Blogging live from Iraq, MSNBC combat correspondent Kevin Sites posts a new entry today. Last week, he and the the military unit with which he was traveling near Ramadi were hit by an IED, also known as a "roadside bomb."
We will take four humvees on this trip, including a gun truck or technical with a mounted 240 SAW, squad assault weapon and about 20 marines carrying M-16 and M4 assault rifles. As the captain speaks, the marines pass out smoke grenades that could be used to obscure a disabled vehicle from enemy fire. They also pass out fragmentation grenades, olive green orbs with strips of red duct tape wrapped around the handles to keep them from exploding in case the pin is pulled inadvertently.The captain (who doesn't wanted to be identified by name) reads off a checklist that covers everything from the military grid coordinates for our travel to recent intel on enemy forces in the area, radio frequencies and procedures if we come under attack. "I'm not reading this for my own amusement," he says gruffly, "if something happens to me or Gunny you want to know how to get back so you better be fucking writing it down."
