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Old November 10, 2005, 12:24 AM   #1
model 25
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What to do?

You are on a convoy of about 30 fuel trucks loaded with everything from jp8 to Mo gas. Your guntrucks are at front and rear and spaced evenly thoughout the convoy. Your convoy is to travel at combat speed through a zone blacked out earlier and now you are sure the enemy is going to kill someone on the convoy this time.

You have no gun, just a combat knife and a flashlight. The road has alot of IEDs along the sides.

Now the what to do part. The enemy has picked a spot to put a few kids in front of you in an effort to stop the convoy and slaughter the drivers. They kids are in front of you at combat speed, what are you going to do?

25
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Old November 10, 2005, 12:30 AM   #2
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The hard decision is whether to downshift and accellerate or downshift and simply maintain speed.
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Old November 10, 2005, 12:32 AM   #3
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I have no idea what I'd do if actually there... But from here behind my computer I'll say that I would continue on and (a) hope that some or all of the kids would get out of way, or (b) hope that God would have mercy on their souls. That is a tough one, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
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Old November 10, 2005, 01:01 AM   #4
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When putrid human beings use children in that way, and force me to choose between my own life and theirs, the lives of those dead children are on their conscience, not mine. Sorry, if I were not the one who forced that to occur, I would not be the one to feel the guilt of it.


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Old November 10, 2005, 01:31 AM   #5
model 25
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This decision and alot of others are being made every day by our troops and the civilian contractors that support them. Driving out of the wire it is called.

You have a truck of JP8 fuel and you look in the mirror at the trailer and see fuel pouring out around a unexploded RPG. What to do?

An IED just blew up the truck about 8 vehicles ahead of you and you have 20 vehicles behind you. Your buddy is staggering around as you get to the blast site. What do you do?

A round just missed your blast blanket and took off three of your fingers while you are doing 80 mph then a round hits your lower leg. What do you do?

Just a few real life encounters to think about.

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Old November 10, 2005, 09:48 AM   #6
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25, you a contractor truck driver at one time? if so, you have my deepest respect. i was a marine mp out of tq a few months back and you guys have guts. a lot of them dont even get body armor. what you guys do, on a daily basis is most impressive. thank you.
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Old November 10, 2005, 03:42 PM   #7
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The best you can

unexploded RPG - - pray and drive

Staggering buddy - - I might not be slow or gentle about it, but I don't think I could leave him out there and yes, I know it could cost me my own stupid life.

Taking rounds - - drive faster and pray harder, because it's the best I can do.
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Old November 10, 2005, 04:05 PM   #8
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..........what knid of knife??
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Old November 10, 2005, 04:35 PM   #9
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Assuming your a private contractor in Iraq. First off I would sue my employer for sending me into a combat zone armed only with a knife. If my job was washing dishes I would have at least a handgun in iraq. I would Drive toward the kids, but try not to hit them. If you do you ,can't say you didn't try. I would try to run over anyone with a gun. If they are able to stop the vehicle I would run after them screaming like a Zulu warrior with knife and pray I can stab one before the shoot me, if they wound me, I would cut my own throat, so they don't get the satisfaction. I would stick my tounge out and hold up my middle fingers, so I would be stuck like that when I die, this way they will not take a picture of me for their propaganda film.
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Old November 10, 2005, 06:54 PM   #10
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i hope the kids have enough sense to scatter like roaches, because i aint stoppin.
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Old November 10, 2005, 08:18 PM   #11
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generaly, they do. they might be somewhat ignorant, but they arent stupid
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Old November 10, 2005, 08:20 PM   #12
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25, you a contractor truck driver at one time? if so, you have my deepest respect. i was a marine mp out of tq a few months back and you guys have guts. a lot of them dont even get body armor. what you guys do, on a daily basis is most impressive. thank you.

I was out of Anaconda, I went their to help the troops and it turned out it was them that took care of me as I just drove the truck and they did the shooting.

Alot of mixed feelings about it like not being able to carry a gun but the troops were always there for me. They were the heros and I the servant as nothing can compare to what they go though every minute.

I thank you and my family thanks you for your Marine service, you are the real hero.

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Old November 10, 2005, 08:27 PM   #13
model 25
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..........what knid of knife??

A sharp one

Something that will cut the seatbelt when you get shot up. Most of the guys carried 2 knives incase they lost one when the IED goes off. You only have moments to get out of the truck for rescue.

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Old November 10, 2005, 08:32 PM   #14
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The answer according to all rules and regulations is

Keep driving, if you stop for anything you and others will die. These are master killers in Iraq when it comes to ambush.

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Old November 10, 2005, 11:16 PM   #15
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Out of curiosity, why don't you send a non-descript vechile with someone who looks like they belong in the area. This vechile should be about 10 minutes ahead of the convoy to send back intel.

Of course you could also have a blackhawk scouting ahead, in sealth mode.

Once aware of the impending ambush, divert, and send in the gun ships...

I have also wondered why you don't use snipers more. Drop them off, let them observe and report. While "terrorist" is seting up IED, a round through the brain of the terrorist might be interesting.

Of course if one had some micorwave equipment, you might be able to fry out the electronics of the IED while said terrorist was getting ready to arm it, thereby blowing it "safely" up.

As for the kids, the sin is on the heads of the terrorist...
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Old November 10, 2005, 11:22 PM   #16
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Quote:
As for the kids, the sin is on the heads of the terrorist...

Exxxactly!


By the way, those seem to be good, workable suggestions. I don't know if they employ clear thinking like that over there (it seems not, judging by the number of our guys killed in such scenarios) but they should be.


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Old November 10, 2005, 11:27 PM   #17
model 25
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Our military does a great job at keeping drivers alive. They have tactics and techniques I won't talk about as someone could die from me telling.

Everything does happen real fast over there and there are usually alot of civilians around when it goes down. If a convoy stops they kill all they can and then the convoy is looted right down to the last nut and bolt.

The IEDs are put down in ways you never expect till someone gets blown up. They put them in dead dogs or in a fresh rock pile near construction or in yesterdays hole from an IED

As for scouting ahead thes guys have no arms seen untill they attack.

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Old November 10, 2005, 11:34 PM   #18
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I will say this, our tactics change with who is your escort and who is the convoy commander. When the Marines are your escort they return fire in such an aggressive manner that the enemy will often wait for another group to come by.

Over there you shoot at a Marine and they will do all that is possible to kill you. Makes a driver feel good to have a Marine escort. Don't get me wrong though, our troops all shoot the hell out of em when shot at but the Marines just shoot straighter.

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Old November 11, 2005, 12:44 AM   #19
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Pretty much what the Rangers had to face in Somalia when they had gunmen hide in crowds of women and children, shoot or dont shoot. I say you truly wont know until its there and you make that split second decision.
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Old November 11, 2005, 11:50 AM   #20
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25, whether you see it or not, you are a hero. you who vollunteered to go out there. no one ordered you to go. sure the pay check out there is a bonus, but even so, your life is worth no ammount of money any one could pay. you did it because you are a hero. thank you for your kind words and service
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