Thread by @RenoCavalry

#DesertStorm30 OTD. First direct fire combat. Sct Plt, TF 1-32 AR Bandits @1stCav2bct Iraqi/KSA border berm, N of Hafr al Batin. 0320, waiting in ambush position since 2300. Split Plt, w 3 M3s per sect spread 1200m apart W to E oriented N into Iraq. Hull down embedded in berm 1/8

Turret able to scan 10-2, but neg contact for hours, despite suspicion Iraqi engineers will return at night & close US berm breaches & re-lay mines. We created breaches 3x before and left. Never bothered them. Now we are suckering them, hoping they show up per their pattern 2/8

“One, this is Six, spot report”. “Send it”. “Six dismounts at 238593, moving S, w crates” “Roger, Charlie Oscar, going higher, out” Now on TF net Bandit 6 conf. no friendlies N of border, says “Scout, Bandit Six, it’s your show, over” “Wilco, Bandit Six...Smoke six, standby” 3/8

“Smoke Six, Scout, adjust fire over” “Adjust fire out” “grid 238593, dismounted IN in the open, HE VT in effect, over” SFC T confirms back, 8 secs later he radios “Scout, shot, over”. SSG C, sr Sct w the E sect “dir three five hundred, right 400, drop 200, fire for effect” 4/8

“Six, one, sitrep?” “Roger, 2 appear KIA, & 4 running S, over”. I go higher & request mortar illum N of the 4 Iraqis who are now in a trench, safer from mortars. I want to flush them S. It works they run S directly towards our kill zone. Running in the dark, unaware, to us. 5/8

I flip to TF net “Bandit Six, this is Scout. I won’t expend a lot of rounds, but I’m going to kill them, engaging now, over”. “Roger, Scout”. Plt net “Blue, fire on my rounds” Intercom “Gunner, HE, troops, 900” “identified” “fire” “on the way”. Chain gun fires, turret fan whirs

All 6 tracks fire HE or coax and 3 Iraqis literally explode thru my red-hued thermals. We cease fire. Somehow a single Iraqi, gets up and runs. “Gunner, toast him” “Roger” bam, bam, bam, but we miss him. “Lead that motherfucker more, kill that Olympic sprinter”. 7/8

The Iraqi is hit belt high by a 25mm HE round. He explodes. “Cease fire”. TF net “Oscar this is Scout. Engaged & destroyed 6 dismounts” “Roger, sending comms to BDE. Good job Scout”. Good job..I thought. 6 M3s and mortars vs 6 dismounts. WTF did I just do. We pull off the berm.

I don’t feel bad, at all. I feel incredibly alive. And I feel oddly weird that I don’t feel any empathy or guilt at all; none. It was close to a perfect ambush. I like that.