Insurgents Ambush Halliburton Truck

[unozero]

http://shock.military.com/Shock/videos.do?displayContent=210189&page=13

The video, shot on Sept. 20, 2005 by KBR truck driver Preston Wheeler, shows what initially appears to be a routine convoy of sixteen-wheeler trucks delivering supplies to U.S. troops. But the convoy enters tiny Iraqi towns along the highway and children begin throwing rocks at the trucks. It later becomes apparent that the convoy is on the wrong road because the road map provided by KBR and the military was incorrect. Three KBR truck drivers were killed that day. They are Keven Dagit, 42 (in truck 3), of Jefferson, Iowa; Christopher Lem, 40, (in truck 1) of Lyndon Station, Wisconsin; and Sascha Grenner-Case (in truck 4) of Sierra Vista, Arizona. Wheeler, who lives in Arkansas, was shot and barely survived. Two other drivers, including Terry Steward (in truck 2) of Idaho, were also injured.

crazy stuff.

 

[Bad^Hat]

I know this is serious and stuff, but all I could think of watching it was

REQUESTING A PICKUP
REQUESTING A PICKUP
REQUESTING A PICKUP
REQUESTING A PICKUP
REQUESTING A PICKUP
REQUESTING A PICKUP
REQUESTING A PICKUP
REQUESTING A PICKUP
REQUESTING A PICKUP
REQUESTING A PICKUP
REQUESTING A PICKUP
REQUESTING A PICKUP

 

[63]

Why is this in the entertainment section of military.com...

 

[Shyam]

I know I am a bad person for saying this, but I wish Insurgents would ambush Halliburton executives.

 

[Gunner]

Is that a bullet hole in the windshield? And was truck 5 immobilized because the engine was shot? Why wouldn't they use armored trucks for transporting stuff? I mean with the amount of money they charge the US government for these contracts, they could afford to use better equipment and avoid losses like this.

 

[lame-o]

Is that a bullet hole in the windshield? And was truck 5 immobilized because the engine was shot? Why wouldn't they use armored trucks for transporting stuff? I mean with the amount of money they charge the US government for these contracts, they could afford to use better equipment and avoid losses like this.

Yes and yes, also the guy holding the camera got shot later and barely survived.

Why spend money on armored trucks if ambushes only happen like once a year?

 

[Ridge]

I know I am a bad person for saying this, but I wish Insurgents would ambush Halliburton executives.

And what has Halliburton done to you?

Certainly, I agree it was wrong for Cheney to funnel contracts to a business he had a stake in. But many politicians on both sides of the aisle do the same thing.

 

[Vegeta897]

This is terrifying.

 

[Ridge]

I agree. That was scary as ****in hell to watch. I cant imagine actually being there...seeing your coworker executed right in front of you, and only 1/8" of steel between you and them...

 

[Raziaar]

Terrible.

Why the ****ing hell do we have contractors moving in convoys through dangerous cities like this full of people who want to kill you, I have to ask.

I know it has to be done... but I just have to wonder why we're even in a position like that to begin with where it is required. We don't need to be putting people in danger like that... travelling through the cities every day delivering stuff, exposed to IED's and snipers and ambushes.

We just need to be the **** out of there.


http://www.propublica.org/feature/injured-contractors-the-other-victims-of-battlefield-stress-224

This is a good read.

I admit, I have rarely thought of the civilian toll in all of this. The tons of contractors working over there... the non-mercenary types. I typically think of the toll being the people at home, and the soldiers in the warzone.


The guy in the video... he says he's going home after all this. I can't help but fully empathize with what he says... because that shit isn't worth all of our people getting shot and killed over. Military or civilian.

I'm going to bed.

 

[Ridge]

It says in the info on the vid that their maps were wrong and they mistakenly turned into this neighborhood.

The trucks were full of supplies for Coalition soldiers. Sometimes our forces are spread too far and the supply command cannot send out convoys to everyone. That is where the contractors come in. And it is precisely because of the dangers in this situation that they can charge such a high amount to be a delivery boy.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Why the ****ing hell do we have contractors moving in convoys through dangerous cities like this full of people who want to kill you, I have to ask.

They took a wrong turn.

 

[Raziaar]

They took a wrong turn.

Why couldn't it have just been cannibals with bows & arrows? Why?

 

[Ridge]

Why couldn't it have just been cannibals with bows & arrows? Why?

I'll admit, I thought the same thing when I read his reply. And I just lol'd now.

 

[Kaptain H]

Oh, Halliburton, why did I ever quit you...

 

[Ravioli]

I dont understand why that red truck drove past him. He could of stopped beside him, opened the door, and the driver could of quickly jumped in beside him. And why did the squad car infront of him just take off leaving him behind? Why didnt they stop and pick him up? This video doesnt make any sense at all, they arent even responding to him when hes asking for help, its like everyone is ignoring him. I would not of been able to keep my cool like he did, id be raging hard on the radio.

 

[Tyguy]

I dont understand why that red truck drove past him. He could of stopped beside him, opened the door, and the driver could of quickly jumped in beside him. And why did the squad car infront of him just take off leaving him behind? Why didnt they stop and pick him up? This video doesnt make any sense at all, they arent even responding to him when hes asking for help, its like everyone is ignoring him. I would not of been able to keep my cool like he did, id be raging hard on the radio.

Im guessing that the humvy in front of him was tasked with protecting the entire convoy so stopping for 1 truck out of how ever many there were would be dumb. I do agree that the truck passing him could have helped him out, not sure what went on there.

And why the **** didn't he have a weapon?

 

[Ridge]

Did some research on the video...

There were 8 or 9 trucks in that convoy. The guy with the camera was in truck 4. The Humvee driver violated procedure by leaving the rest of the convoy there.

Due to everyone communicating between each other except for responding to Truck 4, its assumed his antenna might have been damaged by the attack. He could listen, but couldnt talk to them.

 

[Raziaar]

Did some research on the video...

There were 8 or 9 trucks in that convoy. The guy with the camera was in truck 4. The Humvee driver violated procedure by leaving the rest of the convoy there.

Due to everyone communicating between each other except for responding to Truck 4, its assumed his antenna might have been damaged by the attack. He could listen, but couldnt talk to them.

Your research is already flawed, because the guy with the camera is in truck 5. He says it time and time again.

It's flawed in that regard anyway.

It's also flawed in the fact that truck 5 requests a copy and they respond that they copy what he says that he cannot move.

This is around 4:05 among other places.

 

[Ridge]

Sorry, I'm bad with numbers. But it seems like that is the only time they respond to him out of maybe a dozen calls...it IS still possible his radio was damaged, but also possible that comms just went to shit when everything went down...

 

[Raziaar]

I think it's just a case of We have n many more trucks to get the **** out of the kill zone and inability to do a whole lot to help the guy. They didn't exactly seem prepared for any sort of contingency. He didn't even have a gun with him. They're civilians too, not exactly trained to deal with getting back in the line of fire to help another like the military is.

I just think it was a matter of logistics, trying to get as many of the trucks out of there as they could before any consideration goes to getting the guys left behind out.

As you said, communications broke down. Not by damaged antennae or radios or anything like that... just human break down of communication.

 

[nurizeko]

Inadequate security, inadequate intel and the military guys left them to die.


Kudos.



Say what you will people ****ed up.

 

[jimbo118]

Was the gunner in the humvee killed? Seemed like he wasn't moving.