Fire! and Fire!
"We were on our way to Mosul today and Ray's Stryker caught on fire."
"You mean just started burning?"
"Yeah - after it happened we just sat there and laughed, it was hilarious."
Not exactly the reaction I expected but then again I hadn't heard the entire story.
A combination of high temperatures - in the 100's - and delaying routine maintenance causes problems. Heavy Stryker use stresses things like belts, hoses and connectors adding to the potential for problems.
A trip to Mosul didn't go without incident on Sunday. Another driver who also transferred to HHT from Bronco Troop, was driving in front of him when smoke started pouring out of every opening and from underneath the Stryker. The crew bailed out of the smoking Stryker as flames started licking up through the engine grills. Ray, the last guy out, punched on the Halon fire extinguishers.
At this point, everyone is dead serious about the situation. A close call, but no one hurt. Ray and the vehicle commander go up to the Stryker and unlatch the engine cover and swing it open. As soon as the air reaches the fuel spilled on the hot engine from a burst fuel line the flames burst back into life. They fell over each other getting out of the way of the fire as it burst out of the opening. Another punch on the Halon and the fire is out for good.
Once it's known that every one is safe and no one got burned the absurdity of seeing the two Soldier's tripping over each other takes over where fear and worry had just rested. One Soldier starts laughing as he thinks about what he'd just witnessed and soon the entire compliment of Soldiers is laughing. From Privates all the way up to the Colonel. The laughter calms their nerves.
The entire group waits there on the highway for a tow from Tal Afar - watchful for an attack on the stationery Strykers. Once the Stryker is loaded up and on it's way back to Tal Afar the rest of the Strykers move out for Mosul. The excitement for the day is far from over, however. Shortly after arriving in Mosul the base is under attack by Iraqi rockets.
"And we got hit by rockets shortly after getting there. Well, not "we" exactly but they attacked the base and "we" just happened to be there. Lucky us."
Two large rockets arc in over the wall and impact on the other side of a couple of buildings near where the Strykers had parked. The explosions rock the ground and the pressure waves kick up dust as they move through the air. The buildings take the brunt of the explosive force and block all but the highest flying pieces of shrapnel. Smoke and dust rise up over the roof of the buildings. No one is hurt in the attack but it still has it's effect on the men and women in the FOB. They think - next time they may not all be so lucky.
"You mean just started burning?"
"Yeah - after it happened we just sat there and laughed, it was hilarious."
Not exactly the reaction I expected but then again I hadn't heard the entire story.
A combination of high temperatures - in the 100's - and delaying routine maintenance causes problems. Heavy Stryker use stresses things like belts, hoses and connectors adding to the potential for problems.
A trip to Mosul didn't go without incident on Sunday. Another driver who also transferred to HHT from Bronco Troop, was driving in front of him when smoke started pouring out of every opening and from underneath the Stryker. The crew bailed out of the smoking Stryker as flames started licking up through the engine grills. Ray, the last guy out, punched on the Halon fire extinguishers.
At this point, everyone is dead serious about the situation. A close call, but no one hurt. Ray and the vehicle commander go up to the Stryker and unlatch the engine cover and swing it open. As soon as the air reaches the fuel spilled on the hot engine from a burst fuel line the flames burst back into life. They fell over each other getting out of the way of the fire as it burst out of the opening. Another punch on the Halon and the fire is out for good.
Once it's known that every one is safe and no one got burned the absurdity of seeing the two Soldier's tripping over each other takes over where fear and worry had just rested. One Soldier starts laughing as he thinks about what he'd just witnessed and soon the entire compliment of Soldiers is laughing. From Privates all the way up to the Colonel. The laughter calms their nerves.
The entire group waits there on the highway for a tow from Tal Afar - watchful for an attack on the stationery Strykers. Once the Stryker is loaded up and on it's way back to Tal Afar the rest of the Strykers move out for Mosul. The excitement for the day is far from over, however. Shortly after arriving in Mosul the base is under attack by Iraqi rockets.
"And we got hit by rockets shortly after getting there. Well, not "we" exactly but they attacked the base and "we" just happened to be there. Lucky us."
Two large rockets arc in over the wall and impact on the other side of a couple of buildings near where the Strykers had parked. The explosions rock the ground and the pressure waves kick up dust as they move through the air. The buildings take the brunt of the explosive force and block all but the highest flying pieces of shrapnel. Smoke and dust rise up over the roof of the buildings. No one is hurt in the attack but it still has it's effect on the men and women in the FOB. They think - next time they may not all be so lucky.
posted by deesci | 5:21 PM
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