US Sentry Saves Troops By Killing Suicide Bomber

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 12-10-2003 | Jack Fairweather

[harpseal]

As I stated in a reply to archy. i am impressed with his good shooting. He wa sfaced with a moving vehicle and he stopped it. I note the driver may have been dead prior to teh detonation and the detonation could have been caused by Spc. Ross's fire. Hitting a blasting cap with a fired wound will set off a whole lot of blasting caps. Likewise an electronic triggering mechanism can have teh wiring diagram really messed upo by a few rounds passing through and shorts vcan set off caps. The otehr alternative is a lit fuse mechanism which could have been ignoted by a tracer.

As to the follow up attacks to take out teh responders. This has been SOP in the West bank and Northern Ireland for many years. Sometimes a third and fourth attack is planned. sorta liek chained booby traps.

[ameribbean expat]

if he's a speedy4 hopefully this gets him his corporal stripes. and a beer. and a night with a woman wearing something besides a GP small with an eyeslot.

[tracer]

Has a date been set for Spc. Ross's court martial, or is the lunatic fringe of the DOD busy coming off of another meth high??

[archy]

What no one seems to have mentioned is teh driver might have been dead and teh vehicle still moving as Spc ross kept firing and the additional rounds could have caused teh explosives to detonate by hitting a cap or shorting out the firing mechanism etc. He did well and I don't think any critique of his marksmanship is in order.

Just as likely: the bomber had a dead man's switch to trigger his charge, and SPC Ross got the job done that way, or the bomber had a suicide switch and realized he'd failed his mission and was in enough pain from multiple wounds that he ended his own suffering.

In any event, Ross got the job done. The only concern is that the security measures need to be upgraded so that such an event has far less of a chance of succeeding ever again. But having at least two gunners like Ross on duty seems a real good first start. And maybe add in a recoilless rifle, as well.

-archy-/-

[Travis McGee]

The two vehicle attack was used recently with terrible effect in Chechnya to blow up a Russian govt building. After car one, the dazed survivors are all walking around when in zooms a "Russian ambulance" loaded with even more explosives to really wipe them out and knock down the buildings.

[Travis McGee]

Yep, two MGs at least .30, plus some form of a definitive show-stopper such as a recoiless rifle (if they existed) ready to go would be the ticket. It's a hell of a chance to lay it all on one MG, which could be taken out by a sniper at H - ten seconds, or which could fail to feed etc.

[Travis McGee]

Exactly. And add to that the AQ "signature" of multiple coordinated attacks.

[LibWhacker]

Okay, okay . . . Secretary of Defense as soon as Rummy retires! :-)

[LibWhacker]

BTW, has any Sec'y of Defense ever been special ops? I can't think of a better time than during a war on terror, as much as I like Rummy pushing the high-tech stuff.

[harpseal]

The possibilities you mentioned aqre also very likely and I doubt we will ever know exactly what caused the detonation I was just answering those who were criticising with other possibles.

I note those who critique successful perations with comments about poor marksmanship often have not had to fire in a life and death situation at Oh Dark thiry when one is wishing to get a look at the inside of one's eyelids.

Clearly that was not you

[Travis McGee]

There's never been a specops secdef, but their influence grows by leaps and bounds.

[windchime]

Specialist James Ross bump!

[PhilDragoo]

Rules of Engagement: kill the bad guys first.

Bravo to Specialist James Ross.

[archy]

I note those who critique successful perations with comments about poor marksmanship often have not had to fire in a life and death situation at Oh Dark thiry when one is wishing to get a look at the inside of one's eyelids.

Clearly that was not you

Certainly not!

[Whenever possible, I sleep through the entire shootemup. I did my level best to sleep through the Tet '68 brouhaha, but some USAF NCO kept waking me up.]

[archy]

There's never been a specops secdef, but their influence grows by leaps and bounds.

Truman era SecDef Robert A. Lovett, a Naval aviator who flew with the Marines and the British Naval Air Service, and eventually commanded a U.S. Navy aviation squadron as a Lt Commander comes to mind. Granted, Marines and pre-WWII Naval Air ops aren't quite SpecOps, but were the cutting edge of the armed forces of their day as much as the snakeeaters and sugarcookies today are now. Then, they were the mavericks and miracle workers, now, they're a part of the establishment they once battled.

His real contribution was in arranging the massive buildup od aircraft for WWII though, building up the aviation forces of all services not only with enough aircraft but the right type. At the level of a SecDef, a background in administrative logistics probably really is more of a useful trait than a history of triggerpulling and mudfoot operations. But an understanding of those who do so, if not the specific methodology itself, remails essential.

-archy-/-

[clee1]

God must love His brave warriors - he sure made a bunch of them!

I salute you, SPC Ross. Outstanding work!

[harpseal]

Well Tet 68 found me doing paperwork checking in in Hue RVN so I got to see the Marines coming in to liberate the city up close and personal

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

[Whenever possible, I sleep through the entire shootemup. I did my level best to sleep through the Tet '68 brouhaha, but some USAF NCO kept waking me up.]

Uh, huh. Sure.

Thanks for reminding me, this thread is missing something:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As for the meaning of "hero," what do you call someone who volunteers to go through rigorous training to work long hours a day away from loved ones in a big ammo dump full of sand fleas and Fedayeen and terrorist-wannabes, and desperate victims with few basics, a run down infrastructure, enemy press, NGOs, and little pay (IEDs, RPGs, and homicide bombers)?

Military standards of excellence don't apply to most of the 'world.' Our American free press does shape world opinion and the 'world' doesn't often question what they read, so for the civilian Cronkite/Fisk/Stone 60's anti-military cult members and their civilian customer victims in need of deprogramming, the words "hero" and American "military" should appear together as often as possible today.

Imho. (^:

[archy]

. ... . As for the meaning of "hero," what do you call someone who volunteers to go through rigorous training to work long hours a day away from loved ones in a big ammo dump full of sand fleas and Fedayeen and terrorist-wannabes, and desperate victims with few basics, a run down infrastructure, enemy press, NGOs, and little pay (IEDs, RPGs, and homicide bombers)? . ... .

A champion. Look up the REAL meaning of that word in a serious dictionary.

[going hot]

Indeed, the first round could have incapacitated the perp, all except his trigger thumb for the bomb switch, and the remainder were for the car to stop. Myself, I would have not let off the trigger of the '60 until it did blow up, definately would not be counting or conserving rounds.

The one shot one kill applies to sniping, and other scenarios where time is available for that well placed shot.

When the car runs over the perimeter defenses, and is more than likely accelerating towards the wall and allah, perhaps the M2 would have stopped more efficiently. In this case, the 23 yr old spec did just fine, thank you.