06/12/2005
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2005 00:34:48 +0400
Subject: Bad Luck!
How's this for bad luck? I was on an EOD call today (Sunday) where we had a set of manikin legs with wires coming from them. This is a tactic the insurgents have been using to try to get U.S. or Iraqi forces to investigate. They will place these legs on a side of a building or on the side of the road and when the forces investigate (thinking it is an injured or dead person) they detonate a bomb.
Well, we have our perimeter set up when a car comes rushing in it! We are ready to shoot the driver because we thought it was a car bomb. We get a call from the unit on the outer perimeter saying it is IP (Iraqi Police) and one of them had been shot. There was a single gunshot heard about 300 meters away about a minute before this car showed up. We thought it was the IPs at the checkpoint firing a warning shot.
The story goes.....A drunk Iraqi shows up at the checkpoint driving a black car. IP guy #1 tells driver to get out. Driver refuses and the struggle ensues. IP#1 starts counting...1, 2, 3 (no, I'm kidding...inside joke). IP#1 decides to butt stroke driver with AK 47. Well, IP#2 comes as back up as IP#1 butt strokes driver. IP#1's AK negligently discharges striking IP#2 about 1" high and 1" left of his left nipple. Yes, shoots him straight in the heart!!! Couldn't have been a better placed shot if it was aimed.
So, IPs throw their buddy in the car and bring him to our medics. I take a look at him and he is DRT!!!!! 10-7, cancel Christmas or whatever they have here! He was wearing a vest, similar to ours at work but with a bigger, heavier trauma plate. The round just barely missed the plate, goes through IP#2, hits back plate, ricochets, and enters IP#2's back! IP#1 was very upset and crying (rightly so), and IP#2 was only 19!
That is why I don't trust these guys with anything! They carry their weapons on fire and sweep people all the time. I wouldn't be surprised if IP#1 didn't wax himself....we were not going to allow him to do it, we took his weapon until we left.
Oh, the legs were detonated and turned out to be nothing. They were only 500 meters away from a bomb makers house that we found the night before. That is another story with some good souveniers (AK bayonet, IP armband, etc). Talk to you all later! Hey Dave, I forgot to tell you that I got the box and it works great! Thanks to you and everyone else involved. Take care and be safe!
Matt Cousins
SSG, INF
Remember: You have 1* and Check 6!
2/13/2005
3/19/2005
5/27/2005
7/06/2005
7/30/2005