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Constant Combat
This veteran-led podcast highlights the experiences of Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, starting with their harrowing 2004 deployment to Ramadi; a 9 month combat tour which resulted in the highest casualties in a single deployment - a deployment that most Americans have never heard about. Through candid conversations surrounding these events, the series also explores earlier experiences that shaped the Marines, emphasizing their grit, humor, and humanity while aiming to honor their stories authentically.
Constant Combat
The Blood Stripes - Lewis Layton (part 1 of 2)
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
We start off part 1 with Lew Layton to trace how a Marine goes from Okinawa, some California training, and squad leader school... to the confusion and violence of Ramadi in 2004. We swap stories about the gear, the radios, the near misses, and a lot of unique moments about small unit leadership.
• Lew’s background and early leadership roles
• The flight over, Kuwait preparation, and early weapon safety lessons
• First impressions of Ramadi and how thin the handoff feels
• Learning routes, spotting IEDs, and getting hit early
• A casualty evacuation story
• Night movement problems
• Improvised gear, armor shortages, and hydration discipline
• April 2004 firefights and adapting tactics
• The General Mattis PRR moment and comms frustrations
• IED jamming skepticism and the near misses that stick
if you like what you've heard, this is a multi-part episode. Make sure you listen to the rest of the story.
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If you like what you heard, please subscribe on your favorite podcast service or follow our webpage for direct downloads @ https://www.buzzsprout.com/2525088
If you are a member of Weapons Company or someone with a story about Weapons Company 2/4 in 2004, please come tell some stories with us - 20 mins or 20 hours! Help paint the canvas of an archival story for others to know what it was like. Contact us @ RamadiPodcast@gmail.com, or via the podcast website above.
All music used with permission by soundbay: https://www.youtube.com/@soundbay_RFM
All right, man. Let's tell everybody who you are.
SPEAKER_00All right. Uh I'm Lou Layton. Um I was a corporal when we first got to Iraq uh back in uh 2004. And uh I'm living in Las Vegas now and happy to be here with you two.
SPEAKER_02Nice man. And you were with Sledgehammer Rainmaker?
SPEAKER_00I was with Rainmaker, yeah. 81's platoon. Uh, but rain's the section was Rainmaker.
Meeting Lou Layton
SPEAKER_02Nice. And you picked up Sergeant while we were over there, yeah?
SPEAKER_00I did. I got promoted to Sergeant while we were there.
SPEAKER_02Nice, man.
unknownCool.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I don't remember exactly when, but I think uh April, May timeframe.
unknownCool.
SPEAKER_01I was gonna say I think I'm pretty sure it was shortly after it was mid-April, if I'm remembering correctly.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think I think you're right.
SPEAKER_02Nice. You kind of remember who was in your team or anything from that time frame, or who'd you know what?
SPEAKER_00I do a few people. So um Hodges was one of my team leaders, uh Reagan Hodges. Yeah, and Nick Aponte was my other team leader. Uh, we kind of ran two teams. Um, and then a lot of the other guys, and uh hope they forgive me for this, but uh you know, names are kind of fleeting for the most part. Um, but um, and then also part of the section uh on the other side, uh the other squad leader within the section was Felix Garcia, so Sergeant Garcia.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, nice, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Um, but great group, great crew, great group. Uh, and uh yeah, definitely uh was blessed to be with all those guys.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. So you came you came to us mid-deployment in Oki, correct? You were one of the drops like towards the end of our uh our time, is that correct?
SPEAKER_00Like May, maybe just before so I got to the platoon in uh November of 01. So before we got we went on the deployment.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Okay. All right. So what do you do do you remember coming back from the Oki deployment? And did you end up going to a bunch of division schools? You would have been I did
Okinawa And Pre-Deployment Schools
SPEAKER_01not slated for a couple.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, for sure. So I think we did division schools, like you know, the whole platoon, and then me and you went to the green belt instructor course.
SPEAKER_01Correct.
SPEAKER_00And then I ended up going to infantry squad leaders course as well. And I think that's because me and you were the only two that were corporals in the platoon, so we got pushed on all the schools.
SPEAKER_01Uh that was no, that was it's true. I would I remember I was the uh I was the platoon sergeant for uh like three weeks or something like that as a as a corporal because I was I was the most senior guy. Yep.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, so yeah, but I got there uh on that time. I was on the Oki deployment, um, the deployment that never ended. Um, you know, and um and I think the biggest things I remember from that deployment were uh that's when I went to become a Ford observer and started training up and getting ready for all that.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that's right. You uh that's right, you were special sections also. Um so part of part of the reason why I asked about the division schools leading up to Ramadi is I find it very interesting what was transferable um from that uh that training to get to Ramadi, um, coming from the standpoint that we were thrown in on the deep end with uh combat operations, urban combat, you know, beginning of the war, no one knew shit. Um, and so we were having to use uh other experiences and apply it into in a real world very quickly. And so what did you did any of those schools, did you feel like you you brought something specific over to it, especially you said uh squad leaders course you went to?
SPEAKER_00So absolutely squad leaders course. So division schools, you know, the green belt instructor course we went to, um, you know, maybe a touch, but um for the most part, yeah, squalier's course was huge. Uh and I've definitely felt thrown in the deep end going to that school as a mortarman. Um
Squad Leader Training That Stuck
SPEAKER_00the the orders that we received, you know, from Lieutenant Appert and Lieutenant Dobb at the time. Um, you know, a lot different than your normal standard, you know, going on a security patrol five-paragraph order. So um I that's one of the one of the few courses I almost failed uh just because uh I was totally lost. But that that course was awesome. Um it really prepared me for what we were gonna see and face in Ramadi. And then later on I was able to be an instructor at that course. Uh, and that's something I really wanted to do. It was awesome.
SPEAKER_01Your little redeeming laugh on the backside of it. He's good degrees, and I'm gonna come back and teach. Right. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Well, I bet that was interesting, actually. So you I mean, kind of, sort of, not exactly. We went becoming a mobile assault company, we were not, I mean, you weren't a mortarman anymore. Yeah. And so you were doing more like a mechanized oh 311 type thing. So it was more close to what you were learning in squad leaders course, even though not exactly a one-to-one transfer. Did you end up bringing some of the lessons of Ramadi back when you uh went back for your victory lap and and were teaching there?
SPEAKER_00100%. I mean, through the whole career. Um, you know, I ended up going to Afghanistan with 3-1 after Ramadi too.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And it definitely carries over. Um, I mean, that built the foundation for all of us, you know. Um, that's something that not a lot of people got to experience. And you guys know that. I mean, we were in we were in Okinawa for a year almost, you know, not doing much. And then all of a sudden, you know, a few months later, we're we're in it to win it. Um, you know, in the throes of everything. And it's funny talking about Ramadi is a lot of people hear about Ramadi after us.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_00You know, and it's really interesting where, you know, one battalion, it felt like, you know, we took over for the army, they drove us around, you know, town a couple of times, and then they're like, hey, you got it. And, you know, and hearing stories about and interacting with people after we left um that were in Ramadi in like 2006, 2009, 2012, people running marathons through the streets, and you're just like, this is unreal. Like you were yeah, you might be running a marathon, but it wasn't all together and uh different kind of marathon.
SPEAKER_03Absolutely. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Well, it's funny. That's a that's a perfect transition. Actually, you kind of talked about our handoff with the army. What do you remember? I mean, obviously, we had the issues flying over. We've got into Kuwait. Anything about uh even just before we left? Anything about before leaving that you can recall?
SPEAKER_00You know, the story I talk about a lot is about how we got there in the C-141 star lifters, you know, with uh everybody, you know, everybody's knee in each other's crotch,
The Flight Over And Kuwait Arrival
SPEAKER_00sitting in cargo nets riding across. You know, I work for the Air Force now, and um I just talk to the guys I work with. I'm like, it's usually C-17 stuff like that. And I'm just like, you know what? These uh I'm like, that was probably one of the worst rides we've ever taken.
SPEAKER_01And considering we almost didn't make it three times.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, everything went against us, you know. It's like I remember we were what was it, Fort What was that place, that Air Force Base we stopped at? Um, Maguire.
SPEAKER_02Maguire, yeah, New Jersey.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, Maguire Air Force Base, yeah. You know, and I think the next day we were gonna get a keg of beer and be able to, you know, and then we ended up getting on the plane that day or later on that day or night. And it's like, oh, so it just felt like we kind of missed out. But yeah, I mean, finally making it. Um, remember Kuwait getting there, and you know, um, I don't know if you guys heard this, but I don't know if you remember this, but an officer from one of the other units there in Kuwait uh negligently discharged into the clearing barrels. Do you guys remember that at the chat? Yeah, I do.
SPEAKER_02And I I now that you mentioned it, I didn't I forgot about it. Yeah. Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I thought it was Sergeant Major Cook that ended up stopping her, but I can't remember. It might not have been him, but I remember her shooting one to the clearing barrel, kind of looking at the weapon, racking it, and shooting again because she still had her magazine in. Uh just kind of funny. It's a story that I've I've definitely told uh when it comes to weapon safety and making sure things are clear.
SPEAKER_02So that's how you that's how you use a clearing barrel, right? You're supposed to just keep shooting until it stops.
SPEAKER_00That is its purpose, right? I mean, it would eventually have been cleared. That's right. Um, but I remember Kuwait, it was just um, you know, it's kind of surreal. Uh, you know, I think we all, you guys had a little bit more time in the Marine Corps, but we were all relatively short in the Marine Corps. Not 100%. And now, yeah, and we're now we're in Kuwait. I remember some of the training we did with the Brits.
unknownYep.
SPEAKER_00You know, hey, this is what you know this is. Uh, you know, um, talking about IEDs and nobody really knowing what those were at all. Um, and you know, I can't even remember how long we were there. I know we weren't there super long, wasn't super short, but um, you know, just going through and getting in that preparation phase before we before we went in.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, there's uh a couple of us will tell stories,
Kuwait Prep And Gear Scrounging
SPEAKER_01and one of my favorite memories over there was um how much stuff we uh acquisitioned for ourselves um from other uh other people that were there that we're not uh too far. And uh making sure that we were uh as as well supplied as possible before we crossed the LOD.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I've told a thousand stories about Master Guns Meraki. Uh definitely one of my Marine Corps heroes. Um that man was very good at doing that. Um, and uh yeah, no, hilarious. Um yeah, and I I know this jumping back and forth, but on that note, right? I remember we went to Fallujah, and I think it was I can't remember how many of us, but we went with Master Guns Meraki, and I remember uh he saw an Air Force up armored Humvee. And you guys know that those were uh hard to come by and very coveted. So um, but I remember him calling me over, and he always called me Lou Three, uh, because I'm Lou late in the third. And I just remember him calling me over, and he's like, Lou three, get that Humvee, come with us, you know. And I'm like, uh Gunny, I don't I I don't know how to he's know how to drive a Humvee, you know, and he's like, I don't have my life. He's like, shut up, get the Humvee and get in. You know, and so they would uh you know, so we ended up grabbing the Humvee and bringing it with us. But you know, that was that's one of my favorite like acquisition stories. Um, you know, and I've told us a million stories about Master Guns Maraki. He's just but yeah, no, we were we were able to make a lot happen with very little, and um we were very good at that.
SPEAKER_01I won't tell I won't tell the whole story, but uh let's just say there's a similar situation with a uh double radio mount rack for a vehicle.
SPEAKER_03I remember that too.
SPEAKER_01We we uh we needed one and uh I was uh not told, but was uh definitely informed that we were missing one. And it would be good to have a second one. And uh mission was accomplished.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I remember that.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that's hilarious. Uh so did you did you end up driving up in the convoy up, or were you part of the crew that came up later?
SPEAKER_00I I came up later. I flew in.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Do you remember much of that one?
SPEAKER_00So it gets mixed up between my entrance into Afghanistan and everything else. But I remember just, you know, the big things I remember, um, and since I can't separate, I'm just gonna, you know, tell it, but like, you know, just bouncing plane to plane, um, and then you know, just doing these crazy circles coming in is really the only thing I kind of remember about it. And then the long convoy meeting up with the guys that did drive in and bringing us into Ramadi. So, you know, I don't remember.
SPEAKER_01Do you have any like first memories of first impressions coming impressions coming into Ramadi or Hurricane Point or anything like that? Um seeing our lovely living conditions for the first time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no. Um, I remember it was kind of just surreal, right? I think that's basically, you know, the second time. I mean, we've all been we were all in Oki. And so, but you know, second country I've been in in my entire life. Um, you know, I look maybe rem reminded me of 29 Palms. I'm like, okay, so you know, we're in the desert, but we're on these rivers. Um hurricane, you know, Hurricane
First Impressions Of Ramadi
SPEAKER_00Point and seeing the palace and everything, it was just it was a bit surreal. Um, but you know, at that point, it was just you I think the biggest thing for me is you know, you do all this training to for combat. Um, and we got you know an abbreviated version, SASO over at uh the Air Force, March Air Force Base, you know, doing all that stuff, and you're just like, oh wow. Um, and we're just kind of getting this crash course, and none of us are really supposed to be, you know, walking around patrolling, doing all that. So, but um luckily I got some experience at squat leaders, but you know, it was just it's one of those things where it's like, when does this really start? You know, it's like, what's that transition like? It, you know, should someone ring a bell? You know? I don't know what I was expecting, but it was just like, you know, for us when we went in, it was just like there's no transition period. It's like just be ready to go. And um, you know, it was kind of crazy in in that regard.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And you already brought it up. I mean, we didn't the army's well, a first of all, most of their team had already left, and so they were a skeleton crew in the first place. But their mission was very different than ours. And so uh do you remember more about that left seat, right seat, kind of getting spun up quick?
SPEAKER_00I you know, and I'm sure Lieutenant Dobb and you know Staff Sergeant Cook at the time had you know some other experiences, um, and maybe other people did, but I remember taking one ride with them, just going around the outskirts. I'm in the back of a Bradley, I see nothing. And like I remember them. We get back, they all slap hands, they're like, all right, awesome, you know, they're leaving. And I'm like, that I don't I don't think that did much for me.
SPEAKER_03So yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I think you know, whoever was up top, maybe in you know the VC hatch or whatever else, maybe got you know a little bit more than I did, hopefully. Um, but you know, that was about it, you know. So I think I got about zero percent from our left seat, right seat. Not the not to the army's, you know, discredit. Uh, you know, it's like, what are you gonna do um when you're in the back of a Bradley, right? We didn't stop though. I don't I don't remember stopping anywhere doing anything like that. So a lot different than our left seat, right seat that we did with uh, I think it was two five or three five that replaced us.
SPEAKER_02Two five was our replacement.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, well, and again, I mean, just to give uh cred, you know, I don't know, credit's the right word, but just to be fair to the story, they they were just doing route route clearance missions. Like they they were just trying to make those IEDs go boom and uh then you know, route clear, mission accomplished. Where uh we were uh intentionally infiltrating uh the city.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, they were meant to occupy the bases so that way when when the whole whoever the force was that was going to take over, which turned out being us, uh they were just there to make sure everything was secured long enough for us to get there.
SPEAKER_00No, 100%. And and they did good. And like I said, I think Lieutenant Dobb and whoever's else was up top probably got a great look um and got the most out of that.
SPEAKER_01My my memory, I mean, we did a coup being a part of the drive up, we got I I remember going on a few more than that, but um really what I remember talking to uh Gunny Cook at the time about well, staff seren at that time, but nevertheless, that it was very much of a he designated me as his driver because at that point it was like, all right, our first several times out, we're just going to drive around town and just don't, you know,
Learning The City Without A Guide
SPEAKER_01the the the mission to me was muster, don't get lost. You know, like like I need you to study the map at night. And then and then we'll be lead truck and we'll just drive around until we get a lay of the land and stuff like that. And that was the first few weeks. Um only only by a little bit because we started getting hit right away.
SPEAKER_00But yeah. No, I I agree. I I think that was a big thing, is like you don't get lost, you know. It's like you have 17 like pages of satellite imagery, and like, hey, this is the route. And it's like, oh great, this is uh extremely helpful. So um, but yeah, no, those those, you know, the you know, transitioning into the first weeks when we're on our own, you know, I I think we all used to joke with each other, it's just like, you know, saturation, we're we're looking for IEDs, you know, and it's like uh easier said than done. So um I think that was a big thing too, is just I think we all thought, well, I don't want to say that, I at least I thought some of these things would have more indicators and signs, you know, it's like, oh, you know, that's an IED. And I think we all realize very quickly, um, those guys were pretty good for the most part at at least camouflaging them. Um, so you know, that was uh that was very interesting, and something that you know definitely struck me was oh wow, you know, finding these things uh easier said than done for sure.
SPEAKER_01Well, and that that early part too, we were still very under the impression that we were going to be still winning hearts and minds. And so a lot more generator drop-offs, schools, hospitals, smiling, soccer balls, um and so uh that was shattered pretty quickly, but yeah. Do you remember any of those first couple missions, like any of those SASO ones? Or uh do you remember being in a I mean we're coming quickly into our the first uh hits here? Um April's just right around the corner now from the storyline. Uh do you remember any initial firefights or getting into it prior to the first part of April?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and like I said, everything kind of like mashes up, but I I I do remember us going out on a QRF, and I I wish I could remember more of uh you know the map of where we were at and everything. Um, you know, I do remember a few names of you know different roads that we took, but I remember uh going out on a QRF and getting ambushed. Um that was I don't think that was when
Early Ambushes And First Wounds
SPEAKER_00Riegel Spurger got hit, but that's when uh Buzz Lightyear and him and Dobbs vehicle got shot, I believe. Yes. Uh through the foot. Um, and that's where, you know, um, you know, in the end, uh Savage started opening up on you know the 240, um, getting after it. And you know, and us closing with uh we didn't end up finding anybody that'd already been long gone. But uh that's one of the first ones I remember firefight-wise, you know, outside of IEDs that um, you know, one of the big ones. Uh and like I said, unfortunately, like timelines kind of mesh in like, you know, inner, you know, combined together for me. But um, that's one of the first ones I remember. And I just remember um zero hesitation from Savage. I remember trying to figure out where the heck these guys were. Um, you know, and that would that ended up being a big problem, and you know, then obviously during our time in Ramadi, and then you know, after that too, a lot of the times, um, because they weren't trying to get in decisive engagements with us because they knew that wasn't smart. So, you know, good on them for that. But uh, you know, I I remember, and this is kind of outside of that, but I remember my vehicle had a half door, the half canvas door in the beginning, right? And uh and I remember a talk before we went where Captain Weiler was talking about he was worried about mobility in and out of the vehicles and taking off the doors completely. And that was Jenny Markey jumping in and like, hey, uh, you know, uh I don't know if that's a great idea. Um, you know, even though they didn't offer much protection regardless, right? But I I remember just because after afterwards, I remember looking back on our time and I was like, I remember when I had a half door and my arm was hanging over it, you know, just driving through the city in the very beginning. And it's like, wow, like how things changed drastically.
SPEAKER_02Well, here, let me throw a couple dates at you to jog your memory of some of the early stuff. Because I think the ambush you're talking about actually happened in April, if I if I'm remembering the retelling. Uh couple things in March that might that might sound familiar to you because I know your platoon was on it. Um March 20th was when the bike IED went off and Worth was wounded.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And then I remember that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. What if you happen to remember anything, please go ahead and jump in.
SPEAKER_00I don't remember too much about that. I'm trying to think of the details on that.
SPEAKER_01Well, that was technically our section. So I mean, it was Sledgehammer that got uh it was Sledgehammer that got hit. So you guys would have been we were on day taskable, so we probably were night QRF, if I remember sequence right.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, the only reason why I mentioned it is because it was you know, member your platoon. Yeah, member your platoon, you might have remembered. And then the one two days later, you guys actually responded to uh one of our, I think the first KIA in the battalion, or maybe yeah, I think it was the first KIA in the battalion, was uh Fox Company. It was Lance Corporal Dang. He got killed by uh RPG, and you guys were on the QRF response and cleared those vehicles and everything. I don't know if you remember that, but that was a nighttime RPG shot that ended up killing uh Dang was an engineer that was attached to Fox, I believe.
SPEAKER_00Okay. I remember I don't remember if it was when we were responding to that, and I can't remember his name, of course, because I'm mine, but uh, we had a guy get injured on an ID going out to do something in Rainmaker, and I had to take him back to Junction City. Okay. Um, and I'll I'll talk about that. Um because it was I made a lot of mistakes uh that I learned from and and carried on, but that we all did.
SPEAKER_02We all did.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and it's serious. I feel like a serious disturbice. I can't remember his name. I remember his face like like it was yesterday, but um, we hit an IED. It was nighttime. We were going out, we were over uh, you know, just outside of Fox Company's AO or within it. Um and we were over on that on that side of town, and uh we hit an IED, and one of the guys got peppered with a bunch of shrapnel, and that was like my first time seeing, you know, one
IED Evac And A Hard Driving Lesson
SPEAKER_00of our guys injured. And so, you know, I kind of, you know, for me it was like, oh gosh, we got to get this guy out of here, you know. And so we went up and you know, uh Lieutenant Dobbs, like, hey, get him back to Junction City. So I took two vehicles and we start driving back, and there's a ton of traffic. It's like bumper to bumper. So it wasn't super late at night or anything, and so I decided to drive down the wrong side of the road, uh, thinking that it's gonna be quicker. Um, so uh we're honking the horn, flashing lights, we're driving down, and then boom, we get in an accident, right? And so I think I ended up leaving maybe McNaughton in Persher. Oh, yes, okay.
SPEAKER_01Now the story. Yep, okay, go ahead. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I was like, well, I just, you know, um, I'm you know, I'm kind of freaking out at that point, and I'm like, you know what, I gotta get this guy to Junction City. Um, and so um I end up leaving them there, and I'm like, hey, just keep people away if they get too close, do what you gotta do. I'm gonna go to Junction City, I'll call Hurricane Point, we'll get somebody there to come get you. Um, and so we finish, so I leave them, we get them to the high, you know, I I jumped in the high back, get them over there. Um, and then I'm like frantically trying to get a hold of Hurricane Point. Someone had already been dispatched out there um and you know, linked up with them. And I think uh, and so that's what I remember from that. And I remember uh Staskarn Cook, Sergeant Major Cook now, uh basically like, hey, next time maybe don't drive on the wrong side of the road, you know. Like I'm like, yeah, good point. Uh, you know, lesson learned. But yeah, and I don't know, and I remember the reason is because they remember those, they had those high walls in the median in some of the spots on throughout Michigan. And I was like, instead of going, I'm like, shoot, I don't know when this wall ends, I don't know how far I have to go down. I'm just gonna drive on the wrong side of the road. So um not my best decision, but you know, uh, but yeah, learned the lesson from that.
SPEAKER_01And well, yeah, we we the it's it was all our first time around, and uh there is we we all made I I know we all have several, like uh even even in the moment, I kind of thought that was a bad idea. And yep, yeah, yeah, 100%.
SPEAKER_00You know, take you know, you take risks, and sometimes uh, you know, are are they acceptable? Well, you know, when you Monday morning quarterback them, you know, hopefully we do what the purpose of that is is to learn the lesson. But you know, I did what I felt was best and uh you know next time I wouldn't do that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Do you have any other ones that are uh that fall in that larger category of like uh um instantaneous feedback of uh lessons learned?
SPEAKER_00I got a funny story that's coming to mind. Um we were all going out, the whole company was going out. We were gonna go do this raid on these uh most of the company. We were gonna go do uh you know a night raid. And we were driving, we went past the snake pit and we went on that side,
Night Raid Mishaps And Bad NVGs
SPEAKER_00well, on the east side, and we were coming up uh Route Nova or was that the other side? I can't remember. That's the other side, yeah. So whatever the route was all the way on the east. But um, I remember heading up, and Garcia's vehicle almost went into the river, right? And so we all stopped and then we figured that out, and then we're getting close, so we go blacked out, and I remember we're driving just down the you know, middle of the road, and everybody's making this right turn. And I was the last vehicle uh for that raid that night, and you know, in this, you know, our section. And I remember we're turning and I could see this ditch like right in the middle of the road. And I'm like, and I I'm yelling at McNaughton, and I'm like, left, left, left. And he's like, he kind of looks at me like, what? And we go and we flip over on our side. Um, and so I am looking at the bottom of the ditch, uh, our linguist Rocco's in the back, freaking out. Um, you know, Hersher's safely, you know, in the turret didn't fall out. Um, but basically, you know, we all get out. I run up because we're supposed to be, I think, part of the inner, we were supposed to be the cordon for Garcia's guys going in. Um, we were way late, they're already done. Uh just remember Captain Weiler coming up to me. He's like, What the F is your problem tonight? And I was like, I just looked at him, I'm like, Yeah, I don't, I don't know. Like, sorry. Sorry, we didn't see the trench in the middle of the road. I mean, I get that everybody else did, and I mean I did too, but you know, uh, you know, uh maybe I wasn't clear enough to McNaughton, but uh, I was pretty pissed at him too. I think when I flipped over, I was like, I looked up at him and I'm like.
SPEAKER_01But well, and that's and that's some wild shit too, because at that point our NVG system uh sucked. I mean, there was those were the old ones. And so trying to run I because I remember preferring I had I have pretty decent night vision myself, like without optics that I preferred not using the goggles because when I was a when I was a driver and I preferred my when Gunny had his on because he could tell me more detail, but I could if I focused on the road, I could I I could see the road better without my goggles on and my depth perception, at least, although I couldn't see as far, at least I feel like I could I had some depth perception.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah, and I can't remember if McNaughton had his. I don't even think I had mine on, uh, because I like, you know, and we were going through the the neighborhood, and so there was some light. And so um, yeah, if I didn't have to wear those, um, it's crazy now, you know. I I I got the white phosphorus ones at work, and it's nuts. Like, I'm just like, and I remember, and I I you know you guys could jog my memory. I can't remember if every one of us had MVGs. No, I think yeah, I don't think we did. I I can't remember when that transition happened, but I definitely knew before, like if you're a team leader and up, I was like, Yep.
SPEAKER_01It's well it was for us. I mean, uh, at least when I first my first sat over there were the binocular ones, yeah, the uh 17s. Couples only you had seven Bravos, I think so.
SPEAKER_02Or seven bravos, yeah. Seven deltas was the newest generation we had. We didn't even have anything newer. So we have four teens. I thought we had fourteens there. I think maybe eight, nine people. Very few people had four teens. I think a couple of the designated marksmen got those. Yeah, very few, very few.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, yeah, it's just so weird. You know, it's like you think about it now, you know, and it's like when I was in, you know, at the end, you know, later on in time, towards the end of my career, I was with three six over there. And if someone didn't have MVGs, I would have been like, You're nuts. How are they gonna shoot at night? Like, yeah, like uh like we don't pack 15s or 16s, like how are we gonna do this accurately? This is you know, we were like sometimes you know, I look at us, you know, it's like we're we're welding armor to Humvees, and you know, we're getting RCOs when we first get there, eight cogs, I think we called them at the time. But you know, it's like we were the bad news bears of combat, and uh, but making it happen. So it it's like I said, best of times and worst of times, you know. It's like we dealt with that birthday well, and uh we made good things happen, which just a testament to everybody we got to work with.
SPEAKER_01We had hate and anger for days, so we made it. Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_02Well, and there were so many things like that. You could start you could start on any single piece of gear, and and we were inventing it as we went, right? Like even with body armor is a good example. We had the full vest body armor, not the breakaway armor that you had later, not the ultralight plates. We didn't even have side plates, right? We just had front, back, sappy plates, full armor. You had to cut it. If you cut it away, you ruin the jacket. Uh boots, nobody
Improvised Gear And Hydration Reality
SPEAKER_02had desert boots. Everybody was running some random, they were tan boots, but they weren't desert boots. Like just ran you could pick any single piece of gear, and we were on the first generation and often having to make it work in some weird way, like just weird stuff.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Lou, do you do you remember? Um, it was a wasn't it a ponte that figured out how to make the three-point sling out of the extra Molly gear straps so everybody could have a three-point sling?
SPEAKER_00And then he like gave a class on like you know what I don't remember that, but it probably was Aponte was very crafty. Um, you know, one of the stories I remember from there is uh he put in he was making benches for the highbacks so that people didn't have to sit on the ground. And I remember I was in the hooch and he was out there doing it and knocking it out, and I remember hearing something, and I go out there and Hodges is on top of a ponte and I pull Hodges off. I'm like, what are you doing? You know, and the ponte's like, Well, Hodges, you know, I've been doing these benches. Hodges comes out and says they need to be three inches higher or whatever it was, and you know, and Ponte told him to screw off, like, dude, you're out of your mind. And uh I remember that. It was funny. Uh but yeah, Ponte was definitely crafty and uh it definitely could have definitely been him, but I don't remember exactly to be honest.
SPEAKER_01That's fair. That's fair. No, I that Molly system that we had was a pile of crap, but yeah.
SPEAKER_00No, it was uh yeah, it was very interesting. I think a lot was learned from us going over that got carried on over after the year for sure. Um, you know, I took a lot of stories back, you know, because I ended up being a cat platoon sergeant um, you know, after Ramadi. And I remember, you know, another mistake. Uh nobody liked wearing their camelbacks inside the vehicles. Yeah, you know, and so we had those big old water, you know, bottles of water that we would just like, ah, we'll be all right. We're near next to the vehicles. And I remember um learning, you know, one day we got away from the vehicles and we didn't see them for like eight or 12 hours. I think we found an IED that we had to sit on. Um, wait for EOD, you know, which is never a quick, you know, endeavor. So um, you know, and that day on I learned like, hey, yeah, and we were all thirsty, uh so um definitely learned from that because later on I, you know, it was kind of like deja vu. One of my guys comes up to me. He's like, can we not wear our camelbacks? Like put them next to us in the vehicles. I'm like, absolutely not. You know, you will be uncomfortable and you will wear them, and just you know, trust me, and I told him the story, you know. Um, you know, one of those lessons learned from Ramadi. Uh, there was a lot. So, but yeah.
SPEAKER_01I had forgotten how about how uncomfortable that was by having that camel back on your back. Oh, yeah. It kind of pushed you forward in a weird way.
SPEAKER_00And yeah, it was just really annoying. It was almost better to like have a quarter filled and half filled, which isn't great either, right? Just like, but um, you know, I was happy to deal with it, you know, and saying what you were talking about, um, you know, with the the gear, uh we only had one savvy plate.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_00You know, it's like where do I put this? You know, I think we most of us put it in the front. Uh there might have been a few guys that you know didn't want to get shot in the back, I don't know, but um, you know, uh put it in the front. Uh, you know, it's just kind of it's crazy.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00It's crazy. Um, I remember one of the we went to support somebody, and this might have been in April, uh, just talking about the sappy plates. But I remember we were kind of like on the corners of this road behind these two buildings, and we're interspersed, and I want to say it was golf company that we were with. Um, and we reacted out there, and there was a guy he was running across coming over to our side, and he got shot right in the sappy. We thought he was dead. I ran over and I grabbed him by that handle on his flak, and we I dragged him back to the corner, and then like opening his flak, he's like, I'm shot, I'm shot. Like, where? You know, and I'm looking, healing is back, and I, you know, I was like, Where did this guy get shot? And then, you know, it sappy plate worked. I wish we had two, actually, four. It would have been nice off the size, too. Um, but you know, um, you know, so talking about sappy plates, at least uh in that instance, it was uh it was definitely good to have 100%.
SPEAKER_01No, there's we got lucky that I mean well, I don't know, luck is not the right word, it's just the nature of the beast, but the enemy was also new at this. And so there's you know, as as we've you know, uh as we all know, like uh the people that we were fighting in the April May time frame were decidedly different than the ones that came later. That that more sustained, accurate fire where they were they kind of wanted to go toe-to-toe. Um I think God happened later. Right. Because we would not have been uh we still got chewed up pretty good, but god damn it would have been worse.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, just think about those IEDs, how many blew the wrong way? Yep, right, too deep, too deep, you know. Just you know, we got lucky quite a bit, you know. And I I saw a little bit of it when we did the left seat, right seat as we were transitioning it out. Yeah. You know, like the day we were leaving to go to Junction City with the left seat and right seat. I think it was me, Garcia, a few others, uh, from you know, I can't remember who from Sledgehammer, but you know, a few of us stayed back to left seat, right seat with them. And I think Diaz Reeves. Yeah, and I think checkpoint 295 got taken over. I just remember seeing them shooting small rockets and everything else from Snake Pit as we were driving the three-minute ride to Junction City, and I was like, This is like the worst time to leave. Like, this is ridiculous. Like, if any time they needed us, you know, it's like, but you know, nature of the beast, and you're right, they got a lot smarter. Why not attack when they knew we were transitioning, I believe.
SPEAKER_01I knew that they were we got pulled out because our higher command refused to have us get killed due to their uh inability to make good decisions because so many of us had gotten I had gotten wounded the day before. Diaz had get broke, got in his leg broken in that uh mortar fire. Mortar, yeah. I think there were several oliver other of us that were walking wounded too from just those like two, three days. Sure. My higher command was like, fuck this.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I remember we were coming back from uh what was the place up north at the end? Golf and um combat outpost. Yeah, so we were at the outpost coming back, it was night, and I was following behind a seven-ton, and it was a big dang left seat, right seat, and they hooked a right on Apple. You know, everybody went around the traffic circle and kept going straight, and I was like, oh gosh, you know, and so I ended up we ended up chasing them down, and we're like, hey, I know I'm just like, hey man, this is not a good area to be, especially just us. I'm like, so you know, and we hit Nova and you know and slammed down south and you know, get got out of there. And I remember when we got back to um, and it wasn't, I don't think it was 2-5 proper. It was maybe some of their support uh with logistics, or maybe it was a supply officer. I can't remember, but I remember getting up, you know, climbing up in the top of the seven-ton, and I was like, what the hell are you doing? Like, you didn't see everybody else going that way, and they're just kind of looked at me, and Lieutenant Wells came out and he's like, Hey, Layton, go to your hooch, you know, like what you're gonna uh you know, but I was just like, yeah, but you know, you know, we had already been there. You know, we were we were in it to win it. We we knew what the deal was, and they weren't, you know. So there's gonna be mistakes had. Um, you know, and we made, you know, I've already talked about a couple that you know that that I made. So, you know, understandable looking back, you know, hindsight's 2020, but you know, it's just one of those funny things that you know will always be with me. Um running around, uh, you know, and um I don't know if you guys remember when Fox Company lost that Corman?
SPEAKER_02Uh which one? Oh go ahead.
SPEAKER_00I I remember I remember us coming back and there's these guys patrolling, and then like maybe a minute or two later, I see this other guy, and I'm like, maybe he's like rear guard or something. And I think it was at that point. Um, he wasn't too far back, but they got way ahead of him. And I just remember hearing about it where uh Corman got got separated from because he fell asleep during a you know short security halt. Maybe that wasn't so short. But you know, there's a lot of crazy things, and you know, and people think, you know, um, it's interesting now, people are like, oh, this friendly fire, or you know, leaving people, hey, you know, it's not as easy as you think, you know. Right, you know, um, and you know, you do and you guys have dealt with it. Uh I'm sure I've dealt with it too, where people just if you haven't been there and you haven't experienced it, you know, some of these things that sound preposterous to you aren't. And there's a million reasons why. So, you know, so um I'm glad that uh everything turned. Out well with that, and he was found. But you know, it's just one of the things there's like I remember us being there, and I was just like, dude, how do you lose somebody? But it's like you know, it can happen, you know. Now, you know, being a little bit wiser, you know, but just funny.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. Ro Rocha and I got separated once. That was mostly because I had too much uh adrenaline coming off of uh getting shot at, and I was like, come with me, yeah. And then chased them down, and all of a sudden it was like, oh, oh shit, we're in danger.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and you know, I've done that too, you know, and happened there as well. You know, it's just like, you know, there's a million things that are going on, and you know, you you try to keep it together the best you can and do the right thing. But yeah, sometimes bad things happen. You know, when I was at Mountain Leaders course, uh, one of the things they have there is sometimes people die in the mountains. So, you know, it's just like, hey, you know, this uh this is uh game of life and death here, so you know, things are gonna happen.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. Well, you kind of touched on it. Uh anything specifically stand out to you from April 6th, 7th, 10th? Those are the big uh Battle of Ramadi days. You talked a little about the ambush specifically with Savage Returning Fire, and and I know that was I'm quite certain that was on the 6th, since you guys were, I think, second out the gate right after map three and going to respond to and reinforce golf company, who was kind of split up across the south of the city.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I
Battle Of Ramadi Memories And Tactics
SPEAKER_00you know, uh, and I'm just kind of kind of rapid fire here as I go through my mind, you know, some of the things I remember, um, you know, on on one of them, and and some of these are just kind of little quips that you know pop up, but uh I remember Leilong, um, you know, we we had two corners, and it might have been that day that golf company that that guy got shot in the sappies. Um, but we ended up trying to close a distance, right? So I told Leilong and uh someone else to get on the other side. Hey, just get up on the roofs and let's just start, you know, let's just start leapfrogging each other and seeing how far we could get. And Leilong, I remember, called me on the PRR, uh, which again, I think we had four of per section, maybe. You know, there wasn't a lot of those to go around, so that was great. Uh line of sight of 20 feet. And I got a funny story on that too, but uh, but I remember Leilong, um, you know, he's like, you know, it was corporal sergeant, whatever it was. He's like, Leighton, there's you know, tar up here, you know, I'm like, whatever, bro. Like, I don't care if there's tar go. And I remember them coming down and just being black, you know, from you know, I don't know what they were doing up there. Um, but you know, ended up just chasing them as far as we could, um, making our way down, you know, that road. And then, you know, again, I I remember that uh specifically. I remember, I think it was that same day too. I remember um, and I can't remember before or after these instances, but I remember standing there and you hear this shot, and I remember seeing this RPG hit and skip and go down the road past us. And I was just like, whoa, Jesus. And it, you know, I think it, I think I can't even remember if it blew up or not, but I remember just seeing it skip down the road, and I'm just like, oh, geez, you know, uh, you know, kind of just crazy. Um, you know, so I remember that. Um, I remember, and and it might be part of those three days, but I remember we were chasing a guy, and we thought, if you remember the compound walls, some of them, if they had like a store, a little shop, right? That store would be part of that compound wall out, you know, away from their house.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_00And we saw this guy uh get up there um on top of one, and we're like, you know, and Garcia's like, hey, get the get the AT4, you know, and I'm like, okay. And for us, we just zip tied them to the top next to the turret. You know, so I cut it off, I bring it over, I give it to Garcia. He's like, no, you shoot it. I'm like, oh man, it's been a hot minute since I shot one of these. Uh so, but you know, figured it out. Uh, you know, I remember and I didn't have ear pro, um, but I remember, you know, hitting it, telling my guys to go and clear the building. Uh he wasn't there, but I just remember that that was kind of funny because like me and Garcia were kind of like, well, you shoot it, you shoot it, you shoot it, you know. And it was uh it was just like, all right, man. Um, but you know, it's just one of those funny instances.
SPEAKER_01Nothing like reading instructions under fire. Yes, rotating it slowly, being like, okay, and then disengage, slide forward.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I was just like, all right, yeah. Like, and it's a super simple process, right? But uh just one of those things I remember. Um I also remember, I can't remember what road it was. Um, but I remember this. It was it was a day that we ended up closing with and getting real close and getting within 50 meters getting shot at and Hodges engaging. Um, I think Hodges and maybe many others, you know. I I'll tell the story and what I remember of it. Um, but uh I think it was golf company who we ended up linking up with. Okay. Um and we were heading east to west, right? And we were heading towards the river, and um, it was very confusing. We didn't know where anybody was, and I remember us just kind of we got to a building, and us and Garcia, Garcia went one way, we went another, and we were gonna just meet up at the river eventually, and just kind of you know, kind of parallel each other. So we get up on top of this building, and um well, beforehand, so we're we're going through, and I don't I don't remember if you guys remember it like this, but the outskirts of Ramadi kind of reminded me of what would Vietnam would look like, you know, like patties, yeah. Yeah, sure.
SPEAKER_01I'll I'll I never thought of it that way, but you're right.
SPEAKER_02No, and there was there was some heavily jungle, like not jungle, but heavily foliaged areas with these palm trees and shit. And it was, yeah, I agree, very, very Vietnam-esque.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it was just and we were kind of one of those areas, and we started getting shot at from this building. And the re and it's just so funny looking back on it now, but I remember being back there, and everybody's behind all my guys are behind trees and taking cover. And I just remember, you know, I'm trying to tell people to move, nothing. So, you know, I ended up getting on the hook with you know, Hodges and Aponte, and I'm like, first team rush, second team rush, first team rush, you know, and it's like back to basics. And I remember learning that thing, you know, I remember learning that in SOI, and I'm like, I am never gonna use this because this is garbage. Like, there's no way that something so basic, yeah, you know, is is gonna actually work in the real 100% it does. Oh, yeah, right. And it's just like, and so we end up getting up to the building. Um, you know, we get in, and now at one point we go building to building, and now we're on the edge. We're just east of um Nova. We can see the river, and we see some guys, you know, in the tree line. And so people are, you know, taking shots at them. Eventually, I think at that point we're waiting for Garcia to come up on our right flank. Uh, they were going building to building too. We had less buildings to clear than they did. But they finally get up with us, and we go and we get online. And I remember Captain Weiler being with us at this point, so I don't know who else was, but I remember being online and pushing through, and all of a sudden we start taking fire. And I and I see, I believe it was Acres just kind of fall. And I was like, oh, I thought he was shot. So I run and I jump on top of him. And at that same point, Hodges and whoever was with him, I think, had you know cleared through and and got those two guys that were there um, you know, in the in the foliage. But I remember I was just like, I thought Acres was dead. And I was like, I get up, and I'm like, I flip him over, um, and I'm like looking and I'm like, and he opens his eyes. I'm like, are you okay? And he's like, Yeah, I'm okay, you know. And it's one of those things I you guys probably remember, but remember when we were going through SOI and maybe some of the stuff we did in our platoons, but if you get ambushed within 50 meters, you're supposed to assault through, right? Uh I stopped teaching that after that, right? I was just like, hey, if you can assault through, great. I don't care. Just get down, you know, find some cover and start shooting.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Find someone else, you know, because that's just the natural response. And, you know, and so I ended up teaching my guys after that experience. It's like, hey, don't feel bad. Like, yeah, 100%. If they're close and you can assault through, but the human response to this is uh-oh, get down. Um, and that's fine. Just if you do that, try to find where they're at, return fire out of the kill zone can you know come in and get it. But yeah, I I definitely remember that. And um going back a little bit on that story in the beginning when we first got there and met up with golf. Um, one of the guys that I that I knew, he went to either the school we went to, Blake, or maybe Squalier's course, but he got shot in the leg. And I remember him just hopping around and like, you know, and I remember grabbing him, like, hey, what are you doing? It's like I got shot. I'm like, I know, man, but like you think you hopping around is not helping anything, you know. Um, and I also remember that first building I was telling you about that we got up on. I wanted to touch on it, but I forgot. But going back to that, um we were getting you know, talking about the friendly fire, we were getting shot at from a 240, you know, and I think it's because there was so much mayhem and chaos at the time. You know, people just saw some dudes on a roof with guns and they're like, you know, and I get it, you know. But I was calling Lieutenant Dobb and I was like, hey, sir, I need you to tell like someone friendly is shooting at us, so I need you to link up. And and uh it took a couple times, but I think uh eventually uh Lieutenant Dobb got a hold of somebody and was like, hey, this is where my guys are, so if you're shooting at them on a roof, stop.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_02I got shot at so many times by friendly fire, I kept two red star clusters in my pocket, my cargo pocket at all times. Yeah, because of that. Because it happened too many times. And so by by like the second time, I was like, okay, I'm just gonna have these because I'm cranking them off all the time anyway.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, I remember that. I remember another instance when Hersher opened up with the Mark 19 on somebody. We thought they were bad guys. We were already getting shot at. And then we see, you know, violent smoke, and I'm like, Hersher, ceasefire. I don't, I don't, uh, I don't think the bad guys have smoke. So yeah, you know, it's like, you know, when you're in the heat of it, like so, so not upset at anybody, but it's just one of those things you talk about now, and it's just like, yeah, yeah, we made it through uh we we made it through quite a bit. Um we did.
SPEAKER_01You uh it sounded like you maybe had a little bit more of a a story on uh on one of the inner squad radio.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So General Mattis came uh to Hurricane Point.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And you know, we're all talking with him, and I think it was just us at the time. I think everybody all the rest of you guys were out or something, you know. So we got called over there. And it's like the colonel, tent top, all of us, and you know, in Rainmaker, and we're just talking with him. And he's like, you know, at the end, he's like, you know, what do you guys need? I'm like, sir, well, we could use some more of these PRRs,
General Mattis And The Radio Ask
SPEAKER_00these personal role radios. Uh, you know, I've only got four in my squad. And he's like, Well, yeah, you know, we're looking into that, you know, but at the end of the day, um, you know, I want to make sure we keep to the basics hand-in-arm signals. And I was like, Well, sir, yeah, absolutely, I agree. But in between buildings, I can't use hand-in-arm signals. And he's like, shut the hell up, Leighton. And I was like, Yes, sir. And so he answers a few other questions, right? And he's like, Leighton, I'll get you those PRRs. And I and I don't think I got enough for everybody, and I don't know if we got them for the company, but there was a guy that outranked me, and I can't remember what his rank was, that came over from Blue Diamond that day with an MRE box with PRRs, you know, and I was like, Oh wow. And he's like, Where's Sergeant Leighton? And I'm like, or that's me. I think it was a staff sergeant or a gun, and he's like, These are yours, and I'm like, and he just kind of looked at me. Uh, I'm sure he was calm and not happy to these wherever he got them from, yeah. But but uh, you know, gutted them and you know, we brought them back. So that's too funny.
SPEAKER_01That's awesome.
SPEAKER_00Good story. I told the story a million times, and uh it was shut the hell up, shut the f up. I can't remember what he said, but and I knew he wasn't super upset because he had a little smirk, but I was just like, very well, you know, let me sit down here. Thought the Colonel and Star Major Booker would be real upset after that, but uh they weren't, so got lucky there.
SPEAKER_02No, man, you got us what we needed anyway. Yep, it was funny with those personal radios too, because we had what, maybe one or two of the portable manpack radios outside of the comm shop. We had, like you said, maybe, maybe four PRRs per platoon. And then it might have been because of you. It was like May or June. We got the iCom radios, those little black radios. And we had a we had a bunch of those, and those were fantastic because they would go like a couple of miles. Like if you you could be separated by a distance, and they would actually work. And then for some reason, and this was around the time we picked up those shitty warlock systems, yeah, that uh that they were like, oh no, those icons are setting off IEDs, and I was like, I'm pushing this button, not a damn thing's out. You're fucking lying. Like, I just did I just did not believe it. You know, I uh out of the actual technology we were pulling out of the IEDs we were recovering, that didn't make any sense, but it uh yeah, that those the calm challenges were insane.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I remember remember you're talking about the IEDs in the warlock. I just came to mind, remember was it spooky? They just blasted, you know, all their radio signals to blow up IDs, you're good. And I'm like, and at first, you know, like hey, that's comforting. And then afterwards, you're like, no, man, that's not working.
SPEAKER_02Right. We would be out there. I remember being specifically out on the
IED Jamming Myths And Near Misses
SPEAKER_02the observation post that was out at the cemetery way late at night, and we were not even up on top, we were down below, so that way we weren't skylining ourselves somewhat in just in case. I don't know. And uh they said the same thing. Spooky's coming over. We heard no explosions. I was like, okay, uh you jammed someone's TV signal, probably. I I don't think I don't think anything happened.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, I was always super hopeful, but uh yeah. And that's funny you say that, Shane, because like now I remember, yeah, we were actually out doing things. It's not, you know, like, hey, I don't know if they told us to hold in place, but that would be probably smart to do, right? Right. Um, push off a roadway so that you know it does work. Probably not. They're probably just like, oh, you know, we're gonna do what we want to do.
SPEAKER_02Well, now that you talk about that, I'm I'm gonna pick your brain because I feel like everybody has one of these stories. Do you have any near misses where you like walked over an IED or you drove right past one and went off right after you went by or something like that?
SPEAKER_00You know, I could think of there was a couple that blew up pretty close. Um, but this is kind of funny too. Um, I think there's a little bit of humor in most things that we went through. But um uh we were we were driving and we had an ID like maybe blow. And it was if it wasn't on Michigan, it was close to it. Um and it blew like 50 meters, didn't affect anybody. We kept driving except for our vehicle because we were the closest, so we stopped. McNaughton got out and started treating people, you know, locals that were injured, you know, and then but the rest of the section's gone, you know, Lieutenant Dobb and everybody else is gone, and we just get hit in IED, and I like not a good, you know, I don't know if there was a good area in Ramadi, but uh at least at the time. But I was like, you know, and so get everything cleared off, vehicles good. Um, and so I'm like, McN I'm like, McNon, like what are you doing? He's like, Oh, I'm just treating. I'm like, well, let's go, man, because we're the only ones out here, brother. And I don't want to I don't want to fight all by ourselves. I'm like, let's go. And so, you know, he finished up and he got in and we pushed through. So that's one of them uh near miss. The second one that I could think of is the same day where the guy got shot in the leg. We were up on the roof catching friendly fire. We uh McNaughton found a slap round that had gone, must have gone just over the hood of my vehicle. Oh, and I don't want to call it a slap round. What it was uh a larger caliber round, we think it was a slap round that went right into a concrete wall that we were parked next to. Yeah. And so, you know, and we had been getting fired at, so I don't remember exactly when it happened, but you know, that's another near miss I could think of. The RPG that bounced right by us and got lucky there. Um, I think in you just like you said, Shannon, I think we all had a lot of near misses. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. IEDs blowing the wrong way. I remember that. I remember Blake's and just going into it. I remember your section, Blake. We came out and responded to help you guys out. You guys hit like three IEDs in a row. It was ridiculous. It was like you hit one, nothing happened, but we responded anyway. And then you're like, okay, you guys kept driving, we were gonna leave, and then you hit another one. So we ended up following you all the way out until I think you got past the outpost.
SPEAKER_01So no, so yeah, yes. Um, what that was was it was the time that we were going out to the memorial service for the the pilot that got killed. The the uh the Hazel pilot got killed, and we were gonna go to the memorial service because he was he got killed supporting us, and we were escorting um Lieutenant Wells out there, and we were like trying to we were trying to make a service, and so we just kept getting we just kept
Convoy IEDs And Part Two Tease
SPEAKER_01getting hit. And finally, I think the it was like on the second one where we didn't even stop, it was just kind of like pow, is everybody okay? Yep, and then we just called it in and was and then we got pow hit again and it just kept just kept going. And we just called it all in and you guys had to respond to it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we just followed it. We might as well just all go now.
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