Congressional Medal of Honor Awarded.

[zaxx19]

http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/citation/index.html

The above link will take you to a website devoted to Sgt. First Class Paul Ray Smith.

Sgt. Ray died in combat 2 years ago, and who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor today.


Please take time out of your day to read his story and, if you are so inclined, pray for his soul.

Thank You.

[vulturesrow]

[ QUOTE ]
http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/citation/index.html

The above link will take you to a website devoted to Sgt. First Class Paul Ray Smith.

Sgt. Ray died in combat 2 years ago, and who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor today.


Please take time out of your day to read his story and, if you are so inclined, pray for his soul.

Thank You.

[/ QUOTE ]

My first summer at the Naval Academy, the last thing that happened before lights out each night, is that our detailers (the upperclassmen in charge of our first summer of training) read us a Medal of Honor citation. Very inspiring stuff.

[Beerfund]

This is awesome, my unit was on the way to the airport when this attack happened, I remember hearing the story from a medic who tried to help him but had forgotten about it until I saw this story today. Rather you support the war or not you should thank whatever God it is you pray to that men like this exist. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[thatpfunk]

[ QUOTE ]
Rather you support the war or not you should thank whatever God it is you pray to that men like this exist.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thank my lucky stars that people like that exist and are serving my country. Whenever I get the chance I try to thank them personally.

My passionate hate for GWB comes from the fact that people like him are dying. It honestly makes me sick to my stomach.

I hope he is at peace and thank him for the freedom he has afforded me.

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]
Sgt. 1st Class Smith fired on the advancing enemy from the unprotected position atop the APC..... and resulted in an estimated 20-50 enemy soldiers killed.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is one heck of a kill ratio, especially from an unprotected position.

One thing I will never understand is why don't those APC's have a shield protecting the gunner? It seems so dumb to me. Something like this would make such a huge difference:


http://www.lcompanyranger.com/usweapons/50cal2kibbey.jpg
http://www.lcompanyranger.com/usweapons/50cal1.jpg

Even if it's just a flat metal plate infront of the gun... anything will help. There shouldn't be one unprotected 50 cal on any APC in the US army IMO. If it's so important, why the hell are they neglecting it?

[ThaSaltCracka]

Wacki, that looks like a Vietnam era APC...

Anyways, I read this story today in the newspaper. My heart goes out to his family. He clearly was a man who cared more for others than he did for himself.

Now, as I read the article, they said he fired 300 rounds and killed 50 guards. That is some straight up Rambo sh it!!

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]
Wacki, that looks like a Vietnam era APC...


[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly, so why don't our modern APC's have those shields?

[Beerfund]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Wacki, that looks like a Vietnam era APC...


[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly, so why don't our modern APC's have those shields?

[/ QUOTE ]

Sadly it's because you can't hit anything firing from behind a shield like that. The Army found that more mobile and open weapon position = more kills.Most soldiers would just sit behind the shield poppin off rounds and never hitting anything. It's the same reason why they switched from automatic to semi-automatic rifles after Vietnem.

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Wacki, that looks like a Vietnam era APC...


[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly, so why don't our modern APC's have those shields?

[/ QUOTE ]

Sadly it's because you can't hit anything firing from behind a shield like that. The Army found that more mobile and open weapon position = more kills.Most soldiers would just sit behind the shield poppin off rounds and never hitting anything. It's the same reason why they switched from automatic to semi-automatic rifles after Vietnem.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wonder if this is true due to mobility, or if it is only true among a draft grade army that doesn't want to be there. Are good soldiers paying the price of the bad apples?

Seriously, I refuse to believe they can't make a protected position highly mobile.

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Wacki, that looks like a Vietnam era APC...


[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly, so why don't our modern APC's have those shields?

[/ QUOTE ]


I think this is a new one:

http://www.ndu.edu/nwc/nwcCLIPART/US_ARMY/Equipment/Tracked-Vehicles/M113_Series(APC)/1M113APC1.jpg

[Beerfund]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Wacki, that looks like a Vietnam era APC...


[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly, so why don't our modern APC's have those shields?

[/ QUOTE ]

Sadly it's because you can't hit anything firing from behind a shield like that. The Army found that more mobile and open weapon position = more kills.Most soldiers would just sit behind the shield poppin off rounds and never hitting anything. It's the same reason why they switched from automatic to semi-automatic rifles after Vietnem.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wonder if this is true due to mobility, or if it is only true among a draft grade army that doesn't want to be there. Are good soldiers paying the price of the bad apples?

Seriously, I refuse to believe they can't make a protected position highly mobile.

[/ QUOTE ]

Speaking from first hand experience, I can say that no matter how well soldiers are trained and how well protected and equiped they may be, you won't know how they'll react in battle until they actually get there. I saw a few things that I would never really want to talk about but they happened none the less. I'm not sure exactly how the APC's are protected but I can say that, after getting orders from the "big guys", when you get down to the unit levels the number 1 concern is ALWAYS troop safety first and the mission second.

[Beerfund]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Wacki, that looks like a Vietnam era APC...


[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly, so why don't our modern APC's have those shields?

[/ QUOTE ]


I think this is a new one:

http://www.ndu.edu/nwc/nwcCLIPART/US_ARMY/Equipment/Tracked-Vehicles/M113_Series(APC)/1M113APC1.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep that's pretty much it but as you can see to actualy fire it from an offensive position your head and shoulders would still be exposed.

[wacki]

It's still a massive improvment over nothing. Shoulders = nonlethal

Head = hard to hit/painlesss (normally)/protected by helmet.

[ThaSaltCracka]

where you in the Army?

[Beerfund]

Yea, I was in Iraq for 9 months and got out last year.

[ThaSaltCracka]

what were your thoughts on the situation over there, how did you think the media portrayed it?

[Beerfund]

I was there before the war started and about 8 months after. My unit was right behind the first ground unit to go in providing air support. I got to see a lot of cool stuff that most probably don't hear about, like schools re-opening that had been closed for years, hospitals being staffed with doctors and nurses not an Army unit, and we were able to help restock a library that had been emptied by Sadam. Of course there was also things that weren't so nice,like people living in a pile a rubble that used to be
their home and a mass grave that we were told(from the Iraqi civilians) was from a group of men who held a "secret meeting".

The media shows what they want to show but never the whole story, you rarely see the positive human interest stories and I assume that most wouldn't understand anyway. You almost HAVE to be there and interact with the Iraqi people to truly know postive effects of the removal of Sadam's regime.

I have some mixed feelings however, I wish we could just withdraw all of our troops because that's probably what the majority of the citizens want but they're not ready to run a democratic gorvernment without direct aide and military assistance. All in all I am %100 behind the operation and regret no choices I have made. Hopefully someday people will look back and feel the same way.

[BCPVP]

Thank you sir

[ThaSaltCracka]

thank you for the post.

[Dead]

I'll likely never agree with the war. Nevertheless, thanks for your service.

[vulturesrow]

[ QUOTE ]
I was there before the war started and about 8 months after. My unit was right behind the first ground unit to go in providing air support.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe I flew over you. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[BCPVP]

My thanks to you as well, vulture.

Was that your call sign?

[vulturesrow]

[ QUOTE ]
My thanks to you as well, vulture.

Was that your call sign?

[/ QUOTE ]

No my name comes from a part of the aircraft carrier called 'vultures row'. And no need to say thanks to me. ITs much safer at 25000 ft than on the ground /images/graemlins/wink.gif