Sunday
(0)It is late but I simply must share this tale with you.
The MP's crossed the kill zone and then turned up an access road at a right angle to the ASR and next to the field full of enemy fighters. The three vehicles, carrying nine MPs and one medic, stopped in a line on the dirt access road and flanked the enemy positions with plunging fire from the .50 cal and the SAW machinegun (Squad Automatic Weapon). In front of them, was a line of seven sedans, with all their doors and trunk lids open, the getaway cars and the lone two story house off on their left.
The battle results are described later:
Those seven Americans (with the three wounded) killed in total 24 heavily armed enemy, wounded 6 (two later died), and captured one unwounded, who feigned injury to escape the fight. They seized 22 AK-47s, 6x RPG launchers w/ 16 rockets, 13x RPK machineguns, 3x PKM machineguns, 40 hand grenades, 123 fully loaded 30-rd AK magazines, 52 empty mags, and 10 belts of 2500 rds of PK ammo.
The story has probably been covered in the US. We all know how knowledgeable most journalists are about military matters... so read a real battle report. It is really quite an awesome little vignette. It shows just how good our military folk are at their job.
Should Gorbachev be credited with the unintended consequences of his policies? He has himself stated that what happened in 1989 was NOT what he wanted.
Posted by Sean at March 27, 2005 04:01 PM
The story has probably been covered in the US.
I was about to make a snide remark to the effect of "No, we only get news about Terri Schiavo and Michael Jackson. There's a war taking place, you say?"
But I see the link has a link to an ABC story, so good for them. The remarkable thing is that not only was this battle fought by American MP's, they were National Guardsmen (and women), not regulars!
Posted by Otter at March 27, 2005 09:43 PM
Covered by the media? An American Success? Don't make me laugh. That's why I go to the net for what's really happening. Pico
Posted by Pico at March 28, 2005 12:42 AM
I wonder what the casualty figures would be like if it were not for Kevlar and ceramic armour? Still, fair play to the National Guard on this one.
Posted by John K at March 28, 2005 02:41 PM
So we're supposed to what, take the armor off in some sort of misplaced spirit of fair play? @#$% that.
Hypocrisy, your name is non sequitir
Posted by JSAllison at March 28, 2005 07:41 PM
Yep, two nations seperated by a common language... ;-)
Posted by Dale Amon at March 28, 2005 11:29 PM
So we're supposed to what, take the armor off in some sort of misplaced spirit of fair play? @#$% that.
Hypocrisy, your name is non sequitir
I honestly do not have a clue what you're talking about!
Posted by John K at March 29, 2005 01:33 PM
You didn't mention that that many of the MPs involved in this combat were women too.
Count up all the weaponry they captured, and there's enough for at least 40 opponents.
Posted by Alan E Brain at March 30, 2005 01:43 AM
I didn't feel it necessary. The best way to honour them is simply call them soldiers... and very good ones at that.
Posted by Dale Amon at March 30, 2005 10:02 AM
Very good point, Dale. To emphasise the soldiers' gender just because some may be women is patronising; not to mention irrelevant, as the outcome of the scuffle confirmed.
Posted by I'm suffering for my art at March 30, 2005 02:07 PM
Very good point, Dale. To emphasise the soldiers' gender just because some may be women is patronising; not to mention irrelevant, as the outcome of the scuffle confirmed.
I disagree. The issue of women in combat has been much debated in the US for years. And conservatives -- the very people most likely to cheer such an account of battlefield triumph -- have offered endless arguments against women in combat, many of which have been patronizing (not to mention condescending and denigrating).
Therefore, I consider it highly appropriate to point out that a woman sergeant took the lead in flanking and wiping out the attackers -- precisely to make the point that her sex was irrelevant to the outcome.
I believe the sergeant in question may become the first female US soldier to get a combat medal (bronze or silver star). I think that's worth noting -- and celebrating -- as another nail in the coffin of conservative's "women can't/shouldn't fight" argument.
Posted by Richard G. Combs at March 31, 2005 06:07 PM
I see no harm in rubbing in the fact that the jihadis are getting beaten by women.
We must do all we can for their morale.
Posted by M. Simon at June 20, 2005 02:17 AM
