Baghdad Battles - A Frontline Report

Strategypage.com ^ | 2003 | An Insider

[Lazamataz]

Read this. It looks like American soldiers are some of the best-trained in the world.

[boxerblues]

bump for later

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

He knew that CPT Hornbuckle was a fighter, but he worried that TM ZAN was facing a crisis and he needed to know for certain. He called the CSM and asked him, straight up, did the team need help? CSM Robert Gallagher, who had been wounded fighting with the 75th Rangers at Mogadishu, didn't hesitate. He told LTC Twitty that he needed to do something to help relieve TM ZAN, and he had to do it fast! At that time, CSM Gallagher was already wounded again, and he was standing on one leg beside his M88 firing his M4 carbine.

Some cakewalk, huh.

Thank you for the ping, Cannoneer.

While my eyes are drying, perhaps you'd clue a civilian in on some abbreviations:

OPORD = Operations Orders?

WARNO = War Notice?

MSR=Military Supply Route?

BSA= Battle(?) Staging Area?

TFs (Tactical Forces?) of the 2nd BCT (Brigade Combat Team?)

FSO=Forward Staging Operations? or, later, Bn FSO=Battalion Forward  S...? Officer?

FA=Forward Artillary?

HMMWV='Hummer' water vehicle? *g*

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With all due respect to David Bloom, this author's respect for these brave men is more powerful than colorful prose.

Careful with these accounts, the world may come to know the truth about the character of our miliary.

Going to cry some more, now.

[MindBender26]

Hell of a fight. So different than 'Nam.

[archy]

Think anybody will ever scream in terror at the sight of a Stryker?

Yes. Stryker crewmen.

I already know Bradley crewmen who were promised one paygrade promotions in rank to go to the Strykers. Both turned that *swell career opportunity* down flat cold.

-archy-/-

[archy]

"target! Load HE, repeat.

Sounds like Redleg talk. "Target, right tank, FIRE!" is what we would have said, if we said anything at all. At that range the TC would likely have shot the second T-72 himself, using his TC Override.

If the TC is ordering a change of ammunition type, as for instance, a round of HE or canister into a disabled or destroyed vehicle to nail any escaping crew members, he has to order the ammunition change to the loader so he can change ammo type, and so the gunner can enter the ammo designation into the ballistic computer if the shot is other than a point-blank one where the correction won't matter. Alternately, he can use his gun control override to make the shot himself, or use his .50, or order *hose 'em down* [Gunner, co-ax, escaping crew] with the co-ax machinegun.

I'll admit I've been tainted by exposure to fire commands from forces other than US. But most of those with whom I've dealt, including the Israelis, are pretty similar. The Israeli M48A5/Magach crew with which I spent a few interesting days worked in the German language, [German Jews, resident in the BRD] BTW. All had served in the German Bundeswehr, as panzersoldat treadheads, the commander as a Jagdpanzer Kanone-90 TC.

-archy-/-

[Steel Wolf]

Here's a quick translation

OPORD = Operations Orders
WARNO = Warning order (prior to an Operations Order)
MSR= Main supply route
BSA= Brigade Support Area
TFs (Task Force) of the 2nd BCT (Brigade Combat Team)
FSO=Fire Support Officer
Bn FSO=Battalion Fire Support Officer
FA=Field Artillery
HMMWV='Hummer' High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle

[ABrit]

Compelling and magnificent are two words that spring to mind.

[archy]

Hell of a fight. So different than 'Nam.

In some ways. And in others, very much the same. There are always two sides to that particular coin. But there were LOTS of similarities between Vietnam, 1965-'75 and Desert Shield/Storm.

I'll be interesting in noticing the differences between Vietnam and Chechnya. For one, I'm taking better boots.

-archy-/-

[Darksheare]

I honestly don't think anyone will scream in terror at the Stryker.
Laugh hysterically, ponit and snicker, use it as a latrine maybe, but scream in terror?
Nope.

[Billthedrill]

Just damn.

BTT.

[I got the rope]

Wow...words can't describe how proud I am of these guys. God bless'em.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you.

[cavtrooper21]

Hehehehe
Ping for a later read..


Run and scream from a Stryker (Giggle...snort)


Not likely.

[archy]

Well, we knew this was coming, sooner or later. There it is.

3 Members Of Ft. Lewis Stryker Brigade Killed In Iraq

[servantoftheservant]

(deep breath)wow

[Valin]

As a buddy of mine says, "mass dictates policy".

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Three killed, one injured in Stryker accident in Iraq

[Cannoneer No. 4]

3 soldiers from Fort Lewis-based Stryker brigade killed in Iraq

[archy]

Three killed, one injured in Stryker accident in Iraq

Brigade meets first roadside bomb

Here it comes.