Ambushed Army Unit Was Misdirected

The Associated Press ^ | 06-13-03 | SUZANNE GAMBOA

[optimistically_conservative]

WASHINGTON (AP)--An Army maintenance unit that lost eight soldiers and had several taken prisoner in Iraq was sent in the wrong direction by other American soldiers as they sped to catch up to their convoy, a Texas congressman said Friday.

The 507th Maintenance Co. was directed to go east at an American checkpoint and had traveled several miles in the outskirts of Nasiriyah when their commander realized they were heading in the wrong direction, said Rep. Silvestre Reyes.

Reyes is a Democrat from El Paso, home to Fort Bliss, where the 507th is based. He was briefed Friday by the Defense Department, which has been investigating the ambush.

The 507th members were doubling back when they were attacked with small weapons fire. Iraqi trucks armed with machine guns also began following them and blocked their retreat with their large trucks and other obstacles, Reyes said.

Reyes said the attack was more of a ``rolling ambush'' because the 507th vehicles were moving at high speed as they doubled back.

Several members of the company were captured during the March 23 ambush and the bodies of eight others were found when Marines rescued one of the captured, Pfc. Jessica Lynch.

Reyes said the Defense Department does not know whether the American soldiers manning the checkpoint belonged to the Army or Marines. He said that remains under investigation.

[optimistically_conservative]

I thought the statement made by LTG Abizaid at the time this happened was unfortunate. Intentionally or not, he put the blame on the "young officer, leading his convoy." I have my own suspicions why LTG Abizaid would find it acceptable to publicly offer his conjecture, and thereby cast dispersions, that a young officer in a non-combat unit got his convoy lost and needed rescuing from combat troops.

CENTCOM Operation Iraqi Freedom Briefing ~ 23 March 2003

Q Gary Divot (sp), CanWest News, Canada. I was just wondering, sir, how the convoy, the supply convoy, was actually ambushed. I was just wanting some more details: when, and I was wondering if the U.S. military now knows where the POWs are and whether, in fact, you've established contact with the other side to negotiate their release? What is -- what are you doing, just if you could bring us up to speed, that would be grand.

GEN. ABIZAID: No, we do not know where our prisoners are.

As far as the incident concerning the convoy, I believe that it is probable, like many other tragic incidents in war, that a young officer, leading his convoy, made a wrong turn and went somewhere where he wasn't supposed to. There weren't combat forces around where it happened. Combat forces arrived at the scene and helped extricate some of the survivors. It's an unfortunate incident.

Again, I don't know the exact circumstances, but I would say that the combat forces that arrived on the scene to help the survivors of the ambush did a superb job in extracting the survivors.

[SJSAMPLE]

That asshole Hackworth described the ambushing forces as "two pickup trucks" and accused the soldiers and their commander of cowardice. I wonder (and hope) how the real story plays out?

[DoughtyOne]

It's always disconcerting to watch the innitial reports of such events knowing that what you are hearing is most likely going to change significantly by the time the story fully comes out. I never take first reports as gospel. It seems as if everyone is making things up as they go. In fact the media encourages this so they'll have something to put on the air, even if nobody is sure what actually happened.

[DoughtyOne]

For the record, the second guessing on the rescue has me just short of furious at the media.

[meenie]

Road guards out and you don't have incidents like this.

[HardStarboard]

>>> just short of furious at the media. <<< You must be an extremely unflappable, placid individual. Wish I was.....!

[DoughtyOne]

Not having been in that situation, aren't they there partially to make sure this doesn't happen?

[DoughtyOne]

Well it's been a few weeks. When I saw the reports I was more than mumbling under my breath, believe me!

[somemoreequalthanothers]

I watched one of the wounded soldiers who came out of this thing on tv right about at the end of the war. He said, with some disgust, that they didn't take a 'wrong turn' and that they were exactly where they were supposed to be. I'm inclined to believe him.

[meenie]

You bet! Try to take a wrong turn with road guards out in a combat situation and you will be receiving lead. You have to take care of your own.

[csmusaret]

Well they are back in El Paso now so maybe the full story will come out.

[Recon by Fire]

Road guards out and you don't have incidents like this.

Basic map reading and you don't have incidents like this either!

[optimistically_conservative]

I'll be interested to see how the facts unfold on this.

I am very familiar with how the regs say to do it.

I am familiar with tactical "road" movement in that region from GWI.

I am also very familiar with how shortages (i.e., radios), "get it done" attitude, lack of preparation, lack of combat "appreciation," lack of training, stretched convoy routes, poor checkpoints, etc., can impact convoys - and it is not just the small unit leader that can screw it up.

I get the impression MP road guards were not leading/with these vehicles - or if they were, weren't in control. Like to know what happened.