Convoy Ambush Case Studies - Volume II - Iraq and Afghanistan

Convoy Ambush Case Studies - Volume II - Iraq and Afghanistan
Author: Richard E. Killblane
Publisher:
Total Pages: 403
Release: 2018-04-29
Genre:
ISBN: 9781980966401

This is the second edition of a superb report on convoy ambushes in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. Following the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, the US Army found itself fighting two wars without any established front lines again turning logistics convoys into combat operations. A new generation of young men and women, with little formal training in or preparation for these operations, battled daily with the enemy to get their cargo through. In doing so the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan saw the rebirth of gun trucks and convoy security doctrine that went beyond the lessons of the Vietnam War. Against an enemy that used the desert and mountains to their tactical advantage, convoy tactics, techniques and procedures quickly evolved to counter the most violent opposition encountered by US forces. Each ambush recounts in vivid detail incredible acts of heroism by both military and civilian truck drivers as they struggled to survive under harrowing conditions and knowing they would go back out on the road again the next day. The last chapter sums up lessons that have remained consistent through three wars and reveals valuable insights from units that either managed to avoid ambushes or defeated their ambushers. The study of both volumes will arm the reader for future conflicts and teach how to conduct convoy security in multiple combat environments. From the book: "Another problem that hindered development of any convoy security doctrine was that Americans saw the insurgency of the Vietnam War as an anomaly in history and incorrectly assumed that its wars would continue be broad front wars like World War II. Oddly, the broad front concept of war that began during World War I and ended with Desert Storm was the anomaly, and armies advancing into enemy territory bypassing enemy resistance had been the norm before and would be again in Iraq. Even the convoy ambushes during military operations in Somalia did not inspire anyone to develop convoy security doctrine. In fact support troops only fired the minimum 40 rounds per year on weapons qualification with no cross training in other weapons. They were not seen as needing any additional weapons training as a cost cutting measure. The death of four MPs due to a mine explosion did result in the development of the up-armored HMMWV M1114, but it was initially just issued to MPs and Cavalry units, or-not transportation units for convoy security. Surprisingly, the ambush of the 507th Maintenance Company in An Nasiriyah still did not inspire any changes. The last element of a 600-vehicle column, the 507th had missed its turn and drove into a town controlled by militia as the 3rd Infantry Division advanced to Baghdad. The ambush unfortunately was interpreted as an accident and not a precursor of things to come."

Convoy Ambush Case Studies

Convoy Ambush Case Studies
Author: Richard E. Killblane
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2014-08-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1782893393

When the enemy adopts a policy to attack convoys, truck drivers become front line troops. Convoy commanders must then become tacticians. How to study war? The student of tactics studies previous fights and mentally places himself in the position of the participants. Knowing what they knew, how would he have reacted? In hind sight, what was the best course of action, remembering that there is no one perfect solution? Any number of actions would have succeeded. The tactician must learn what would have worked best for him. For this reason, I have pulled together all the examples of convoy ambushes. The 20th century, Vietnam War, and current war in Iraq provide a wealth of examples of convoy ambushes from which to study. Unfortunately, the US Army did not record many good accounts of ambushes during the Vietnam War. Much of what is presented in this text is based upon oral interviews of the participants, sometimes backed by official record, citations or reports. For this reason, some of the ambush case studies present only the perspective of a crew member of a gun truck or the convoy commander. Since this academic study works best when one mentally takes the place of one of the participants, this view of the ambush serves a useful purpose. After my own review of the ambushes, I have drawn my own conclusion as to what principles apply to convoy ambushes.

In Contact!

In Contact!
Author: William Glenn Robertson
Publisher: U.S. Government Printing Office
Total Pages: 168
Release: 2006
Genre: History
ISBN:

Case studies include lethal and nonlethal missions performed by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. The events chronicled span the spectrum of participants from officers to noncommissioned officers, and from combat units to support personnel, all in contact with a vicious and unforgiving enemy.

Delivering Victory

Delivering Victory
Author: Richard E. Killblane
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2019-11-29
Genre: History
ISBN: 1787546039

In this book US Army Transportation Corps Historian, Richard E. Killblane, utitlizes the expertise of professionals with lived experience of synchronizing military transportation from end to end to uniquely explore how military transportation logistics have evolved during the last half of the 20th Century and beyond towards greater efficiency.

Ambush!

Ambush!
Author: Joshua Potter
Publisher: Paladin Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2010-02-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781581607246

Since its release in 1994, Killing Zone: A Professional's Guide to Preparing and Preventing Ambushes has been hailed by military professionals for its clarity and depth of understanding of ambushes. Now, this classicbook has been retitled and thoroughly revised and updated for today's evolving battlefield. Ambush! contains much of the original material drawn from author Gary Stubblefield's experiences in Vietnam and beyond as a U.S. Navy SEAL and counterinsurgency expert Mark Monday's decades of research and analysis. Now the book has been reorganized and expanded based on the battlefield knowledge of U.S. Army Special Forces Lt. Col. Joshua Potter, a decorated combat veteran of Iraq who used, refined, and updated the original edition. Ambush! incorporates the expertise of combat veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, security contractors, and Special Operations professionals who have set up ambushes in war-torn Central and South America, Africa, and the Philippines. It includes: A revised look at the anatomy, operational cycle, and warning signs of an ambush Lessons learned from conducting, preventing, and countering ambushes in Afghanistan and Iraq Procedures for dealing with ambushes involving IEDs Counterambush and antiambush tactics, techniques, and procedures utilizing current technology, as well aslow-tech and improvised solutions Special considerations for NGOs operating in contested areas Ambush! is much more than a book of ambush case studies – it is a practical survival guide to some of the most treacherous regions of the world.

Deep Maneuver

Deep Maneuver
Author: Jack D Kern Editor
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Total Pages: 266
Release: 2018-10-12
Genre:
ISBN: 9781727846430

Volume 5, Deep Maneuver: Historical Case Studies of Maneuver in Large-Scale Combat Operations, presents eleven case studies from World War II through Operation Iraqi Freedom focusing on deep maneuver in terms of time, space and purpose. Deep operations require boldness and audacity, and yet carry an element of risk of overextension - especially in light of the independent factors of geography and weather that are ever-present. As a result, the case studies address not only successes, but also failure and shortfalls that result when conducting deep operations. The final two chapters address these considerations for future Deep Maneuver.

Bringing Order to Chaos

Bringing Order to Chaos
Author: Peter J Schifferle Editor
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Total Pages: 218
Release: 2018-10-12
Genre:
ISBN: 9781727842913

Volume 2, Bringing Order to Chaos: Combined Arms Maneuver in Large Scale Combat Operations, opens a dialogue with the Army. Are we ready for the significantly increased casualties inherent to intensive combat between large formations, the constant paralyzing stress of continual contact with a peer enemy, and the difficult nature of command and control while attempting division and corps combined arms maneuver to destroy that enemy? The chapters in this volume answer these questions for combat operations while spanning military history from 1917 through 2003. These accounts tell the challenges of intense combat, the drain of heavy casualties, the difficulty of commanding and controlling huge formations in contact, the effective use of direct and indirect fires, the need for high quality leadership, thoughtful application of sound doctrine, and logistical sustainment up to the task. No large scale combat engagement, battle, or campaign of the last one hundred years has been successful without being better than the enemy in these critical capabilities. What can we learn from the past to help us make the transition to ready to fight tonight?

Automating Army Convoys

Automating Army Convoys
Author: Shawn McKay
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2020-03-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781977400390

How should the U.S. Army develop and integrate automated driving technology for its convoy operations in the next one to five years? The authors examine the technical and tactical benefits and risks of employment concepts for automated trucks.