Iraq tactics question

[News Shooter]

I read that another group of Marines got killed by roadside bombs this week.

I'm not military, but there is a question that is bothering me.

I can understand getting killed in a firefight, but these bombs seem to be another matter. I would think that by now the military would have adjusted its tactics or done something to minimize the losses that way. Are these "insurgents" just that good? Or are we doing something wrong?

Appreciate any military insight. Thanks

 

[Nickle]

Ever see a clip of an IED incident?

 

[Admin]

They are usually in civilian cars, in the city, the soldiers have no chance. It's almost impossible to stop them unless you stop every vehicle in the city and search it.

ETA: Case in point http://www.bofunk.com/video/2119/roadside_bomb.html

 

[News Shooter]

Let me clarify

I'm not refering to car bombs. I understand that is pretty tough, but I keep hearing about "roadside bombs" that detonate when a convoy is passing.
Am I mixing up terminology?

I know the bombs are powerful, but it seems like there ought to be some kind of tactical change that would at least cut down on casualties.
Like I said, I'm not military and am probably over-simplifying this.

Thanks

 

[News Shooter]

Never Mind!!!

I just saw that video. Dang!
Now I understand.
Sorry for being naive.

 

[Admin]

Re: Never Mind!!!

I just saw that video. Dang!
Now I understand.
Sorry for being naive.

Like I said, it's almost impossible to stop. That is why they drive so fast on the roads. I've seen video of them shooting at cars in front of them to get them out of the way so they can get back up to speed. It's pretty damn dangerous.

 

[Admin]

Also that bomb in that video was a small one. I've seen much larger ones that totally destroy everything within 100 feet.

 

[News Shooter]

Sorry for turning this into a chat room

But was the automatic rifle fire immediately following the explosion from the bad guys or our guys shooting back? I assume it was the bad guys.

(People that protest against our soldiers REALLY piss me off anyway, but especially after seeing what actually goes on)

 

[Nickle]

I've got a nice one, almost 300MB, that friends took, while doing an escort mission with a HMMWV.

Now, the question is, how do I get it where you can see it?

 

[C-pher]

Well, where did I read that they are disguising them as cinderblocks and loading them with explosives. Then using some sort of remote detonation or infrared to set them off.

And that's a scary one as well...the video.

 

[Admin]

Bottom line, if people dressed as civilans want to sucker punch our military, it's going to happen. :x

 

[Nickle]

Well, where did I read that they are disguising them as cinderblocks and loading them with explosives. Then using some sort of remote detonation or infrared to set them off.

And that's a scary one as well...the video.

Think guard rail post disguise and cell phone detonation.

 

[C-pher]

I've got a nice one, almost 300MB, that friends took, while doing an escort mission with a HMMWV.

Now, the question is, how do I get it where you can see it?

Try this.

https://upload.video.google.com/

 

[Lynne]

Bottom line, if people dressed as civilans want to sucker punch our military, it's going to happen. :x

Bingo. These terrorists (insurgents my arse) KNOW what our weaknesses are. They know what we will and won't do...listen to me...rephrase - they know what the military can and will do, and what they can't. They take advantage of it everytime they can. Unless we pull our people out and nuke the entire middle east, that isn't going to change.

 

[MrsWildweasel]

They're latest is also making it look like curbing on the sides of the streets,and most are set off with a cell phone.

 

[Tank]

I can tell you from first hand experience with IED's AND VBIED's, it is nye unto impossible to stop them.

The effects of these weapons is vast and very very destructive, but the good news is that for the most part most IED's are nowhere near powerful enough to defeat the armor oon the machines we use today. There are always the ones that do defeat the armor......this I know too well....

for an example on my last deployment, there was one particular vehicle that was repeatedly hit by IED's. So many that the truck was named "IED Express". It took direct hits no less then 7 times. NOT ONCE did the IED's defeat its armor. By the way that truck NEVER once recieved anything more than a new windshield on the drivers side after being hit. That means the armor on that truck defeated the blasts of multiple IED's without being fixed.

PS,,,,Nickle, I have video of the IED detonation on 7JUN05, I know from the date you know what it is. I have tried to delete it since that day still haunts me, but I cannot bring myself to get rid of it.

 

[Nickle]

The one I have is the one with SGT Rogers as the Gunner, and it was April or May 2004. The Jun 05 one was the one that gave me the worst guilt feelings in my entire life. I knew someone dies, initially not who, an hour later the Bn knew, I was discreetly told it wasn't my son, I felt better, then an hour or two after that, we were told it was Jamie. Felt guilty for feeling good it wasn't James, but bad since I knew Jamie quite well, and he was a coworker.

Of course, Brett knows most of this, but I've posted for the rest of you.

 

[Lynne]

That's normal Nickle. And, not that I knew Jamie, however, from what I've read about him, he doesn't sound like the type of guy to fault you for feeling relief that it wasn't your son.

 

[Nickle]

That's normal Nickle. And, not that I knew Jamie, however, from what I've read about him, he doesn't sound like the type of guy to fault you for feeling relief that it wasn't your son.

Oh, he wouldn't have. He was James's immediate supervisor in the unit back here, doing a "normal" mission.

James has that position now, and due to the next guy up becoming a Warrant Officer, and detailed to the WO position, James is the Acting Motor Sergeant in his unit. I'm sure Jamie would approved of that as well.

Jamie was a coworker at my full time job, and a peer in the military job.

 

[MrsWildweasel]

I think we'd all feel like that.

 

[Rpriestlyjr]

the worst part is that they get more and more complex. It will be a never ending mission to find these things. Good that we're using the 'buffalo' now to recover or destroy them. Too bad that it takes manpower to operate the machine.

 

[hminsky]

I have sometimes wondered if the military could have full size radio remote control vehicles, that could go ahead as decoys or something.

I think DARPA is working on this with their "Grand Challenge" race they just had, with unmanned vehicles autonomously crossing a 131 mile course in the Mojave desert.

 

[MrsWildweasel]

They have been using some. Actually RC cars to see if they are IED's.