initial intelligence reports from Iraq, told The Post after Lynch's rescue on April 1 that she fired at Iraqi troops until her ammunition ran out
That is not a jammed weapon problem.
the unit's soldiers "fought the best they could until there was no longer a means to resist. They defeated ambushes, overcame hastily prepared enemy obstacles, defended one another, provided life-saving aid, and inflicted casualties on the enemy."
That is not a jammed weapons problem.
James Grubb, in the passenger seat of a 5-ton fuel truck, "returned fire with his M-16 until wounded in both arms, despite reported jamming of his weapon," it said.
I do not see that as a jammed weapons problem. Sounds more to me like he used his training to successfully clear a routine malfunction.
>>>Spec. Joseph Hudson attempted to fire his M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon as he drove a huge wrecker towing a 5-ton tractor-trailer that had broken down. But the weapon malfunctioned.>>>
>>>His weapon jammed. Riley reached for 1st Sgt. Robert Dowdy's M-16 to use instead. Dowdy had been killed instantly in the crash. Riley ordered the two soldiers with him to take cover and then tried to use each of their M-16s against the Iraqis. "But both jammed," >>>
>>>Spec. Joseph Hudson attempted to fire his M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon as he drove a huge wrecker towing a 5-ton tractor-trailer that had broken down. But the weapon malfunctioned. >>>
All, of that is either a CYA excuse or a small unit leadership problem.
Back in the olden days (before the manual bolt forward assist device was designed into the M-16)...blaming the M-16 for non-performance in combat was common. If you ask troops today, who have the later version, they will tell you they luv it...and what they luv is the weapon's reliability.
But, in combat, ya gotta clean and oil your gun every day...and the platoon leader and platoon sgt have to insist on it. Line soldiers want to clean their weapons. support troops must be ordered to. |
