Yeah, I have been out with EOD when they set them off. Haji usually sets them on the roadside and unless he gets really lucky they don't do too much damage (some of our patrols have been hit, but with only minor injurys-I have never been closer than 200 meters to one when it went off).
That's why I don't understand why they had 14 men in this one vehicle. Haji has to get lucky for the damned things to work anyway. Why concentrate your forces so that they might get really lucky?
Please ignore those on here who are imitating the French and belittling the efforts of our fine armed forces. Most of us know the value in what you're doing and appreciate it greatly.
The others have obviously fallen into the trap the media has set with their distortion and lies about Iraq.
With a grateful heart I salute you for your service to our country. God Bless you!
Yah, this is what ticks me off. Looks like Haji waited until he saw all our guys bunched up into one vehicle. Sounds like a drive up bomb to me. But it could have been an roadside van bomb. It's got to be a big one to completely take out the Amphib vehicle. That far in, the Corps should be using Strykers and Bradleys. Why they are using Amphtraks I'll never know. Very thin skin, iirc.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
Haji usually sets them on the roadside and unless he gets really lucky they don't do too much damage