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This is a Marine AAV - Amphibious Assault Vehicle. This is a personnel carrier used to carry infantrymen, and is the vehicle of which my son, Lance Cpl. Stephen Sensing, is a crewman. His unit will deploy to Iraq in September.
This AAV hit a mine or an IED and was destroyed. As I recall the report, no Marines died but some were injured. When your son is an AAV crewman this is a pretty daunting scene! Steve has told me that the AAV’s armor is very thin; like many other military vehicles, AAVs in Iraq have armor added.
This terrorist was interviewed by an AP camera crew and promised that he and his fellows would die defending al Qaim and that the Marines would never enter the city. Well, he’s half right. As for what an AP crew is doing consorting with the enemy - well, Belmont Club has talked about that at length. I’d better stop there before the RCOB takes over my fingers.
The fighting does take its toll.
Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the joint chiefs of staf, said today that the campaign in western Iraq would be slow going and said that patience is called for. In another piece, Wretchard writes of reports that the enemy knew ahead of time the attack would be launched (almost certainly true, IMO) and that therefore, “the Marines have hit an empty sack and that the insurgents had escaped prior to the assault, leaving only those who chose martyrdom to stand and fight.” Wretchard thinks not and explains why.
Comments policy, read and heed!
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May 13th, 2005 at 6:47 am
You have to wonder at people who claim that they will die defending the city, yet feel it necessary to keep their faces hidden. If I was making a last-stand what would be the point of hiding my face?
May 13th, 2005 at 8:23 am
Intimidation. It’s less scary if your opponent can actually see just how much of a dork you look like. Also, these days you have to worry about your buds from back in the hood ratting you out before you break one off for Allah.
May 13th, 2005 at 12:16 pm
You know for an AAV driver, that’s a pretty daunting sight!
May 14th, 2005 at 12:23 pm
Your info is wrong. Four died in the AAV and many others were injured.