Article

2003-12-04 Iraq

82D AIRBORNE DIVISION December 4 2003

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Posted by Chuck Simmins 2003-12-04 8:24:50 AM|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 It has occurred to me that raids are an opportunity for our guys to communicate with Iraqi informants - informants whose lives would be in danger from Saddam's henchmen if they were seen together with our people in any other circumstance. Of course, it's also a chance to recruit new informants, given that many Iraqis are undoubtedly nervous about walking up to an army patrol with information, knowing that they are being observed by an entire village. Raids give our folks the opportunity to talk to each Iraqi individually without being observed in the open by other Iraqis.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2003-12-4 9:34:44 AM|| 2003-12-4 9:34:44 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Yeah, I kinda liked the HEAT response to the RPG. Killing ants with a hammer may seem pointless to you, but the ants really notice it.

Posted by Chuck Simmins 2003-12-4 11:25:32 AM|| [http://blog.simmins.org] 2003-12-4 11:25:32 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Yeah, I kinda liked the HEAT response to the RPG.

That's ridiculous. A HEAT round is barely effective against personnel, and only marginally useful against structures. They should be using cannister, rip the mutts into little pieces instead of just sending a round whistling over their heads. Of course, I doubt the Army even has any cannister rounds in inventory, they aren't glamourous enough.

Posted by Anonymous 2003-12-4 1:54:47 PM|| 2003-12-4 1:54:47 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 They should be using cannister, rip the mutts into little pieces instead of just sending a round whistling over their heads. Of course, I doubt the Army even has any cannister rounds in inventory, they aren't glamourous enough.

I think there's a reason for this - in Iraq, capturing people is much more important than killing them. If they kill all of these guys, the trail ends right there. If they can capture some of the perps, they can extract information leading to the capture of even more of Saddam's henchmen. I suspect this is why canister rounds are not being used - they're certainly no more difficult to deploy.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2003-12-4 2:49:07 PM|| 2003-12-4 2:49:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 canister rounds In fact, the 3ID after action report sez "The 120mm antipersonnel round is in the army somewhere. It would have been very
helpful in Karbala and Al Kifl." I assume that's what we're talking about...

Posted by snellenr 2003-12-4 3:50:09 PM|| 2003-12-4 3:50:09 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 A HEAT round will make a small hole in the front of the house, another, slightly larger hole in the back of the house, and make you very unpopular with your neighbors six blocks away. It will also make everyone inside the house extremely uncomfortable - to the point of trying to get under the lint on the bottom of the living room carpet. If your head's down - especially THAT far down - you have a very poor sight picture.

Posted by Old Patriot 2003-12-4 8:00:19 PM|| [http://users.codenet.net/mweather/default.htm] 2003-12-4 8:00:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 If your head's down - especially THAT far down - you have a very poor sight picture.

ARRGGHHH!! Okay, points granted all around. However, forgive my troops-oriented view, for I was never more than a poor but honest PFC. Seems to me the MPs/cic/delta should be rounding up these mutts for questioning, not the tankers. Tankers should be shooting off canister and protecting themselves, not trying to take prisoners (those m1a2's ain't cheap, and neither are the troops' lives). I would rather have dead mutts than dead troopers, but that's just me.

Posted by Anonymous 2003-12-4 10:43:32 PM|| 2003-12-4 10:43:32 PM|| Front Page Top

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