Where the IEDs Lie, the Buffalo Roams

The Washington Post ^ | October 29, 2005 | Jackie Spinner

[neverdem]

BAGHDAD -- The padded walls and bulletproof glass kept the sound of the world out as the crew of the Buffalo ambled down the highway at a grazing pace, examining litter.

Boxes. Rags. Bags. Dead dogs. The American soldiers riding in the military's newest weapon against roadside bombs scrutinized everything they saw beneath their windows.

"Hey, he says he sees a rag," Staff Sgt. Matthew Dzuricky, 28, of Erie, Pa., called out to his men in the Buffalo, a lumbering South African armored personnel carrier designed to withstand land mines. Against all conventional Baghdad traffic wisdom, the Buffalo headed straight at the rag, a potential roadside bomb.

"I see the rag," Spec. Abe McCann, 29, of Tombstone, Ariz., piped back. "It's clear."

"Rag clear," Dzuricky said through the radio, and the Buffalo moved along.

One of the most dangerous assignments in Iraq is now one of its most critical, as the U.S. military tries to deal with the growing threat of lethal roadside bomb attacks. The number of U.S. troops who have died in the Iraq war hit 2,000 on Tuesday, and more than half of the soldiers killed in the last six months died from improvised explosive devices, or IEDs.

Officials said three U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq on Thursday night by such bombs.

Up to 12 times a week, soldiers from Echo Company, Task Force 4-64, patrol the streets of Baghdad trying to locate roadside bombs before they go off, killing or injuring troops. The task force is part of the 4th Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.

At the center of their mission is the Buffalo, which rides on monster tires and has a steel retractable arm that can poke for potential roadside bombs at a 16-foot distance. Its V-shaped body rides much higher off the ground than...

[neverdem]

Spec. Abe McCann, 29, of Tombstone, Ariz., operated the steel arm of the Buffalo during a mission in Baghdad to locate improvised explosive devices.

RG-31 Mine Protected Vehicle

[manwiththehands]

This is very cool ... but I would rather send captured insurgents out on "IED-clearing detail". "Hey towel-head, kick that rag ... pick up that dead dog ... pull on those wires".

[neverdem]

BANG!

[edwin hubble]

Here's the next generation vehicle - in development and testing. for riding over the big mines

[Cannoneer No. 4]

We have both of those vehicles here, plus the deminers have Casspirs and the Canadians have Mambas.

[neverdem]

Thanks for the links!

[Americanexpat]

Against the Geneva Conventions to make POWs clear mine fields. They told me that in basic training during the class on the conventions. Otherwise when I got to Nam I would have given the VC a basketball and a pair of snowshoes and made them walk in front of me down the roads and trails.

[Travis McGee]

Ping

[manwiththehands]

I suppose I should have known that. Thanks for the reminder. (thinking to myself: "stupid Geneva Convention")

[The Iguana]

General Sherman did just that with captured Confederate prisoners on his March to the Sea after one of his men was killed by an improvised Confederate IED on the road.

It proved high successful. The Confederates stopped mining the roads. But that was before the Geneva Convention.

[Experiment 6-2-6]

This is very cool ... but I would rather send captured insurgents out on "IED-clearing detail". "Hey towel-head, kick that rag ... pick up that dead dog ... pull

You know, I had the same thought.

Sort of a Cool Hand Luke chain gang set in Iraq..

Shakin' the Rag, boss!"

[archy]

We have both of those vehicles here, plus the deminers have Casspirs and the Canadians have Mambas.

Seen any Pookies? There've been a number of new ones built, though I understand that the VW mogas engine is not looked upon with favour.

[archy]

Ping

Redfenders ping!

[TEXASPROUD]

I bet you went to the Formula 1 races in SA for those tires.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Yeah, the Engineers have something like that.

[Eagle Eye]

I was once on a convoy where we passed the South African model Meercats sweeping for IEDs on the shoulder of the road.

It never thrilled me much to get ahead of the mine sweepers, but heck, it wasn't my call.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Interim Vehicle Mounted Mine Detector (IVMMD

MEERKAT! Yup, that's what it is.

I'll see your Meerkat and raise you an Aardvark.