Rocket Attack - Again
The FOB in Tall Afar was rocketed early Saturday morning.
A single rocket impacted in an open area 30 yards from the base laundry, sending rocks, dirt and shrapnel into the air. The FOB in Tall Afar is an old Iraqi Air Force base so the base is pretty large with lots of open space, runways and taxiways. For a rocket to impact within 30 yards of an American occupied structure is either a testament to the skill of the Iraqi firing it or just dumb luck.
A quick reaction force mounted up immediately and started reconnaissance, looking for the launch site of the rocket. The Squadron commanders, the Lt. Colonel and Major, were riding in his Stryker during the recon. (New job, new responsibilities, new riders - He's now a member of "Headquarters and Headquarters Troop". HHT.)
The launch site was discovered without too much difficulty. Laying on the ground at the site were an additional 11 rockets, all "duds". Had these additional rockets been fired, the attack on the FOB would have been much more serious and dangerous. The rocket appeared to have been launched from a donkey cart. Yes, a donkey cart. The cart had burn marks on it from the single successful rocket launch. Some of you may remember cartoons showing the Iraqi Army firing scud missiles from the backs of camels - well sometimes the truth is as strange as fiction. Crude but effective. I have a vision of a wooden two-wheeled donkey cart with a make shift cross hair sight attached to the side.
The discovery of so many rockets at his location had sort of a sobering effect on the SBCT Soldiers there at the time. He made a couple of phone calls that afternoon and when we talked to him he sounded like he had a couple "chinks" in his armor. He seemed to be a little down. He seemed to be a little more homesick.
A single rocket impacted in an open area 30 yards from the base laundry, sending rocks, dirt and shrapnel into the air. The FOB in Tall Afar is an old Iraqi Air Force base so the base is pretty large with lots of open space, runways and taxiways. For a rocket to impact within 30 yards of an American occupied structure is either a testament to the skill of the Iraqi firing it or just dumb luck.
A quick reaction force mounted up immediately and started reconnaissance, looking for the launch site of the rocket. The Squadron commanders, the Lt. Colonel and Major, were riding in his Stryker during the recon. (New job, new responsibilities, new riders - He's now a member of "Headquarters and Headquarters Troop". HHT.)
The launch site was discovered without too much difficulty. Laying on the ground at the site were an additional 11 rockets, all "duds". Had these additional rockets been fired, the attack on the FOB would have been much more serious and dangerous. The rocket appeared to have been launched from a donkey cart. Yes, a donkey cart. The cart had burn marks on it from the single successful rocket launch. Some of you may remember cartoons showing the Iraqi Army firing scud missiles from the backs of camels - well sometimes the truth is as strange as fiction. Crude but effective. I have a vision of a wooden two-wheeled donkey cart with a make shift cross hair sight attached to the side.
The discovery of so many rockets at his location had sort of a sobering effect on the SBCT Soldiers there at the time. He made a couple of phone calls that afternoon and when we talked to him he sounded like he had a couple "chinks" in his armor. He seemed to be a little down. He seemed to be a little more homesick.
posted by deesci | 11:21 PM
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