Troops taught to avoid attacks in Iraq
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Soldiers with 512th Engineer Battalion from the Ohio National Guard march to training exercises at Camp Atterbury near Edinburgh, Indiana.
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EDINBURGH, Indiana (AP) -- Watch out for roadside bombs hidden in animal carcasses. Place extra security at the rear of convoys. Don't negotiate with suicide bombers.
Troops deploying to Iraq early next year will depart with these and other lessons after undergoing extra training in enemy ambush techniques learned from experienced soldiers on the ground and bedside interviews with injured soldiers.
"Their intent is to draw you in and make you a casualty," Maj. Kurtis Moore told National Guard soldiers at Indiana's Camp Atterbury. "You stay alert, you stay alive."
Beginning next month, a massive new wave of soldiers will deploy to Iraq, replacing troops who are completing their tours of duty. Once the rotation is complete in May, about 110,000 troops will be stationed in Iraq, compared with about 123,000 now.
The lessons in anti-terror warfare make some soldiers nervous, but that's the point, said Moore, who trains Guard members and reservists at the Army post 30 miles south of Indianapolis.
"I try to address their fears, but still they're going into harm's way," Moore said. "They've got to be alert for what's going on. I try to convey the seriousness of the threat."
The Center for Army Lessons Learned, based at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., conducts interviews about enemy tactics and distributes tips to troops in Iraq and soldiers who are preparing to deploy. The center also provides a continually updated classified Web site with information on enemy tactics. It has produced thousands of handouts on issues such as thwarting convoy attacks.
Moore's briefing warns soldiers that insurgents may feign sickness or claim to have a broken-down vehicle to draw them close. Suicide bombers are sometimes identifiable by clothing with bulges or an unsteady walk -- both caused by the weight of a vest packed with up to 55 pounds of explosives.
He urges soldiers not to negotiate because suicide bombers often have a partner who can remotely detonate the bomb.
"Be aware of what your situation is, where you're at, what's around you," Moore said. "You all want to go over there safely and come back safely."
The camp's commander, Lt. Col. Kenneth D. Newlin, said the curriculum for soldiers is different now than a year ago because the focus before was on combat.
The next wave of troops will arrive with the knowledge that there is no clear enemy, and they must live among a sometimes-hostile population.
Of increasing concern is the use of improvised explosive devices. The "IEDs" are often disguised along roadways by soda cans, dead animals and disabled cars. Soldiers learn how to identify them.
"There are certain things you can do to harden your vehicle, to make it more survivable, to make yourself more survivable," Newlin said.
Copyright 2003 The
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
