Weapons Company almost 200 IEDs

Marine Corps News ^ | Aug 5, 2005 | Cpl. Athanasios L. Genos

[SandRat]

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (August 5, 2005) -- Coming to Iraq, the Marines of Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment knew they would be fighting as ‘street cops’ on the roads.

The job includes locating hidden bombs before the enemy could use them against the Marines, Iraqi Security Forces and civilians. Their most recent find on a combat patrol brought their total number of bombs found to nearly 200. Over the past six months, they have maintained a ratio of three found to one detonated.

“We are successful at this because we are outsmarting them and they’re very predictable,” explained 1st Lt. Richard H. Lee, Weapons Company Executive Officer and Fullerton, Calif., native. “We are always one step ahead of them.”

The Marines travel the streets day and night looking for anything suspicious to keep the streets safe.

“If there is something new the enemy is trying to do on the streets, we will usually know within a couple of days and be able to adjust our procedures to stop them,” Capt. Ed. Nevgloski, Weapons Company Commander explained.

Training themselves to look for certain signals and signs while conducting vehicle mounted patrols is part of their everyday routine. Nevgloski’s company has seen different types of bombs and have learned from each experience.

“The success is due to our thoroughness and continually adjusting our procedures which has given us a chance to think ahead and identify their procedures,” explained Gunnery Sgt. Robert L. Bailey, 3rd Platoon Commander, and Gratton, W. Va., native.

Weapons Company operates in several configurations within their own company as well as working hand-in-hand with other units in the battalion. The combat engineers, Marines with a vast knowledge of explosives, help train the Marines on what to look for when on the streets.

Having recently returned from a deployment to Haiti during Operation Secure Tomorrow prior to deploying here, this is the first time many of the Marines have faced hidden bombs but they are successfully using their training and experience to combat them.

“We are like the dream team…we have a diversified group of Marines who bring a lot of knowledge to the table,” Lee explained.

Knowing the lay of the land is one of the many things the Marines learned when first getting into country.

“Coming here in the winter, we were able to learn the roads while the enemies’ operational tempo was slow,” Lee explained.

Saving lives is part of the Marines’ everyday job, but for Weapons Company, they provide the preventative maintenance on the streets to keep their fellow Marines and sailors on the move. They push forward daily in their efforts to keep Iraq safe during the Global War on Terrorism.

[SandRat]

photos at source

[SandRat]

Marines round 'em up!

[Calpernia]

Coming to Iraq, the Marines of Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment knew they would be fighting as ‘street cops’ on the roads.

The job includes locating hidden bombs before the enemy could use them against the Marines, Iraqi Security Forces and civilians. Their most recent find on a combat patrol brought their total number of bombs found to nearly 200. Over the past six months, they have maintained a ratio of three found to one detonated.

“We are successful at this because we are outsmarting them and they’re very predictable,” explained 1st Lt. Richard H. Lee, Weapons Company Executive Officer and Fullerton, Calif., native. “We are always one step ahead of them.”

[Calpernia]

Coming to Iraq, the Marines of Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment knew they would be fighting as ‘street cops’ on the roads.

The job includes locating hidden bombs before the enemy could use them against the Marines, Iraqi Security Forces and civilians. Their most recent find on a combat patrol brought their total number of bombs found to nearly 200. Over the past six months, they have maintained a ratio of three found to one detonated.

“We are successful at this because we are outsmarting them and they’re very predictable,” explained 1st Lt. Richard H. Lee, Weapons Company Executive Officer and Fullerton, Calif., native. “We are always one step ahead of them.”

[carumba]

I wonder what the guys who plant these IEDs do. Do they disguise themselves as a road crew, pretend their truck is broken down, or sneak out at night with black jump suits on? There otta be a martial law for roadside digging by anybody.

[ohioWfan]

Things that never make the news.........

We are WINNING this war! Thank you, Marines!

[Eaker]

Up yer ally ping!

[Marine_Uncle]

Semper Fi

[Boundless]

> There otta be a martial law for roadside digging by anybody.

I have little doubt that diggers spotted by RPVs and
other aircrews are engaged without a second thought.
We probably just don't have enough eyes in the sky.

I'd expect the same for anyone seen strolling around
with unapproved personal weapons (i.e. RPGs, almost
anything with a 'scope), but who knows ...

[MaxMax]

There otta be a martial law for roadside digging by anybody.

Actually we have shoot on site orders of anybody digging on
or near a road at night.

[YepYep]

Good!

[B4Ranch]

Even more sophisticated are IEDs which are camou­flaged in the most inventive fashion. The IDF has encoun­tered some of these in south Lebanon, years ago, when Hezbollah used foam-coated explosives disguised as road­side rocks. Some of these included shaped-charge stand-off munitions fired with mechanical 'sling-shots'.

A similar method has already appeared in northern Iraq. On February 7 soldiers of the US 22nd Infantry Regiment patrolling the streets in downtown Tikrit suspected a traffic circle curb disguised as IED.

http://www.combat-diaries.co.uk/diary25/diary25military.htm

A couple of weeks ago I located a picture of what appeared to be a concrete curb that was an IED.

[IrishGOP]

You're right they are very good at disguising the IEDs. A guy I work with came back from Iraq last year (Army). He had to drive into Baghdad nearly everyday. He said the terrorist disguise the bombs in dead animals, styrofoam shaped like everyday objects etc. It's not like they are sitting out there in plain sight. But as the Marine in the article said, we are smarter than they are and we will defeat them.

[Kewlhand`tek]

I wonder what the guys who plant these IEDs do. Do they disguise themselves as a road crew, pretend their truck is broken down, or sneak out at night with black jump suits on? There otta be a martial law for roadside digging by anybody Oh yeah that always bothered me, how they could just plant the stuff. When I was there, one Brad from a New York unit was split in half when it ran over 10 155mm rounds buried in the ground...its not like one ali babi surreptitiously planted 10 rounds in the ground all by his lonesome

[TomasUSMC]

We are playing their game and we are playing it well indeed. I personally would like to see pressure placed on the Syrians and Iranians to cease and desist from supplying the terrorists in Iraq.

Actually we probably are focusing too much on Iraq and less on the more important goal, destroying Islamic Terror. And since Islamic Terror has its biggest proponent in Iran, we should cut off the head of the snake, ie Tehran. Level Tehran with a promise of more to come if Islamic Terror did not cease, and it would cease one way or the other, in a much cheaper and quicker way than the present strategy of door to door, bullet magnet patrol war fighting we presently employ.

In the mean time, it is becoming clear to the entire earth that there are no more heroic and professional youths than those that comprise the troops in the U.S. Military.

Semper Fi

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[jveritas]

Amen.

[carumba]

Actually we have shoot on site orders of anybody digging on or near a road at night... Now that's what I'm talking about.

[Allegra]

You work for Howard Dean, don't you, Tomas?

C'mon, admit it. You're a DNC plant.

The gig is up.

I find your posts hilarious. But then, I often laugh at pompous, glass-half-full-sour-grapes Democrats.

You guys really are funny when you're out of power.

[Just A Nobody]

Thanks for the ping!

Good morn...afternoon to ya.