Some Lessons Learned about IEDs in Iraq, as reported by an American officer:
- The enemy is ANYTHING that prevents us from coming home on our own power and intact.
- IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) are the #1 killer of troops.
- IEDs are not ‘incidents’, but the primary means of contact. It is an ‘ambush’, and whether a ‘far ambush’ (blow it from a distance and run) or a ‘near ambush’ (blow the shot and have small arms fire with close-quarters marksmanship needed), regardless, it is not a random event. The enemy is patient, plans their attack, goes through all the recon and planning we do, and then targets who they hit.
- The #2 killer is TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS!!! Everyone must keep this in mind. The up-armored HUMVEES turn and brake way differently, and are prone to tipping. ‘COMBAT DRIVING’ means know your vehicle, use it as a weapons platform AND a weapon as needed, and be able move and communicate at all times… it does NOT mean ‘drive like the Dukes of Hazzard’. As the CSM of the Army said, ‘Drive like NASCAR’… know you vehicle, keep the distances and speeds YOU need to be safe, and if needed, get under the opposition and put them into the wall. NOTE TO ALL: It is a * bad* idea to put your most junior people in as drivers and gunners, at least to do it all the time. Train them. We all need to be proficient with driving AND being a gunner AND using all the comms available AND navigating using * MAPS* and GPS