Posted on 10/12/2005 7:30:35 AM PDT by R. Scott
Because of the attacks on convoys during 2003, Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) required military escorts of one “green” military truck to three “white” commercial trucks. Earning $75,000, three KBR drivers would not drive in Iraq unless a Soldier making less than $20,000 a year escorted him. Originally, convoys required two MP HMMVs as escort. Any HMMV with a SAW was considered an escort vehicle. The 181st Battalion’s Skunk Werks originated the armoring of HMMVs. The 181st Transportation Battalion had pioneered what they called the “Tiger Team” concept. Two HMMV gun trucks ran ahead of the convoy searching for IEDs and blocking traffic at intersections. Other units called it by its original term, “Rat Patrols.” Because of drive-by shootings, doctrine had evolved to where convoys did not permit civilian traffic to pass convoys.
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After that convoy, McCormick’s crew painted alternating tan and black stripes on the shell of his HMMV. This made it very noticeable. McCormick wanted to name it something more fitting of its offensive role, like “the Striped Avenger” or “the Raptor,” but SPC Thomas Selemi jokingly called it, “the Zebra.” McCormick remembered that zebras run. He asked, “Have you ever seen a zebra turn and fight?” The rest of the crew thought the name was funny. They reminded him that it looked like a zebra, so he let them call it that.
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On 22 March, the 1487th escorted a 70 plus convoy north. An IED exploded next to an M-915 just past the second bridge on ASR Mobile. McCormick turned the Zebra and the M-915 gun truck back to secure the damaged vehicle. It received fire from two insurgents maneuvering behind a small building. The Zebra did not have any crew served weapons, so the crew dismounted and laid down suppressive fire with their M-16s and SAWs. The 5-ton made four passes firing its M-60 machinegun. In ten minutes of fighting, the Americans killed the two insurgents.
My grand-son was at CSC Scania during this time with the 504th MP BN, U.S. Army out of Ft. Lewis, Washington. He was a mechanic on power generators and the 504th vehicles.
A salute to a neighbor/sister battalion from an old Muleskinner (40th Trans Co, now a part of 181 but then a 37 GP, 28 Trans Bn unit)
Hoo-Ahhh!
Glad to post it – Transportation Corps people get little coverage in the media. Our “esteemed” media only mentions them when they take heavy casualties.
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