Posted on 01/29/2013 6:22:34 PM PST by Pan_Yan
(CBS News) What does war look like from a soldier's point of view? Tens of millions of YouTube viewers now know, thanks to a video taken in Afghanistan that's gone viral.
CBS News spoke with the man who shot the helmet cam video -- and got shot himself in the process. The video has become one of the most viewed three minutes of war video ever, with 23 million hits on YouTube. It's video of a battle with Taliban forces in Afghanistan, as seen through the helmet camera of Pfc. Ted Daniels.
It started when he purposely moved into the open, drawing fire on himself to protect the seven men in his unit. Daniels told "CBS This Morning," "You know, tactically, it was not a sound thing to do. But I also remember Murphy's Laws of Combat. If it's stupid, but works, it isn't stupid."
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
He is lucky.
Watched the video, Wow what an idiot that guy was! What the hell did he think he was Rambo? If it wasn’t for his body armor he’d be a good candidate for the Darwin award of the year.
Not sure why he though it was a good idea to advance on an enemy (who looked to have pretty good cover) over open terrain but one hopes that his Sargent beat the living crap out of him once they were done with that.
What a dorfus.
I'm not sure the tactical situation (he kept talking about drawing fire away from his unit) but the accompanying article didn't say anything about a desperate fight against overwhelming odds. I think maybe the chain of command had an earnest after action debriefing with him.
I agree. First of all he was just firing into the air wasting ammo. He wasn’t even aiming. Then he apparently took off on his own to assault the objective while having to slowly pace his way down open steep hill. Then he kept yelling “I’m hit” and left his weapon laying down. Hey, get over the initial shock, see if you can bandage your own wound, otherwise don’t try to get someone else killed because of your stupidity. Reach down, pick up your weapon and either fight, or die like a man. IMHO
Not an encouraging sign.
Generation Jackass.
Let’s ban Ashton Kutscher.
Looks pretty old for a PFC; perhaps he’s a slow learner.
I hope that video is being used as an example of what not to do. It was painful to watch. No cover, no focused fire at any particular target, little if any covering fire, rounds hitting all around him and still not going for cover, then predictably getting hit ... and laying there calling for someone to come help him without dressing himself or even picking up his weapon.
Unless I am missing something, I don’t get WTF he was up to. Am I missing something, because I don’t get this at all ...
Obviously NOT a smart idea. Saw this on mil.com a couple weeks ago and wondered his logic in this. I mean if drawing fire for flanking then the rest of the unit surely didn't give covering fire and didn't flank either. Maybe I missed it.
He'll have more purples than John Kerry, maybe more silvers too, but what was he doing firing on our "allies' Obie's Tahleebahn?
I’m thinking this was a deliberate attempt to set himself up as a medal recipient......none of his actions made sense.
He claims he was hit 4 times: once on his helmet, once on his grenade launcher and who know where the other two hit but we know none of them actually harmed his body.
So WTF was he doing doing yelling "I'm hit, I'm hit........". That bothers me.......
Yes, he was never injured.......
I’m getting somewhat forgetful in my old age, but I seem to remember that if there was some circumstance where you wanted to draw fire, you did it from the best possible cover and you did it with focused fire at the target you wanted to return fire to your pos ... only in a video game do you draw fire by running out of cover and presenting yourself as a target, since God apparently forgot to give us a “respawn” ...
So all the "I'm hit!" cries were because his weapon was hit and his hands were numb?
This just gets better and better. They should pull that video, or recast it as a how to on getting yourself killed. It does no one any favors to present this guy as doing the right thing ...
I suspect so, read the comment that was posted along with the vide. He says he was hit 4 times.....once in the helmet, once on his rifle and no mention of the other two which were likely on his body armor if at all.......
Folks can flame me but that's what I got out of the video and its explanation......
I imagine so. Some of my former Soldiers and I dissected this video. Essentially this kid comes across as completely stupid and very, very lucky.
Roger that. I'd say you DO remember correctly. But maybe I forgot the part I'm supposed to just walk into a firing line with no cover at all.
He was not even zigging and zagging and scooting and squirming. I'm a lil old also and it just, well, there was no apparent reason for him to do that.
In fact that LOOKED very suicidal.
Honestly, I don't want to say anything worse than I have because I wasn't there but it really doesn't look like a smart move(s) no matter how many times I've looked at it and I'm done watching.
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