets hidden amongst the surrounding neighborhood, had been up on the roof of the one-story outpost. He was reportedly reaching for his rifle when a sniper's round connected with his helmet, knocking him backwards.
He yelled, "I'm hit," and belly-crawled to his fellow Marine Lance Cpl. Scott Gabrian, who checked him over and then found the huge dent in his helmet. Checking underneath the Kevlar that saved his friend's life, Cpl. Gabrian found no wound and said, "You're not bleeding. You're going to be OK."
"I don't think I could be any luckier than this," Cpl. Koenig stated about his near-death experience.
His miracle is not the only one of that kind, however, as brother-in-arms; Cpl. Christopher Ahrens' helmet was also grazed by enemy rounds three times in Iraq, and twice since the ensuing battle in Marjah.
But, Cpl. Ahrens didn't attribute his experiences to luck…
"I don't need luck," Cpl. Ahrens explained, as he pulled a card from inside his helmet depicting Michael the Archangel stomping on Lucifer's head.
Close call but not “near death experience.” Koenig was not even knocked out. Might have suffered an Excedrin headache for a few hours though.
So what could have happened that this man is alive? Very poorly made bullet? Bad powder?
“So what could have happened that this man is alive? Very poorly made bullet? Bad powder?”
A combination of a really good helmet (the US helmets are among the best in the world!) and a assault rifle round (probably a 7.62 X 39) that is only a moderately powered rifle round.
Excellent technology in the new kevlar helmets.
The 7.62 round has some punch behind it though. Do you think it might have been a neutered round?
Thank God and kevlar!
Do you think it might have been a neutered round?
Not likely. My experience with East Block 7.62X39 is that they are of excellent quality. It is easier to assume that it was fired from a considerable distance away. At 500 yards, the 7.62 X 39 is traveling at less than 1200 feet per second, and has about as much energy as a standard 9 mm pistol round at the muzzle.
The 9X19 NATO 124 grain round has a muzzle velocity of 1230 Feet per Second.
At 500 yards, the 7.62X39 122 grain round has a velocity of less than 1200 feet per second.
“The LWH received Milestone C approval in May 2003. Initial operational capability was scheduled for the second quarter of FY 2004 and full operational capability for the first quarter of FY 2009. Production of 200,000+ helmets for Marines started in the June 2003. The helmet's shell is shaped like the older version, but new materials bring a 6 percent improvement in fragmentation protection and the ability to stop a direct hit from a 9mm round. A medium-size PASGT helmet weighs 3.6 pounds as compared to medium LWH’s 3.05 pounds.”
I’ll defer to Koenig. If you want to don a helmet and then get shot then you can describe whether or not it was near death for you.
Was that a direct quote? It read like reporter commentary.
It doesn’t show in the picture but the round went through his NVG elbow and mount befor the helmet stoped it otherwise he would have definitely been taken out. And it was a foreign Sniper that had his post pinned down for two days.
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