Barracuda_Magoo

Because the marines don't have Strykers.

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Switchcraft

That wasn't how I saw it. The enemy made contact. The Marines took rounds, and engaged. I don't know how many people they had in that car, but with he camera only pointing out the front, I don't think we had any way of knowing what kind of position they were leaving behind. If they left a platoon-sized position, a checkpoint, or whatever, then I don't have any reason to think they needed to be delivering a SITREP from the car while in pursuit. Whoever they left could have made the initial report of enemy contact, and waited for further information as necessary.

One of the general standing orders for Marines (that may or may not have applied in this situation) is that they are not authorized to break contact with the enemy unless given permission from higher authority.

I wouldn't have said they were lost, I'm sure that overly-excited driver could have gotten himself back to where they started. Whoever got on the radio at the end might have composed himself a little better before trying to give a position, but in the end, they did their job: they took rounds, launched a counter-assault, routed the enemy and killed them in their retreat.

As far as containment: we didn't see what happened next. I think the sergeant made the right call. The bad guys that ran down that street had reason to believe they would be safer out of their car. We saw the one die, I wasn't sure about the one who jigged to the right behind the curbside vehicles. It's possible those men had only started the engagement to draw the Marines into that area.

The immediate situation was resolved through fire and maneuvre. The sergeant held his men back from a potentially lethal counter-counter-counter-counter-ambushorsomething, and then the radio call went out to have someone make the decision on the next step, which I'm betting involved getting another unit to head to the other end of that street and begin a sweep of the area.

The job they did was by the book, as near as I can tell. Anything that might look "unprofessional" in my opinion has more to do with language and deportment, and I would blame a lot of that on adrenaline.

Switchcraft

We may not all be that crass, but don't ever think for a second that you're one of the ones that's not.

Vodkatonic

two words: tunnel vision

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"If the sword is always sheathed, it will become rusty, the blade will dull, and people will think as much of its owner." —Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

Twisted_Firestarter

This is a very interesting video, but has a rather less rosey look at our armed forces:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2beFC...elated&search=

Watch at around 1:22 the bullet hole that appears in the window right in front of the driver.

WTF is up with the convoy leaving this guy high and dry? Seems like they didn't give a crap. As far as I could tell they left alone and undefended for the longest time. Maybe he had other people behind him? Not sure. Couldn't tell and I couldn't really hear the CB chatter too well.

Truck 5 driver, "Truck 5 is down, I can not move."
Voice on CB, "Truck 5, move your truck to the side so we can go around."

This goes on a while and you hear the truck driver asking again and again for someone to come back for him.

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Twisted Firestarter
a.k.a |TG| Harkonian

Twisted_Firestarter

It was cool and all and I definitely have respect for those guys for being willing and able to do that...but I saw 4 guys and 3 of them got away. Go in there and get some!

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Twisted Firestarter
a.k.a |TG| Harkonian

Twisted_Firestarter

Yeah, it was an odd feeling to realize that we often have more coordinated and professional maneuvers on TG servers than these guys were showing.

On the other hand, our bullets don't hurt...

As for the second video, that's a perfect example of the lowest common donominator bringing the reputation of the enture armed forces down.

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Twisted Firestarter
a.k.a |TG| Harkonian

Flow-Ctrl

brutal

Barracuda_Magoo

Most units SOP for convoys is to continue moving to a rally point ~2 miles down the road (or wherever you can find a defensible area). Then you send back a recovery team. We usually had the recovery truck in the back, so it might have been able to pull right up, but, as you pointed out, the road seemed to be blocked.

Also, On most convoys with civilian vehicles, the ratio of military to civilian is very small. We often had just six escorts (who were often also carrying cargo) for 40 civilians (sometimes less, sometimes many more). That's a lot space with no coverage. Half the time you can't even see the next group of escorts.

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thebleakaffinity

Aww, you hurt my feelings.