Taking Fire
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Been watching a show called Taking Fire on Discovery.
It's good. Tough to watch at times, but real good.
It's first-person video from troops, and their interviews.
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I saw the previews and want to watch it. I've just had so little time for TV lately.
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Set it to dvr all the episodes.
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Watching more and more episodes... and every single time I think how helpful it could have been to those guys to have me there with them in that base. With my equipment and skillset, I could have reduced so many threats they were faced with. They can't even walk around in base without taking pot shots from enemies in the mountains surrounding them.
They would take fire, and then spray hundreds of rounds the direction it came from. Where in the hell was their sniper support?!?!?! In virtually every situation where they were taking enemy fire, someone with the appropriate rifle and skill set could have definitively ended the conflict with a few well placed shots.
It was disheartening to watch. Knowing just how much I could help them...
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I saw last night I had all 5 episodes recorded. Looking forward to watch, I'll do one tonight.
Now, I've never been in the military, but in my mind, it's always seemed to me that two of the most powerful weapons you could employ would be Artillery and snipers. Air support would fall in there as well.
All three allow you (in my mind) to build a shield around the ground forces.
Like I said not a military guy, but seems to me snipers and artillery would be a godsend in many situations.
I image that their usefulness now has been regulated to death like everything else.
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@rhyno said:
I image that their usefulness now has been regulated to death like everything else.
Yup.
In Iraq our allowed collateral damage was 30 persons, meaning as long as fewer than 31 noncombatants were involved, we didn't even have to do paperwork on it.
In Afghanistan it was 0.
This is problematic for artillery and air support when the enemy fires at you from civilian population centers.
Snipers are effective, but the enemy learned this, and they have a tendency not to stand and fight. Thus the IED problem. They don't even fire mortars or rockets manually, they set them on timers and point them in the general direction of friendly forces so they aren't around if counter fire batteries return fire.
Unless snipers happen to be looking in the general direction of the incoming fire when it happens, they probably wouldn't see the guy either.
I haven't watched the show, but chances are the pot shots are some asshole ripping off a AK mag or PKM belt (from 500 meters+ away) in the general direction of the patrol base, then peacing out. I'm going to speculate they infrequently get they shooter in the ensuing ammo dump.
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I've finally gotten around to watching Band of Brothers on Amazon free with Prime. I didn't have HBO when it was on the air so now I get to watch it. As soon as I am done with that I will check out Taking Fire
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@ragnarnar said:
I haven't watched the show, but chances are the pot shots are some asshole ripping off a AK mag or PKM belt (from 500 meters+ away) in the general direction of the patrol base, then peacing out. I'm going to speculate they infrequently get they shooter in the ensuing ammo dump.
There were MANY times when they were directly engaged for extended periods of time by troops. Also, guys have to get in position to set those devices. With the right equipment, I could put a SERIOUS hurting on the guys that were giving these troops trouble. I saw one M14 EBR during the show, but it was just sitting there. Most likely no one competent was available to use it.
... and as you say, most likely their hands were tied to their nuts and couldn't shoot anyone without getting clearance which would take 2hrs to get.
We weren't there to win. We were there just to be in a conflict without end. Were that not true, then each COP like COP Michigan would have several people with my skillset killing enemies like it was going out of style.
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Well it said it recorded all. Instead I have 4 episodes of freaking alaskan bush idiots
One episode of Taking fire though
Good lord (again I am not military so I almost don't even think I should post this) COP Michigan was in a valley. I guess though where the hell else would you put it in that terrain.
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Good watch, thanks Orkan.
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@orkan said:
We weren't there to win. We were there just to be in a conflict without end. Were that not true, then each COP like COP Michigan would have several people with my skillset killing enemies like it was going out of style.
This.
BYOG (Bring your own gun)
