A Good Day

By lex, on November 25th, 2008

The military tactic of the ambush uses the elements of concealment and surprise to overwhelm an unprepared enemy. Typically a force under attack must withdraw the way they came in to survive an ambush, as blocking forces may lie in the road ahead, and a well-planned ambush is fortified to counter the doctrine of “assaulting through” the ambush. Historically, the ambush is relatively safe for the aggressor force.

Just as historically, the city of Shewan, Farrah Province, Afghanistan has been a safe haven for Taliban insurgents.

Historically **.

In the city of Shewan, approximately 250 insurgents ambushed 30 Marines and paid a heavy price for it…

“The day started out with a 10-kilometer patrol with elements mounted and dismounted, so by the time we got to Shewan, we were pretty beat,” said a designated marksman who requested to remain unidentified. “Our vehicles came under a barrage of enemy RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) and machine gun fire. One of our ‘humvees’ was disabled from RPG fire, and the Marines inside dismounted and laid down suppression fire so they could evacuate a Marine who was knocked unconscious from the blast.”

The vicious attack that left the humvee destroyed and several of the Marines pinned down in the kill zone sparked an intense eight-hour battle as the platoon desperately fought to recover their comrades. After recovering the Marines trapped in the kill zone, another platoon sergeant personally led numerous attacks on enemy fortified positions while the platoon fought house to house and trench to trench in order to clear through the enemy ambush site.

After calling for close-air support, the small group of Marines pushed forward and broke the enemies’ spirit as many of them dropped their weapons and fled the battlefield. At the end of the battle, the Marines had reduced an enemy stronghold, killed more than 50 insurgents and wounded several more.

“I didn’t realize how many bad guys there were until we had broken through the enemies’ lines and forced them to retreat. It was roughly 250 insurgents against 30 of us,” the corporal said. “It was a good day for the Marine Corps. We killed a lot of bad guys, and none of our guys were seriously injured.”

Some people read history. Some people make it.

** 08-30-2018 Original link gone; replacement found – Ed.

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