10-31-2011, 03:37 PM
Good find Stan!
I'm not sure if the guy who flagged himself was just lucky, or if he might have even taken one in his rear SAAPI plate. This is what we call React to Near Ambush, and not a very well-coordinated or manned ambush, unless the Taliban coordinated with the bees...he he...or had some IEDs in the kill zone between them and the unit.
In a good unit that practices IADs (Immediate Action Drills), React-to-Contact/React-to-Ambush is second-nature, and well-executed with fast-thinking minds. There still are decisions to be made constantly...returning effective fire on the threat to suppress the enemy, while finding other possible threat locations (especially in an L-shaped ambush), whether to move to cover/concealment or assault through the enemy, or using fire and maneuver to exit the kill zone...while maintaining 360 security.
Consolidation and Reorganization takes place next at some time in a lull, with possible allocation of indirect fires from Arty/Mortars and CAS. These guys took at least one GSW casualty, an ANA embed, along with bee stings on at least one of the Joes. Just goes to show that everything you train for doesn't cover Murphy's plans for you...
Most Infantry Rifle Platoons I have been in did NOT practice IAD's anywhere near what I would consider to be acceptable, while every Scout Platoon I was in ran a very regular schedule of Team-level IADs, since we only operated as 5 or 6-man units in the field. Hopefully, these units are conducting regular rehearsals of React-to-Contact IAD's (near and far ambushes, sniper ambushes, mortar ambushes, mechanical ambushes), Break Contact, Platoon Attack, Squad Attack, etc.
From my Monday-morning quarterback seat, without intimate knowledge of these guys' ROE, one weapon system I would have brought to bear after the initial assessment would have been the AT4, a LAW, an RPG-EI with thermobaric warhead, or a SMAW-D. You start blowing holes in the mud brick with explosive blasts, and the ambushers will be breaking contact themselves. It's common SOP for every Fire Team to have one Rifleman carrying an AT4, which he will be more than happy to get rid of in a situation like this.
Another great weapon for these scenarios is a Multi-Shot Grenade Launcher, which can have a mix of HEDP, HE, WP, and even CS, but it requires ridiculous levels of authorization to approve use of CS on the battlefield. Looks like these guys encountered a small-sized element of Taliban with little to know knowledge of execution of a good ambush, thankfully. It was more of a harassment ambush, and there might have even been a specific intent to just whack the ANA embed with a sniper under the cover of the ambush.
Great situational awareness and proactive response to threats is learned in high-demand environmental conditions, like an abusive childhood, team sports, life on the street, or other raw survival environments in one's developmental years. Read...On Killing, by Dave Grossman
I'm not sure if the guy who flagged himself was just lucky, or if he might have even taken one in his rear SAAPI plate. This is what we call React to Near Ambush, and not a very well-coordinated or manned ambush, unless the Taliban coordinated with the bees...he he...or had some IEDs in the kill zone between them and the unit.
In a good unit that practices IADs (Immediate Action Drills), React-to-Contact/React-to-Ambush is second-nature, and well-executed with fast-thinking minds. There still are decisions to be made constantly...returning effective fire on the threat to suppress the enemy, while finding other possible threat locations (especially in an L-shaped ambush), whether to move to cover/concealment or assault through the enemy, or using fire and maneuver to exit the kill zone...while maintaining 360 security.
Consolidation and Reorganization takes place next at some time in a lull, with possible allocation of indirect fires from Arty/Mortars and CAS. These guys took at least one GSW casualty, an ANA embed, along with bee stings on at least one of the Joes. Just goes to show that everything you train for doesn't cover Murphy's plans for you...
Most Infantry Rifle Platoons I have been in did NOT practice IAD's anywhere near what I would consider to be acceptable, while every Scout Platoon I was in ran a very regular schedule of Team-level IADs, since we only operated as 5 or 6-man units in the field. Hopefully, these units are conducting regular rehearsals of React-to-Contact IAD's (near and far ambushes, sniper ambushes, mortar ambushes, mechanical ambushes), Break Contact, Platoon Attack, Squad Attack, etc.
From my Monday-morning quarterback seat, without intimate knowledge of these guys' ROE, one weapon system I would have brought to bear after the initial assessment would have been the AT4, a LAW, an RPG-EI with thermobaric warhead, or a SMAW-D. You start blowing holes in the mud brick with explosive blasts, and the ambushers will be breaking contact themselves. It's common SOP for every Fire Team to have one Rifleman carrying an AT4, which he will be more than happy to get rid of in a situation like this.
Another great weapon for these scenarios is a Multi-Shot Grenade Launcher, which can have a mix of HEDP, HE, WP, and even CS, but it requires ridiculous levels of authorization to approve use of CS on the battlefield. Looks like these guys encountered a small-sized element of Taliban with little to know knowledge of execution of a good ambush, thankfully. It was more of a harassment ambush, and there might have even been a specific intent to just whack the ANA embed with a sniper under the cover of the ambush.
Great situational awareness and proactive response to threats is learned in high-demand environmental conditions, like an abusive childhood, team sports, life on the street, or other raw survival environments in one's developmental years. Read...On Killing, by Dave Grossman