[Voice in your head]

Our Bradleys survived countless hits from RPGs during the combat phase of OIF. The only thing that punctured a Bradley was a T-72 and that did not destroy the vehicle. I am unaware of any M113s getting hit, probably because they tend to be towards the rear of any formation. Fortunately, nobody needed to be the guinea pig to see if their M113 would withstand the hit.

The threat is not explosives that destroy our vehicle, but rather explosives that spray shrapnel into the bodies of soldiers. Just because the vehicle is destroyed does not mean that the soldiers will be killed. And, just because the vehicle survives does not mean that the soldiers will.

1st AD had soldiers killed when they were crossing a bridge with soldiers moving along side an armored vehicle. I have no idea what LT came up with that idiotic idea. Some goon fired an RPG, which hit the vehicle, and the blast killed every soldier walking on that side of the vehicle. Stupid. The vehicle survived; the soldiers didn't.

Most IEDs that are hidden in an urban environment will probably destroy a vehicle, if detonated underneath it, but the real danger is that they were being placed at head and chest level, so that the blast would go through the open door/open window/open hatch of a vehicle and kill anyone inside. An IED placed under a vehicle will destroy the vehicle, but only wound the crew. I had a soldier wounded by a buried IED, made from an anti-tank mine. He was in an M998 HMMWV, which is about as little protection as one can get. The M998 MHHWV was destroyed, but the soldier suffered only injuries to his ankles (because you can't sandbag under the foot pedals, which is where the blast came through). Had Haji been a little smarter and placed that IED at head or chest level, all 5 soldiers in that vehicle would be dead.

No matter how much armor one has, you still need to stick your head out of the vehicle and look around. So, even an M1 isn't totally safe. It is no safer than a Bradley - the only difference is that the M1 can survive more of a blast. But, to a guy sticking his head out of either vehicle, the threat of small arms fire and well-placed IEDs is the same. If given a choice, I would take the Bradley, because it guzzles less fuel, it is smaller and more maneuverable and, most importantly, it can transport up to 7 of the Army's most dangerous weapons in the back - infantrymen.

[Future Snake Eater]

No matter how much armor one has, you still need to stick your head out of the vehicle and look around.

Exactly what never thrilled me about being a possible Bradley Commander and what currently does not thrill me about being a Stryker Commander.

Thanks for the first-hand insights. The closest I've come to being in combat with Bradleys was at Ft. Pickett being chased by OPFOR M-1s. It surprises me that they're so survivable against RPGs. What version of M2 were you on?