Iraq-1
US Invasion of Iraq & Beyond
INDEX OF THIS SECTION
Iraq-Page One (here) Iraq-Page Two Iraq-Page Three Iraq-Page Four-Links
See also: Islamic Resources Islamo-Fascism
PAGE ONE (here)
1-BOOKS
2-TERMINOLOGY (BRIEF)
Common Weapons and Equipment at least up through Operation Iraqi Freedom
Bombs, Explosives IEDs (also VBIEDs) EFPs RPGs
Air Vehicles Apaches Chinooks Black Hawks (also see UAVs like RQ-7 Shadow) Kiowa Light Helicopters
Tanks, Vehicles Abrams Armored Security Vehicles Bradleys Humvees MRAPS Strykers
Tech Assisted Reconnaisance, Insurgent/Bomb Deterrence Unmanned Tech UAVs EODs
Army Levels Top to Bottom: Corps Division Brigade or Regiment Battalion Company or Battery or Troop Squad
3-OPERATIONS Operation Desert Shield and Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom Operation New Dawn Operation Inherent Resolve
4-BATTLES, ENCOUNTERS-INCIDENTS IN HIGH INTENSITY AREAS
Battles
Fallujah
Fallujah/OIF (Op. Iraqi Freedom)/ Battles 1&2
Fallujah- US Marine Death Dealers
Incidents
Ambush and/or Abductions
2006/06/16 Two abducted near the village of Mufaraji near Baghdad
2007/05/11/12 - Three Abducted near Triangle of Death area south of Baghdad - 10th Mountain Division, 2nd Brigade Combat
Team
Drawdown Period (p. 2)
Criminal Incident on part of USA (p. 2)
2006/06 101st Airborne Division’s 502nd Infantry Regiment
PAGE TWO
5-TROOP MISCONDUCT
6-IRAN-IRAQ-USA
Iran-Iraq-USA: Iranian proxy or direct warfare in Iraq against Americans, Sunni-Shiite issues with Iranian link, Coalition forces, Weaponry
7-INJURIES (ALSO VETERANS ISSUES)
PTSD moved to separate page
Afghanistan v. Iraq/Stressors etc
Fallujah/PTSD Victims (Marlboro Marine, Tan Mai)
8-DEATHS
9-UNITED KINGDOM INVOLVEMENT IRAQ, OTHER ALLIES (Afghanistan and Iraq)
10-SOME MENTIONED DIVISIONS
11-SOME MENTIONED NAMES
12-IRAQ, After Operation Enduring Freedom
Shifts to Secularism in Mosul (2018)
13- VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF IRAQ
---------------------------------------------
1-BOOKS
(2012) The Endgame: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from George W. Bush to Barack Obama. By Michael R. Gordon and General
Bernard E. Trainor. Note by RG/PF: Boo is recommended. Good as a resource using the index and maps. Didn’t care for the sections covering
SOFA later in the book, felt it was tedious. Bolger, the author below, gets only brief (although not negative) coverage on a few pages including the
drawdown period. Kershaw (listed elsewhere in this section) positively commented on by the author(s) regarding his tactical abilities.
(2014) Why We Lost: A General’s Inside Account of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. By Daniel P. Bolger.
Note by RG/PF: Book is recommended.Bolger is telling us that he feels he is partly to blame for the lack of success in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
He gives a quick overview of Desert Storm and buildup to 9/11 by covering two embassies being bombed, Mogadishu, USS Cole bombing by Al
Qaeda; his is one of the best descriptions of what actually happened the day of 9/11 I have seen so far. Update on reading book: 2020/02/19 I am
still reading Bolger’s book; have gotten through the first part of Afghanistan, the full section on Iraq and am in the second and final section on
Afghanistan.
(2008) War journal : My five years in Iraq. By Richard Engel. Note by RG/PF: Book is recommended, but watch for some signs of possible yellow
journalism. It is encouraged you read up on Engel and see what critics say about him and his work. Engel embedded with different branches of
the military; stayed longer in Iraq than many journalists; experienced severe repeated bombings in Baghdad, some of which almost got him in
places like his hotel room; as part of this, he saw things like large bombed out craters from suicide truck bombings and falling body parts. When
reading about “falling faces”, like after one such bombing event, the second story triggered a suspicion in this reader he might be exaggerating or
embellishing for dramatic effect, which put me on alert about the veracitiy and validity of the entire book. Falling skulls with parts of faces yes,
but faces peeled off intact seems unlikely, although I have no direct experience. It’s possible he meant something else. One of the face
encounters had to do with a face falling off the ceiling to the area near him. Although this might seem trivial - exploded body parts are sad and
gross no matter - we need to have the feeling Engel was not embellishing with a sick sense of humor for dramatic effect, and to sell copy. Beyond
this concern, I recommend reading the book and checking his resources, as well as reading up on the man himself from other observers,
reviewers and critics. I believe he might be part Jewish which made being in Iraq even more dangerous for himself. He apparently lost a marriage
over his long stays in Iraq. He also lost at least one female friend whose vehicle was bombed near the Iraq, airport, as I recall it. He felt more
respect for the Marine approach than the Army one, feeling there was more no-nonsense professionalism in battle there and maybe less time in
the FOBs. Having read diverse materials on the Army, I am not so sure this is a fair measure of that branch of the military, but apparently FOB
cloistering occurred among some and at certain points, especially during the earlier post-Saddam years. Engel offers some observations about
too much time wasted on trying to create a post Saddam democracy, attention diverted to bureacracy and not enough to war zone securing.
(2012) From Kabul to Baghdad and Back : the U.S. at war in Afghanistan and Iraq. By John R. Ballard, David W. Lamm, and John K. Wood
Note from RG/PF: The book largely shows how by running two theaters of war largely along parallel lines, Afghanistan lost out in terms of
attention, resource and military dedication from US, deferred to NATO with its various problems, and national as well as global attention. Please
note that Bolger’s book also compares to the two operations. At least as of time of book publishing, authors Ballard was dean of faculty at
National War College and the other two Lamm and Wood were affiliated with Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at National
Defense University in Washington.
(2019) Prisoner: my 544 days in an Iranian prison--solitary confinement, a sham trial, high-stakes diplomacy, and the extraordinary efforts it took
to get me out. By Jason Rezaian.
(Not read yet-included in Iraq section because of mixed battle zones/tensions between USA, Iran and Iraq)
(2019) The warriors of Anbar : the Marines who crushed Al Qaeda : the greatest untold story of the Iraq War. By Ed Darack (Not read yet - looks
interesting)
(2009) None Left Behind: The 10th Mountain Division and the Triangle of Death. By Charles W. Sasser. Not from RG/PF: Book is recommended.
The main points are I know someone who was in this Division who was maimed in 2007. I read the book because of that and with it in mind. The
author Sasser was a Vietnam Vetearan and author of other military related books. He fleshes out the lives of the troops from New York to Iraq
and back. We gain an understanding of leaders and casualties in their struggle to control Malibu, a particularly gruesome and dangerous small
stretch of road south of Baghdad. The book is a mix of fiction and non-fiction, with fiction where he fills in blank spots missing from the record
with his version of a likely feeling for personalities and conversations. There are ample pictures and more detailed information of what
happened during the ambush that killed five, with three missing in action for awhile. Those men are mentioned in this Iraq section. We are
informed one precognitive event and other paranormal feeling ones (coincidental, precognitive-like). I did not expect this latter about the story,
but it did not surprise me, because I had been feeling something along these lines around the man I spoke with and around the situation, as if
drawn into the story by something.)
(2010/07) Operation Iraqi Freedom US Army : Abrams, Bradley and Stryker. By Andy Renshaw
2-TERMINOLOGY - BRIEF
Common Weapons and Equipment at least up through the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom
Weapons IEDs (also VBIEDs) EFPs RPGs
Air Vehicles Apaches Chinooks Black Hawks
Tanks, Vehicles Abrams Armored Security Vehicles Bradleys Humvees MRAPS Strykers
Tech Assisted Reconnaisance, Insurgent/Bomb Deterrence Unmanned Tech UAVs EODs
Army Levels Top to Bottom: Corps Division Brigade or Regiment Battalion Company or Battery or Troop Squad
UAVs UNMANNED TECHNOLOGY
https colon //en dot wikipedia dot org/wiki/UAVs_in_the_U.S._military
The military role of unmanned aircraft systems is growing at unprecedented rates. In 2005, tactical- and theater-level unmanned aircraft alone
had flown over 100,000 flight hours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which they are organized under
Task Force Liberty in Afghanistan and Task Force ODIN in Iraq. Rapid advances in technology are enabling more and more capability to be placed
on smaller airframes, which is spurring a large increase in the number of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS) being deployed on the
battlefield. The use of SUAS in combat is so new that no formal DoD wide reporting procedures have been established to track SUAS flight hours.
As the capabilities grow for all types of UAS, nations continue to subsidize their research and development, leading to further advances and
enabling them to perform a multitude of missions. UAS no longer only perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, although
this still remains their predominant type. Their roles have expanded to areas including electronic attack, drone strikes, suppression or destruction
of enemy air defense, network node or communications relay, combat search and rescue, and derivations of these themes. These UAS range in
cost from a few thousand dollars to tens of millions of dollars, with aircraft ranging from less than
https colon //en dot wikipedia dot org/wiki/UAVs_in_the_U.S._military
EODS EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL
https://www.iimef.marines.mil/News-Releases/Article/565927/bombs-away-eod-disposes-of-explosive-threats/
Excerpt: MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, NC --
Thick gray smoke filled the air after the loud bang. But, don’t worry; explosive ordnance disposal technicians actually produced the blast to make
the area safer. Marines from EOD Company, 8th Engineer Support Battalion, participated in their end of the year field training exercise Dec. 8-17,
2014, aboard Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, combining everything they’ve learned throughout the year into one final exercise. EOD techs
practiced dealing with mock-improvised explosive devises, unexploded ordnance, and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear explosives.
WEAPONS
EFP’s An explosively formed penetrator (EFP), also known as an explosively formed projectile, a self-forging warhead, or a self-forging
fragment, is a special type of shaped charge designed to penetrate armor effectivey (Wikipedia/Explosively Formed Penetrator)
Military Times
(2015/07/14) Iran linked to deaths of 500 US Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. By Andre DeGrandpre and Andrew Tilghman
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2015/07/14/iran-linked-to-deaths-of-500-u-s-troops-in-iraq-
afghanistan
Names of Import in this article: Senator Tom Cotton (Army), Republican from Arkansas, and an Army veteran Infantry Iraq
and Afghanistan; Joseph Dunford (Marines) Marine Corps General who [was] Obama's nominee to be chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff; David "Bo" Bolgiano (Army), a retired Army Special Forces officer who deployed to Iraq in 2006 and
2007 with the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization; Gen. Lloyd Austin (Army) a top US commander in the
Middle East
EFP’s-Excerpt: "The big EFPs from Iran were fairly easy to identify because of the metallurgy involved and the copper plate
formation," he said. "We had beyond-a-reasonable-doubt proof that Iran was the main supplier of the copper-plate EFPs,"
said Bolgiano. Troops referred to them as "IEDs," but that's not completely accurate, Bolgiano said. "Improvised is a little
bit misleading because it makes it sound like a basement bomb-maker, and that was not the case. The shaped charges, the
copper plates, the components were anything but unsophisticated. They were designed and at the level anything that any
other non-Western government would have," Bolgiano said.
Photo of EFP damage of Humvee: Picture of bombed/back end destroyed/burning/smoking Humvee: “A U.S. military
vehicle burns near Samarra, 95 kilometers (60 miles) north of Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, April 18, 2007. A roadside bomb
went off next to an American military convoy, damaging one Humvee, local police said. Eyewitnesses reported casualties
among U.S. troops
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2015/07/14/iran-linked-to-deaths-of-500-u-s-troops-in-iraq-
afghanistan/
IEDs Improvised Explosive Device; VBIEDs
IEDs: An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action.
... In the second Iraq War, IEDs were used extensively against US-led invasion forces and by the end of 2007 they had become
responsible for approximately 63% of coalition deaths in Iraq. There is quite a bit on the Wikipedia page listed below. Animals,
robots, boats, anti-personnel (ie shrapnel that scatters like a bb gun spray, etc), biochemical aspects.
(Wikipedia-https colon//en dot wikipedia dot org/wiki/Improvised_explosive_device)
VBIEDs: These are IEDs on vehicles:
Excerpt from Wikipedia:A car bomb , lorry bomb , or truck bomb , also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (
VBIED ), [1] is an improvised explosive device placed inside a car or other vehicle and then detonated . Car bombs can be roughly
divided into two main categories: those used primarily to kill the occupants of the vehicle (often as an assassination ) and those
used as a means to kill, injure or damage people and buildings outside the vehicle.
https colon//en dot wikipedia dot org/wiki/Car_bomb
RPGs Rocket Propelled Grenade; there is a history over time regarding the development and uses of this. Largely to be held on the
shoulder and directed against tanks, an earlier variation was used in Vietnam.
Photo of a Shiite Iraqi male carrying an RPG in Iraq in 8/7/2004; Photo of a shoulder held anti-tank launcher M136 ATR:
https://www.britannica.com/technology/RPG-7
Excerpt: Other countries also developed small shoulder-held recoilless launchers firing shaped-charge warheads. Some of them,
such as the American AT4, came preloaded and were designed to be discarded after firing.
AIR VEHICLES
Apaches Chinooks Black Hawks (also see UAVs like RQ-7 Shadow) Kiowa Light Helicopters
Apache [Photo Right AH-64 Apache]
Wikipedia List of Aviation Shootdowns and Accidents During Iraq War
https //en wikipedia org/wiki/List_of_aviation_shootdowns_and_accidents_during_the_Iraq_War
2003 Najaf
Excerpt: Despite this failed mission, the Army insists the Apache was indispensable during the war, providing critical close air support for
ground troops engaged in combat and armed reconnaissance by helping to destroy Iraqi armor and other key equipment lurking on the edges
of the battlefield. “Our Apaches did great for us,” said Maj. Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the 101st Airborne Division, during a
briefing after the war. “We were flexible and adaptable in the way that we used them.”
https //www airforcemag com/article/1003najaf/
Chinook. [Photo Left: CH-47 Chinook]
Afghanistan war logs: US covered up fatal Taliban missile strike on Chinook
Surface-to-air strike over Helmand shows Taliban had strong anti-aircraft capabilities earlier than previously
though
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/25/afghanistan-taliban-missile-strike-chinook
The US military covered up a reported surface-to-air missile strike by the Taliban that shot down a Chinook
helicopter over Helmand in 2007 and killed seven soldiers, including a British military photographer, the war logs
show.
VEHICLES
Book (2010/07) OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM US ARMY: Abrams, Bradley and Stryker By Andy Renshaw (also listed in Books)
Some general info on Abrams, Bradleys, Strykers etc
MWI do USMA do edu
Light, Mobile, and Many: Rethinking the Future of Armor
https://mwi.usma.edu/light-mobile-many-rethinking-future-armor/
Technology Review dot com
How Technology Failed in Iraq The Iraq War (2003) was supposed to be a preview of the new U.S. military: a light, swift force that
relies as much on sensors and communications networks as on heavy armor and huge numbers. But once the shooting started,
technology fell far short of expectations. by David TalbotNov 1, 2004
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/403319/how-technology-failed-in-iraq/
Excerpt: Ultimately, some 10,000 vehicles and 300,000 coalition troops rumbled across the sandy berm at the Kuwaiti
border, 500 kilometers from Baghdad. Desert highways crawled with columns of Abrams tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles,
armored personnel carriers, tank haulers, Humvees, and of course, fuel tankers to slake the fleet’s nine-million-liter daily
demand for fuel.
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/403319/how-technology-failed-in-iraq/
Abrams These are tanks 1980s onward until they became replaced by guided missile tanks. They were used in Desert Storm and
beyond. See Abrams’s M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank 1982-1992 by Steve Zaloga and Peter Sarson and M1 Abrams in action by Jim
Mesko.
The Fulda Gap
2018/01/09 The M1 Abrams and Iraq. By Aram S
https://www.thefuldagap.com/2018/01/09/the-m1-abrams-and-iraq/
Excerpt: The tank, once thought to be nearly invincible, has absolutely begun to show its age and vulnerability to
newer, more advanced anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) systems….[On
Operation Enduring Freedom]…by the time the invasion of Iraq came about
on March 19, 2003, the most advanced version of the Abrams fielded was
designated the M1A2SEP1. These tanks featured upgraded armor and
electrical systems, a new cooling system, and modernized sensors/sights.
However, the majority of tanks deployed in 2003 were of the M1A2 variety,
which had been introduced first in 1986. Unfortunately for the US military,
this generational difference in vehicles would prove deadly. While no Abrams
tanks were reportedly destroyed in action by enemy fire, at least 530 were damaged so heavily that they had to be
returned to the US for repairs (during the period 2003 – 2009). This staggering number of damaged vehicles,
compared with the number lost during Desert Storm, can be attributed to a number of issues. First, the
occupation of Iraq lasted far longer than the Gulf War did. Second, the insurgents in Iraq used massive roadside
bombs for their attacks, which often disabled tanks (as opposed to outright destroying them). Finally, the advent
of roadside bombs with explosively formed penetrator (EFP) warheads meant that explosives found lying around
Iraq (leftovers from the both wars) could be turned into deadly anti-tank weapons.
https://www.thefuldagap.com/2018/01/09/the-m1-abrams-and-iraq/
[extracted from internet on 2020/02/02]
Bradleys - Armored fighting vehicle
Wikipedia
https://en dot wikipedia dot org/wiki/Bradley_Fighting_Vehicle
Excerpt: The Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) is a fighting vehicle platform of the United
States manufactured by BAE Systems Land & Armaments, formerly United Defense. It
was named after U.S. General Omar Bradley. The Bradley is designed to transport
infantry or scouts with armor protection, while providing covering fire to suppress
enemy troops and armored vehicles. The several Bradley variants include the M2
Bradley infantry fighting vehicle and the M3 Bradley cavalry fighting vehicle. The M2
holds a crew of three (a commander, a gunner, and a driver) along with six fully
equipped soldiers. The M3 mainly conducts scout missions and carries two scout
troopers in addition to the regular crew of three, with space for additional BGM-71 TOW missiles. The Red River Army
Depot in Texarkana, Texas, is the Center of Industrial Technical Excellence for the maintenance and repair of the Bradley
system.
During the Gulf War, M2 Bradleys destroyed more Iraqi armored vehicles than the M1 Abrams. A total of 20 Bradleys were
lost—three by enemy fire and 17 due to friendly fire incidents; another 12 were damaged.
https://en dot wikipedia dot org/wiki/Bradley_Fighting_Vehicle
Humvees “The Humvee was the American successor to the jeep…The downside of the Humvee is that, despite being a military vehicle, it
was basically designed to be a non-combatant, providing mobility for forces behind the front
lines…” (See Washpark Prophet Blogspot below for a good run-down of the Humvee subject.)
Note from RG/PF: The Humvee was used a long time. Armor was added to the basic model.
However, they just simply did not cut it. Many, many people died in them from a variety of
explosions. The military kept sending people out in them. When any combat veteran tells
you he was hit by an IED or EFP in the road while in a vehicle, consider asking, “What kind of
vehicle were you riding in at the time?”
Also in EFPs section, there is a photo of a bombed Humvee at this link:
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2015/07/14/iran-linked-to-
deaths-of-500-u-s-troops-in-iraq-afghanistan/
Army tech dot com
(2014) The end of an icon rise and fall of the Humvee
https://www.army-technology.com/features/featureend-of-an-icon-the-rise-and-fall-o [the link doesn’t seem to work]
Excerpt: For nearly 30 years the Humvee has been the workhorse of militaries across the globe. It has achieved iconic
status and is now one of the most recognisable vehicles on the planet. But after criticisms that it can no longer protect
troops in combat, the US Army is planning to replace it. Is this the end of the Humvee’s story, or is there more to come for
this symbol of US military might?
CBS
(2004/05/06) Despite Upgrades, Humvee Deaths Up
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/despite-upgrades-humvee-deaths-up
Excerpt: Coming on the heels of insurgent violence in Iraq on Wednesday, a new report says that despite stronger armor
on over 50,000 Humvees and other military vehicles throughout Iraq and Afghanistan, roadside bombs have killed more
U.S. troops this year based on Pentagon records. Most are dying in their Humvees, USA Today reports, as insurgents plant
more powerful bombs and use different triggering methods to evade U.S. countermeasures, experts tell the newspaper.
According to Pentagon casualty reports, 67 U.S. troops have died this year in roadside bomb attacks on their Humvees,
and another 22 troops were killed when IEDs hit other military vehicles, including more heavily armored tanks and troop
carriers.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/despite-upgrades-humvee-deaths-up
Marine Corps Times dot com
(2017/11/21) Why the hell are Marines still driving Humvees?
https colon //www dot marinecorpstimes dot com/news/your-marine-corps/2017/11/21/why-the-hell-are-marines-still-
driving-humvees
Wash Park Prophet Blogspot
(2006) Humvee Problem
https colon //washparkprophet dot blogspot dot com/2006/03/humvee-problem.html
Note from PF/RG: this was added here in more depth than normal because of all the deaths and injuries in Humvees in
Iraq and elsewhere. It gives the background of Humvees, why it was a preferred vehicle for many years, and its
weaknesses.
Excerpt: The Humvee was the American successor to the jeep. It entered service in 1985, as one of the last major military
systems purchased in the Cold War, and was used first in the First Gulf War under the administration of the elder George
Bush, then in Kosovo and Bosnia and Somalia during the Clinton administration, and is now being widely used in the Iraq
War and in Afghanistan during the administration of George W. Bush. The military has tens of thousands of them, if not
hundreds of thousands of them, and there are about a dozen different variants of them. When the Humvee was first
designed, the main focus was on its off road capabilities. There is probably no four wheeled vehicle that rivals it in this
respect. Its low center of gravity, wide frame, four wheel drive and other features allow it to climb steep hills (60% grade),
drive with a right side much higher than its left (40% grade), or visa versa, and its undercarriage is designed to give it
exceptionally high clearance (16 inches) of rocks and tree stumps and debris that may be in its way, and ford shallow
streams (30 inches in a standard configuration). In short, it is designed to be able to carry modest loads of cargo and
troops anywhere tracked military vehicles, like tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles, could while getting fuel economy at
about 12 mpg, which isn't great, but is far better than a tank, 0.5 mpg, or a Bradley, at about 1.5 mpg. (A Stryker gets
about 6 mpg.)
The downside of the Humvee is that, despite being a military vehicle, it was basically designed to be a non-combatant,
providing mobility for force[s] behind the front lines in a European conflict with the Soviet Union. As one commentator
puts it, "'just getting around and doing work, particularly in quieter areas' is a role concept that becomes deeply
questionable for a military vehicle." Civilian vehicles without extreme off roads capabilities can do that in areas that are
genuinely behind the front lines, like military bases away from combat zones, for less money with greater performance.
But, a vehicle that isn't even armored enough to stop shrapnel and ordinary firearm rounds, and has no design features to
protect its occupants from land mines is ill suited for use in a combat zone, even when the opposition has already been
stripped of heavy weapons like aircraft, tanks and heavy artillery.This is particularly a concern as the roles of the Humvee
have expanded because the military has a great many of them. While it was well designed to serve as a behind the front
lines cargo/troop carrier, or shelter carrier, and is reasonably useful as a field ambulance, its design its less suited to its
roles as a patrol vehicle and automatic weapons platform, which implies a vehicle likely to get into firefights, as an anti-
tank missile carrier, and hence very near enemy tanks, or as a light howitzer carrier, and hence operating close to the
battlefield and possibly facing return fire. In the conflicts where it has been used militarily, its role as a automatic weapons
platform on patrol duty in urban or hostile territories, for which it wasn't designed, has been particularly in demand, and
while there has been relatively little occasion for Humvees to be used in the extreme off road environments for which it
was designed.
Another problem with the Humvee is its size. While two or three of them can fit on a C-130 intratheater transport plane,
they can not be carried on a V-22, or internally by any American military helicopter, and are difficult for all but the largest
of American military helicopters to carry externally. This means that troops delivered by helicopter have to walk or use
some other vehicle once they are dropped off. These are the problems that are driving the choice of successors to the
Humvee. Vehicles can be designed to better address these problems, and it will probably take three different kinds of
vehicles to address the problems that have arisen with it.
Armor can provide protection against enemy gunfire in firefights, and many existing Humvees have been armored to
address this issue. But, the Humvee wasn't designed to carry the kind of weight that armor creates, so armored Humvees
face suspension problems and other maintenance difficulties. Improvised armor is often not terribly good at protecting
occupants. And, even relatively ample, factory designed armor isn't sufficient to make a Humvee impervious to heavier
weapons like anti-tank rounds and rocket propelled grenades (RPGs).
https colon //washparkprophet dot blogspot dot com/2006/03/humvee-problem.html
Wikipedia
Humvee Replacement Process also gives some background of the history of the vehcle
https colon //www dot army-technology dot com/features/featureend-of-an-
icon-the-rise-and-fall-o
M1117 Guardian - Armored Security Vehicle (ASV)
Book
US Army and Marine Corps MRAPs: Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles
By Mike Guardia See pages 19-20 on a good discussion on ASV’s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1117_Armored_Security_Vehicle
Excerpt: The M1117 Guardian, also denoted Armored Security Vehicle (ASV), is an internal
security vehicle based on the V-100 and V-150 Commando series of armored cars. It was
developed in the late 1990s for service with the United States Military Police Corps.[2] The first
prototypes appeared in February 1997 and serial production of the M1117 commenced between
1999 and early 2000.[2]
The M1117 was one of the first American military vehicles to be built on a specialized mine-resistant hull, and after 2001 was adopted in
increasing numbers as a direct response to the threat posed by improvised explosive devices to US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.[3][4] Its
armament consists of an Mk 19 grenade launcher and M2HB Browning machine gun, mounted in a turret similar to that used on the U.S.
Marine Corps' Amphibious Assault Vehicle; and a M240H Medium Machine Gun mounted outside the gunner's hatch. The vehicle was
utilized by American military police and convoy security units in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is a more heavily protected and heavily armed
alternative to the armored Humvee which was not originally designed to be a protected fighting vehicle. In 2015 Textron Systems
rebranded the M1117 as the COMMANDO™ family of vehicles, bringing back the name of the vehicle from which the M1117 was
derived.[5]
https //en.wikipedia org/wiki/M1117_Armored_Security_Vehicle
MRAPs 2007-2012 (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) armored vehicles; Examples: Force Protection Cougar H, International MaxxPro
Wikepedia
en dot wikipedia dot org › wiki › MRAP
Excerpt: The United States Department of Defense MRAP program began in 2007 as
a response to the increased threat of IEDs during the Iraq War. From 2007 until
2012, the MRAP program deployed more than 12,000 vehicles in the Iraq War and
War in Afghanistan. Production of MRAP vehicles officially ended in 2012.
[there is a photo of an MRAP at this link]
en dot wikipedia dot org › wiki › MRAP
Strykers, Stryker Mobile Gun System (MGS); “The vehicle is named for two unrelated U.S. soldiers
who posthumously received the Medal of Honor: Private First Class Stuart S. Stryker, who died in
World War II, and Specialist Four Robert F. Stryker, who died in the Vietnam War.” It is a family of eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicles
derived from the Canadian LAV III. Stryker vehicles are produced by General Dynamics Land Systems
Canada for the United States Army. It has 4-wheel drive (8×4) and can be switched to all-wheel drive
(8×8)(Wikipedia/Stryker)
News Miner
(2020/01/08) About 2,200 Fort Wainwright Stryker soldiers are in Iraq. By Alistair Gardiner.
http://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/about-fort-wainwright-stryker-soldiers-are-
in-iraq/article_8f27c092-31f1-11ea-af15-cbfa5e8cd596.html
Popular Mechanics
(2009/10/01) Stryker Crews in Iraq Rally to Defend Their Rides: Field Report. By Joe Pappalardo
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a2696/4253991/
Excerpt: The MGS has the same body as nine other Stryker variants, so it shares design flaws common to them all,
including vulnerable wheels, inadequate armor and cramped operating conditions. Other complaints specific to the MGS
variant revolve around computer system freezes, and instability caused by its large, tanklike main gun.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a2696/4253991/
3-OPERATIONS - IRAQ CONFLICT
Desert Storm/Shield The Gulf War
began August 2, 1990
ended February 28, 1991
United States deployed a total of 697,000 troops. 143 were killed in action (96 Army soldiers, 22 Marines, 20 airmen 20 and 5 sailors). This
means 0.02 % of deployed United States soldiers were killed in action during the Gulf War.
objective of the operation desert storm was to ensure sustainable stability and security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf of Persia. The
Operation Desert Storm was also intended to help safeguard and secure the lives of the Americans who lived in these areas.
The Iraq Conflict in general intro (2003–2011; 2014-2017)
Wikipedia
https ://en dotwikipedia dot org/wiki/Iraq_conflict_(2003%E2%80%93present)
The Iraqi conflict (2003–present) is a long-running armed conflict that began with the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a United States-led
coalition that toppled the government of Saddam Hussein. However, the conflict continued as an insurgency emerged to oppose
the occupying forces and the post-invasion Iraqi government.[1] The United States officially withdrew from the country in 2011,
but became re-involved in 2014 at the head of a new coalition. This intervention ended in 2017 with the loss of Islamic State
territory in Iraq.
https: //en dot wikipedia dot org/wiki/Iraq_conflict_(2003%E2%80%93present)
CNN
(2013/10/30) Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn Fast Facts (CNN Library)
https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/30/world/meast/operation-iraqi-freedom-and-operation-new-dawn-fast-facts/index.html
December 15, 2011 - American troops lower the flag of command that flies over Baghdad, officially ending the US military mission
in Iraq. December 18, 2011 - The last US troops in Iraq cross the border into Kuwait.
https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/30/world/meast/operation-iraqi-freedom-and-operation-new-dawn-fast-facts/index.html
Operation Desert Shield and Storm (Gulf War)
The Atlantic
2016/01 25 years since first gulf war
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2016/01/operation-desert-storm-25-years-since-the-first-gulf-war/424191
Operation Iraqi Freedom/OIF (Started March 2003)
History dot com
Bush announces launch Operation Iraqi Freedom
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bush-announces-the-launch-of-operation-iraqi-freedom
Politico
(2017/03): Bush announces launch operation Iraqi Freedom March 19, 2003
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/bush-announces-launch-of-operation-iraqi-freedom-march-19-2003-236134
CNN
(2013/10/30) Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn Fast Facts
https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/30/world/meast/operation-iraqi-freedom-and-operation-new-dawn-fast-facts/index.htm
February 27, 2009 - President Barack Obama announces a date for the end of US combat operations in Iraq: August 31, 2010.
June 30, 2009 - US troops pull back from Iraqi cities and towns and Iraqi troops take over the responsibility for security operations.
However, US troops remain in the country to continue combat operations and patrols in rural areas.
August 19, 2010 - The last US combat brigade leaves Iraq. A total of 52,000 US troops remain in the country.
September 1, 2010 - Operation Iraqi Freedom is renamed Operation New Dawn to reflect the reduced role US troops will play in securing
the country.
https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/30/world/meast/operation-iraqi-freedom-and-operation-new-dawn-fast-facts/index.htm
Operation New Dawn (Start 2010)
Army dot mil
Operation New Dawn
https://www.army.mil/article/44526/operation_new_dawn
CNN
(2013/10/30) On 17 February 2010, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced that as of 1 September, the name "Operation Iraqi
Freedom" would be replaced by "Operation New Dawn".
https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/30/world/meast/operation-iraqi-freedom-and-operation-new-dawn-fast-facts/index.html
Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) (Start 2014)
American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)
https: colon //en dot wikipedia dot org/wiki/American-led_intervention_in_Iraq_(2014%E2%80%93present)
Wikipedia
Operation Inherent Resolve
https://en dot wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Inherent_Resolve
(OIR) is the U.S. military's operational name for the military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIL, in the
vernacular, Daesh),[106] including both the campaign in Iraq and the campaign in Syria. Since 21 August 2016, the U.S. Army's
XVIII Airborne Corps has been responsible for Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR)
https: colon en dot wikipedia dot org/wiki/Operation_Inherent_Resolve
Inherent Resolve dot mi:
http://www.inherentresolve.mil
Note from PF/RG: Please notice the symbol for Inherent Resolve
Guardian:
(2014/10/16) Operation Inherent Resolve ISIS War Name
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/16/operation-inherent-resolve-isis-war-name-us-military
La Times
(2014/10/15) Operation Inherent Resolve ISIS
http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-operation-inherent-resolve-isis-20141015-story.html
4-BATTLES, ENCOUNTERS-INCIDENTS IN HIGH INTENSITY AREAS
See also-HONORS Iraq related
Battles
Fallujah
See also Endgame-p.590-2009 Mosul Incident Karcher seriously injured - veteran of 2004 Fallujah battle - in Incidents below
“Fallujah. The word alone conjures up grim images of Iraq’s most intense urban combat, of insurgent snipers and dark narrow streets
riddled with explosives, of militants lying in wait for days to kill Americans with assault rifles and grenades.”--Christian Science Monitor
(2014) See below
First Battle of Fallujah (Operation Vigilant Resolve) 2004
Wikipedia
First Battle of Fallujah
https colon //en dot wikipedia dot org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Fallujah
Excerpt: The First Battle of Fallujah, also known as Operation Vigilant Resolve, was an operation to root out extremist
elements of Fallujah as well as an attempt to apprehend the perpetrators of the killing of four U.S. contractors in March
2004. The chief catalyst for the operation was the highly publicized killing and mutilation of four Blackwater USA private
military contractors,[9] and the killings of five American soldiers in Habbaniyah a few days earlier. The battle polarized
public opinion within Iraq. 82nd Airborne Division first entered the city on 23 April 2003, and approximately 150 members
of Charlie Company occupied al-Qa'id primary…
https colon //en dot wikipedia dot org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Fallujah
Second Battle of Fallujah (Al-Fajr, Phantom Fury) 2004
Wikipedia
Second Battle of Fallujah
https colon//en dot wikipedia dot org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Fallujah
Excerpt: The Second Battle of Fallujah—code-named Operation Al-Fajr (Arabic: [sic] "the dawn") and Operation Phantom
Fury—was a joint American, Iraqi, and British offensive in November and December 2004, considered the highest point of
conflict in Fallujah during the Iraq War. It was led by the U.S. Marine Corps against the Iraqi insurgency stronghold in the
city of Fallujah and was authorized by the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Interim Government. The U.S. military called it "some of the
heaviest urban combat U.S. Marines have been involved in since the Battle of Huế City in Vietnam in 1968."The second
battle was the bloodiest battle of the entire Iraq War,[20] and is notable for being the first major engagement of the Iraq
War fought solely against insurgents rather than the forces of the former Ba'athist Iraqi government, which was deposed
in 2003.
https colon//en dot wikipedia dot org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Fallujah
Fallujah- US Marine Death Dealers
Christian Science Monitor
(2014/11/07) Fallujah Anniversary Tracking down the US Marine Death Dealers. By Scott Peterson
https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2014/1107/Fallujah-anniversary-Tracking-down-the-US-Marine-Death-Dealer
Incidents - Encounters in High Intensity Areas
See also HONORS/Triangle of Death Incident involving Atkins/Honors-Posthumous/10th Mtn Division
Ambush and/or Abductions; Includes Suicide Bomb Encounters
Andy Bacevich Jr. - 2007-May 13 in a suicide bomb attack - of Walpole, Mass.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd
Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 13 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised
explosive device detonated near his unit during combat patrol operations in Salah Ad Din Province, Iraq.c
CBS
(2007/05/16) War Critic’s son dies in Iraq
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/war-critics-son-dies-in-iraq/
Editor and Publisher
2007/05/27
https://www.editorandpublisher.com/news/bacevich-on-failing-to-prevent-his-son-s-death-in-iraq/
Excerpt: Among the hundreds of messages that my wife and I have received, two bore directly on this question. Both held me personally
culpable, insisting that my public opposition to the war had provided aid and comfort to the enemy. Each said that my son’s death came
as a direct result of my antiwar writings. This may seem a vile accusation to lay against a grieving father. But in fact, it has become a
staple of American political discourse, repeated endlessly by those keen to allow President Bush a free hand in waging his war
Menchaca and Tucker 2006 abduction at Checkpoint 12 miles south of Baghdad
Summary: 2006/06/16 South of Baghdad, Kristian Menchaca and Thomas Tucker ambushed, captured, tortured and killed; dead bodies
found, three miles from where they had been captured near the village of Mufaraji. Another soldier was killed and several injured during
the search. Mujahedeen Shura Council, a group linked to Al Qaeda in Iraq, likely involved. Another (David Babineau) killed at time of
ambush. The three had been manningan observation post (OP) guarding the mobile bridge, for 24 to 36 hours, with just one Humvee, the
rest of their platoon a little under a mile away
Wayback Web Archive Court Listener
(2017/04/13) Foley v. Syrian Arab Republic
https://web.archive.org/web/20190727032905/https://www.courtlistener.com/pdf/2017/04/13/foley_v._syrian_arab_republic.pdf
Excerpt: This case arises from the deaths of three Americans—Laurence Michael Foley, Sr., Keith
Matthew Maupin and Kristian Menchaca—in Iraq and Jordan between 2002 and 2006.
Plaintiffs—the estates and family members of the deceased—allege that all three were killed by a
terrorist organization led by Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi (the “Zarqawi Terrorist Organization”)….The Court finds that Syria provided material
support to the Zarqawi Terrorist. Organization throughout the relevant time period—roughly 2002 through 2006. During this period, Syria
lent support to a number of terrorist groups by, among other things, providing them safe haven, weaponry, financial support, and even
allowing them to open headquarters within Syria….One particularly significant way that Syria provided support to such groups was by
allowing them to freely move through Syria and into neighboring countries, such as Iraq and Jordan, for the express purpose of killing
Americans. Schenker T2-116-17; Ex. 54 (Expert Report of David Schenker), at 5 (“Syria was involved in a systematic process of moving Al
Qaida fighters to Iraq”). This support was not hidden: Syria allowed the opening of a “special interest section” in downtown Damascus,
directly across the street from the United States Embassy, where individuals could sign up and board a bus to Baghdad to “wage the
jihad” against Americans. Schenker T2-134. Syrian border checkpoints would allow foreign insurgents to pass through freely, stamping
their passports with phrases such as “volunteer for jihad.”
https//web.archive.org/web/20190727032905/https://www.courtlistener.com/pdf/2017/04/13/foley_v._syrian_arab_republic.pdf
Washington Post
(2007/05/17) Report Says Soldiers Were Not Protected. By Lolita C. Baldor
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/17/AR2007051700493.html
Fouty, Jimenez, Anzack 2007 Abduction
2007/05/11/12 - Triangle of Death area south of Baghdad - 7GI’s Ambushed - Bodies of Fouty and Jimenez found on 2008/07/08 with help
of captured insurgents connected to the case
Summary
10th Mountain Division, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 31st Infantry Regiment, 4th Battalion, Company D. 7 GI’s ambushed; 4 executed; 3
abducted and killed; Fouty deemed tortured (apparently indicated by one forensics expert noted in at least one article) over 4 months
before finally killed. Clues and evidence scattered from close to further out. 2007/06 ID cards - Iraq safe house near Samarra.
Names: Three soldiers killed and one interpretor: SFC James David Connell Jr., aged 40;PFC Daniel Weston Courneya, aged 19; PFC
Christopher Edward Murphy, aged 21;SGT Anthony Jason Schober, aged 23. Three U.S. soldiers were abducted/captured:PVT Byron Wayne
Fouty, aged 19.SPC Alex Ramon Jimenez, aged 25; andPFC Joseph John Anzack Jr., aged 20; [On 2007/05/23 Anzack's body was pulled out
of the Euphrates River, with a gunshot wound in the head and the Iraqi soldier-interpreter were killed
New York Times
(2007/05/15) Military Gives Details of Iraq Ambush of 7 G.I.s. By Kirk Semple SEMPLE
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/15/world/middleeast/15cnd-iraq.html?mtrref=www.google.com&assetType=REGIWAL
Excerpt: The seven American soldiers involved in a deadly weekend ambush south of Baghdad were from the 10th Mountain
Division, based in upstate New York, military officials announced today, as thousands of troops continued an intensive search for
three of the soldiers, who disappeared and are presumed to have been kidnapped by Sunni Arab insurgents. The military has not
released the names of the seven soldiers, four of whom were killed. But officials announced that they were members of Company
D, Fourth Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, Second Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, which is based at Fort Drum in
upstate New York. Families of the soldiers released the names of two of the dead, Sgt. First Class James David Connell Jr., 40, of
Lake City, Tenn., and Pfc. Daniel Courneya, 19, of Vermontville, Mich., according to The Associate Press.
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/15/world/middleeast/15cnd-iraq.html?mtrref=www.google.com&assetType=REGIWAL
Updates: 2020/06/12 Chinook and Apache photos added; Some material on Apache at Najaf in 2003; 2020/05/05-06 a variety of changes underway; the entire section was moved from
River Gold; various links might not work as a result of the transition but are being worked on; M1117 Armored Security Vehicle (ASV) added to list of vehicles along with photo; MRAP
photo and MRAP material moved to right section (Vehicles) from where it had been misplaced in weapons; 2020/04/01 Allies section added to, addition of “Iraq and Afghanistan” for
allies; Ballard et al quoted early post-9/11 coalition in Op. End. Freedom; 2020/03/29 edited some book material; 2020/02/21 added to Books sections comments on two books, incl. 10th
Mtn Div. No Man Left Behind. Updates: 2020/02/09 UAVs, EODs added with links active2020/02/02 Desert Storm added to; Abrams material added; Page Two split off from this Page
One section. Incorporating Old System Abuse/Iraq material into this overall section. 2020/02/01 Humvee, Stryker info added to, links activated inside the section; 2020/01/31 Why We
Lost, by Dan Bolger, added to Books; IED/VBIED and RPG sections added to; 2020/01/26 book (2010/07) Operation Iraqi Freedom US Army : Abrams, Bradley and Stryker. By An dy
Renshaw; added; 2020/01/22 Added (2017/04/13) Foley v. Syrian Arab Republic to Battles/Abductions/Wayback Web Archive Court Listener-;2020/01/20 PTSD moved to own page,
identified under Injuries on this page; Books-added No Man Left Behind; 2020/01/19 Baghdad nearby abduction-2006/06 incident added; 2020/01/18 refining of incidents/abductions;
2020/01/16; 2020/01/14-15 mostly adding links to topics and fleshing out books and links per subject; there has been, and will continue to be, topic restructuring; 2020/01/11;
2020/01/10; 2020/01/09 Page started