Operational Security - Grenade Attack
He didn't want to tell me all the details - "Operational Security" he said, (personally I think he just didn't want to write that much) but he informed me that his Stryker narrowly missed being caught in an explosion earlier today.
The Troop had business to take care of in Mosul so they made a trip up the highway from Tal Afar to Mosul today - couldn't tell me a thing about that either, more operational security. Guess they didn't go bowling. On the way back they met a second line of US vehicles heading towards Mosul. A Humvee full of Soldiers, and somebody important, passed his Stryker and just as they passed by the "bad guys" threw grenades at th passing Humvees. One exploded under a Humvee. The bad guys know that their chances of inflicting casualties is greater if they wait for the lighter, less armored Humvee or a truck instead of the heavier Stryker.
He said that right after it went off he had wished it had exploded under them instead of the Humvee. He said that no one would have been injured if that was the case. As it turns out, the Humvee was able to limp down the highway after the explosion and no one was killed. I'd say there were some lucky Soldiers today.
First reactions caused everyone to flinch and duck their heads but even before the asphalt and Humvee parts finished raining down everyone had their heads back up trying to locate the perpetrators to get a little pay back. Unfortunately they were unable to locate any one in the vicinity.
The Strykers are equipped with one of two defensive weapons. Either a 50 Caliber machine gun or a 40MM grenade launcher. Both weapons are "ball" mounted on the top of the Stryker and are remote controlled. The sights on these weapons are electronic and telescopic so they can locate targets at a greater distance and the weapons can be fired from inside the Stryker to provide covering fire for troops on the ground. The Strykers had their weapons systems moving from side to side and up and down trying to locate a "target". He said it looked like a swarm of angry green scorpions.
The radios and text messaging systems were going nuts too. He said all in all it was a pretty exciting afternoon on the highway between Mosul and Tal Afar. Told us to watch the news tonight because they should have some information about it.
The Troop had business to take care of in Mosul so they made a trip up the highway from Tal Afar to Mosul today - couldn't tell me a thing about that either, more operational security. Guess they didn't go bowling. On the way back they met a second line of US vehicles heading towards Mosul. A Humvee full of Soldiers, and somebody important, passed his Stryker and just as they passed by the "bad guys" threw grenades at th passing Humvees. One exploded under a Humvee. The bad guys know that their chances of inflicting casualties is greater if they wait for the lighter, less armored Humvee or a truck instead of the heavier Stryker.
He said that right after it went off he had wished it had exploded under them instead of the Humvee. He said that no one would have been injured if that was the case. As it turns out, the Humvee was able to limp down the highway after the explosion and no one was killed. I'd say there were some lucky Soldiers today.
First reactions caused everyone to flinch and duck their heads but even before the asphalt and Humvee parts finished raining down everyone had their heads back up trying to locate the perpetrators to get a little pay back. Unfortunately they were unable to locate any one in the vicinity.
The Strykers are equipped with one of two defensive weapons. Either a 50 Caliber machine gun or a 40MM grenade launcher. Both weapons are "ball" mounted on the top of the Stryker and are remote controlled. The sights on these weapons are electronic and telescopic so they can locate targets at a greater distance and the weapons can be fired from inside the Stryker to provide covering fire for troops on the ground. The Strykers had their weapons systems moving from side to side and up and down trying to locate a "target". He said it looked like a swarm of angry green scorpions.
The radios and text messaging systems were going nuts too. He said all in all it was a pretty exciting afternoon on the highway between Mosul and Tal Afar. Told us to watch the news tonight because they should have some information about it.
posted by deesci | 6:52 PM
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