Real Ambush Video & Comments

[max velocity]

I am posting this vide because it illustrates a lot of points. I remember this happening back when I was working in Baghdad, and I saw the after action review at the time. My intent is not to criticize the actions of the team, but to make constructive comments.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-fjrRB7WPQ

It is my understanding that this team was not well knitted and had not really been trained or rehearsed together in drills. They were heading from the Green Zone to the Airport (BIAP) along Route Irish, which is the BIAP road and extremely high threat. They had been forced to stop in the road because a US route clearance team was clearing an IED ahead of them, and behind them was the mass of Iraqi traffic that they had flagged and warned off to stay 100 meters away. They had adopted the staggered formation and were just discussing on the radio (the audio is very important on the clip) the idea of backing up and getting out of there because they were so exposed. At that point they were engaged with small arms fire from buildings about 100 meters to the side of the road to the right of the camera. The enemy was possibly two machine gunners with PKMs, which are the Soviet Bloc equivalent of an M60 or 240B, firing 7.62 x 51mm rounds (or .308 civilian equivalents).

The team does not appear to have any consolidated or rehearsed drills, with various members doing different things. Note the one who reacts by moving away from the vehicles into the cover of the median to the left, while others take cover behind the vehicles. I believe that only one of the vehicles was armored, the center one. Apparently they thought that at least one of their vehicles was immobilized on the

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Interesting and unfortunate video. It clearly demonstrates the need to train, communicate and be able to work together as a team and the short amount of time it takes to make right or wrong choices and for someone to bleed out. The whole thing is less than 4 minutes. 4 minutes in a fight is a loooonnng time when you are trying to survive and not long enough when you are trying to save someone. 4-5minutes to bleed out thru an Artery, 4-5 minutes most are out of ammo even at a range, 4-5 minutes is double to triple a long run in competiton where all targets in the double digits are engaged and most of your supplies are expended, 4-5 minutes is almot 5-6 times as long as most hand to hand fights outside the ring last.

The youtube commentaries are heated and it's because it is hard to watch, even for folks who have "seen the elephant" and know how bad it gets and what the lives lost mean. Now just imagine that if it were your family, friends etc. The OODA loop is clear here and the amount of time to get to the "A" for Act is very very short. Me trying to imagine that i just told my kid they are hit in the femoral........
This is also another reason not to wait until thing turn into the Mog Mile before bugging out or locking down in full defensive mode. There will be no winner in soft skinned vehicle ambushes no matter how many rifles are pointed out the window. Someone will lose even if you do make it. Everyone will lose if you dont get it right and pronto, now where do i keep my tourniquet and where do they carry theirs again?

[protus]

Ahhh...the James Yeager run to the ditch video