After Action Report from IRAQ (unit level)

[LocalT]

This is one of the best AARs (After Action Reports) I have read to date - it focuses on solid, day-to-day small unit TTP that keeps people alive - enjoy -

“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.”

John Stuart Mill

[dd5339]

Damned fine report Top!

Semper Fi

[MEG33]

Wow.This dumb civi is impressed!

[68skylark]

Study Convoy operations. If you have CAAT, JAV, or LAR put them in charge and have them run the convoy.

That's a good post -- thanks. I think I understood most of the terms, but I don't fully follow the sentence above. Can someone translate?

[RockBassCreek]

Someone was looking out for us on this one

Awesome AAR. Thanks to the 1SG.

[Southack]

Yet more proof that we are fighting smart.

[petuniasevan]

This former USAF wingwiper sez:

I'm green with envy!


No I'm not; these troops were at WAR; they also endured primitive conditions and sleep deprivation and sniper attacks...

I'm still a pale shade of green...


Thank you, Marines!

[Travis McGee]

BUMP!

[Poohbah]

I think I saw this right after Afghanistan.

[HiJinx]

Pretty sure LAR is Light Armored Reconnaisance...the group that Fox News' Rick Leventhal was with were LAR.

[HiJinx]

CAAT is Combined Anti-Armor Team...

[HiJinx]

And JAV appears to be a short nomenclature for the Javelin-equipped Hummer.

Sounds like this infantry First Sergeant wants plenty of anti-armor firepower in his unit.

[Billthedrill]

I am not worthy to stand in the same formation with these men.

The only thing I take issue with in the whole report. Whooo-EE! BTT...

[HiJinx]

Humility from a Jar-Head...yeah, that is hard to take!

[68skylark]

That makes sense I think -- thanks. I suspect "JAV" is something about "armored vehicles," but I don't know what "J" stands for. I suspect "CAAT" is something about anti-tank, but I don't know what "CA" stands for.

[68skylark]

Okay, now I see the rest of your posts about the terms that confused me. I think that what you write makes sense about all these terms.

[Nat Turner]

THATS HOW WE USED TO DO IT IN THE CAV -- IN THE OLDEN DAYS OF RONALDUS MAGNUS

1LT US 10TH CAV

[blam]

Filled with pride bump. (Old Sub Sailor)

[river rat]

Thanks for the bump....I missed this.
At the core -- it's still the Corps, Thank God for that.

This E8's AAR is quite different from the one we had a look at after Afghanistan.. His 1st Sgt role is naturally, more administrative than the AAR we saw earlier..

This E8 confirms one of the HOTTEST "trade goods" for friends and loved ones to include in care packages:
1. Small sealed cans of "dip" (dozens per care pkg)
2. Lip balm, eye wash, baby wipes, q-tips, Vaseline
3. Hard candy, and "no melt chocolate" - licorice of any kind.

FORGET the smokes --- too dangerous to show a light or wisps of smoke..

I'm really looking forward to July 4 this year...
Our formerly "green assed" 1st Lt from 3rd Bn / 4th Marines will be in town - and we plan to squeeze the little bastard dry for skinny.

He's not green anymore.... his Bn fought the whole freaking way to Baghdad and beyond...

We Americans have been blessed to have such men as these..

Semper Fi

[river rat]

Hey Squantos

The 1st Sgt gives you EOD maniacs a good word...

The 1st Sgt recommends you be "called upon" to do your thing.

Don't know why, anyone can touch off a pile of goods, right?

Semper Fi