Posted on 08/06/2004 2:46:16 PM PDT by Cannoneer No. 4
Those psychopaths that attacked us the other day wearing all black were all members of Al Qaeda.
Today we had a Company formation and our C.O. came out and talked to us. We told us we all did an incredible job and was proud of all of us. He said we all executed our jobs perfectly. He also informed us that the people that were wearing all black were actually insurgents from Iran, members of Al Qaeda. He said the Army estimated that there were at least 100 of them out there attacking us the other day. The C.O. also compared the ambush to what those Rangers went through in Mogadishu. Our battle lasted 9 hours, there's lasted 18. But it was kinda like the same thing. Definitely not as many attacked us as them (again, they estimated that it was only 100 Al Qaeda attacking us, those rangers had way more than that) but we did have people engaging us with AK fire and multiple RPG fire from all directions from these building that were along the street we were driving down. Kinda like what they went through. Our CO said he stopped counting the number of RPG's fired after the number 12. He also said that if there were ever going to be a movie about the Strykers, the other day would have been the perfect story for it.
We also had the Chaplain walking around yesterday, checking up on us and available for us just in case we wanted somebody to talk to. There was no need for me to talk to him, I did enough talking to god the other day.
Earlier in the day, I saw the CO in the War Room and he was cracking jokes and teasing me, "Hey, First Sgt told me you were all scared and you were screaming like a little girl when you guys were getting shot up." Sooo, soooo not true! I was screaming, yes, but it was like, "cuss word, cuss word, cuss word, they're shooting at us!!! Cuss word, RPG!!! Cuss word" That kinda thing.
I'm a 240 gunner, a ground pounder, not a fuckin TC. I hate being a TC, it's like giving a beat cop a desk job. (kinda) And I've only fired the 50 cal once in my life, and that was like a year ago in Yakima. (3 Shots)
What's scary is I don't even know how to operate any of the electronics or gadgets in that vehicle. I'm serious. I'm still learning. In fact, I didn't even know how to lock and load a 50 cal till a couple days ago.
Today I walked around the motor pool and tried to figure out how many Strykers got hit by RPG's, from what I gathered from the motor pool and from talking to everybody I knew that was there, it looks like over 50% of all the vehicles that drove down that main street, took at least 1 RPG. Most took more than one. And almost all of them are totally serviceable. [emphasis Cannoneer's] We have 4 vehicles in my PLT, 4 Squads per Plt. Each Sqd rides on each vehicle. 2 out of the 4 vehicles in my Plt got hit by RPG's. Both vehicles in my Plt took 3 RPG's each. One of the vehicles in my Plt that took an RPG, had its engine catch on fire from the Impact, the SAW gunner from 3rd Squad, grabbed a fire extinguisher, stuck his body out of the hatch and extinguished the fire, under fire. My driver counted 4 RPG's flying past our vehicle. A Stryker in another Plt took 7 RPG's that day, which blew out all 8 rubber tires, and it was still able to Continue Mission with no tires and drive on, out of the kill zone. Do you think a Gavin 113 could do that? Speed the hell out of a Kill zone with no tracks?
The estimate that I have come up with, going on the theory of how many Strykers physically got hit with RPG's, and taking slight consideration on what everybody that was around saw that day, was that at least 50+ RPG's were fired the first time down that Ambush Alley.
Today was spent cleaning out our vehicle inside and out, which was no easy task. No matter how well we try to clean it, we're always finding brass shell casings and links somewhere. We also fixed whatever was broken.
I cleaned the .50 Cal inside and out. I discovered the remains of a smashed up impacted 7.62 bullet that had my name on it by my hatch. I put that in my pocket. If I ever have kids, and I get all old and have grand kids, I could show them the bullet that Al Qaeda tried to kill me with. Have them bring that in for show and tell at school.
Later on in the day we had an OP (Observation Post). It was weird exiting the FOB , I was super paranoid, I was flinching from the smallest thing, and I was totally looking for anybody dressed in all black. What's up with the all black wardrobe anyway? Are these guys like Goth Terrorists or something? Whatever. Once we got to our OP, I was feeling kinda hungry, so I grabbed an MRE from the top of the vehicle, and there was bullet hole right through it. My Plt Sgt who took that bullet right through his Helmet the other day, is still in the Hospital. He was wearing a CVC helmet, which is made of Kevlar. He got a major concussion from it, and they're keeping their eyes on him at the hospital. The TC for 23Victor, who took some rpg shrapnel to the face, is ok now and should be back to work any time now.
I had a NCO who was with me a majority of the day when they attacked us read my entry that I wrote the other day, I wanted to make sure it was as close to being correct and accurate as possible. And he told me I left out a lot of glory type stuff that everybody was doing that day. I told him it would be impossible, and I didn't have the time to write down everything that happened that day. He did correct me one part of the story I left out, because I didn't not know that it happened till he brought it up, was that when we went to the bridge by the Mosul Hotel, and loaded back up to get back to the fight where we were ambushed, we were the only vehicle from our Plt that went back down there to engage the enemy. There was plent of other guys there from other PLT's already there, but we were the only vehicle from our Plt to go there.
It was just my vehicle and the guys from 3rd Squad. (Their vehicle got tore the fuck up from 3 RPG's) So they all loaded into our vehicle and used both 240's and AT4's that we had in the back. Almost used up all the ammo as well. All the other vehicles in my Plt stayed at the bridge. We drove back down to the ambush site with the guys from MGS and headquarters, and we were the only vehicle that dismounted its troops in that area, which was 400 meters away from the traffic circle. I provided cover fire for them while they moved around, which they complemented me on later. (Had to toot my horn right there, sorry)
Another correction, I meant to say ten round burst not ten second burst. My bad. After he read my take on what happened the other day, he said that I was pretty dead on, and he commented me on my writing and said, "Your pretty good with words and writing. You know what, I'm going to have you help me out with writing the awards out, and the paperwork were turning in." Damnit.
Sounds like the Stryker sucks people have suffered a setback.
Several of the reservations I had about the vehicle have been resolved. They've been in country 8 months and the best report of Strykers in combat is a soldier's blog.
ping
"A Stryker in another Plt took 7 RPG's that day, which blew out all 8 rubber tires, and it was still able to Continue Mission."
Amazing
And that's just the vehicles. The soldiers who drove and fought from them......
they are superheros.
why couldnt this guy just holler for air support and blast al qaeda out.
another outstanding post
I believe he is a Corporal or a Specialist and probably is not trained to call in air strikes.
Outstanding news!!
Although weapons knowledgeable, I don't know what a 240 or
AT4 is? Can someone tell me/us?
Holy crap, I just read this post. This maade the movie Black Hawk Down look like a cakewalk.
http://cbftw.blogspot.com/2004/08/men-in-black.html
i was wondering if the marines have been using their AV-8b harriers any place.
I suppose they could never replace attack helicopters. but would harriers make sense with special forces detachments?
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/at4.htm
The M136 AT4 is the Army's primary light anti-tank weapon. The M136 AT4 is a recoilless rifle used primarily by Infantry Forces for engagement and defeat of light armor. The recoilless rifle design permits accurate delivery of an 84mm High Explosive Anti-Armor warhead, with negligible recoil.
M240 General Purpose Machine Gun, 7.62mm
M136 AT4 84mm Recoiless Rifle
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/m240g.htm
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/at4.htm
GM GDLS in a joint venture between General Motors, Electro-Motive Divison, and General Dynamics Land Systems Division and is based in Sterling Heights, Mich. The majority of the work on the project will be done in the United States and Canada.
Wonder if they could be TEXTRON AKA Cadillac Gage.
Of course I was always fond of the V-100.
Textron is a smaller competitor of General Dynamics.
I like the ASV, but it would have taken 3 ASV's to do what that guy's Stryker did.
I don't know if this affair in Mosul compares to Mogadishu, but Somalia was in the minds of the people who bought us Strykers.
Outstanding survivability! Do we know if these are uparmored Strykers or the originals?
5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
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