via:Winds of Change.NET: IEDs in Iraq

OK, so you just got back from AT, and school is starting next week, your MCI's are late and your honey-dew list is now longer than last month's HD List. So here's a freebie. Sort of...Winds of Change has a lot of good reading material (I know, I know as if you didn't have enough already) and one section from which I swiped this baby. He doesn't mind knowing it is for a good cause: keeping reservist up to date. Don't use the Dinosaurs of the MSM for SOP. Bookmark WofC site. Check back ASAP

• * There were 12,000 IED attacks in 2004. That is 12 thousand. IEDs are not an automatic fatality. Most miss. Even those that hit usually are not effective. There is a soldier in the 256 who has 18 IED hits to date (that they can figure... he doesn't brag and its the gunners and otters that are trying to total up the hits), and not a scratch on him or his crew. There are those on IED Hunting teams that refuse to come off hunting duties and have had ZERO IED hits... they have been shot at, but ZERO hits on IEDS. LESSON LEARNED: IEDs are an inefficient way to attack.
• * There are units that have spent their ENTIRE tour with soft-sided HUMVEES and have had far less IED hits that those in Up-Armored or fully armored vehicles. In fact, they had their doors off. Even today, Rangers and SF run around in bare vehicles and don't get attacked. The reason - the entire convoy was sharp, at the ready, and was able to visually detect IEDS, use aggressive driving to throw off timing of IEDs, and were obviously ready to return fire. They were NOT worth hitting. An up-armored conmoy with everyone's head down and hiding is a much better target. ALL ARMOR CAN BE DEFEATED!!! There have been tanks as well as Strykers and Up-Armored HUMVEES (the M1114's) that have been hit and destroyed. Often (not always), its because they were complacent, they established patterns, they trusted their armor to save them, and otherwise they gave the enemy the means to predict their movements and the comfort (based on lack of alertness) to target them. LESSON LEARNED: If everyone is alert and in th right mindset, you're far less likely to targeted, regardless of armor. Armor has often led to false sense of security.
• * Know your basic skills - shoot, move, communicate. Know how to fire all weapons. Know how to operate radios, do call for fire, call for MEDEVAC , call in IEDs, etc. Know how to drive, to include how to "push" friendly vehicles out of a the kill zone or move other vehicles out of the way (the enemy uses junked cars as obstacles to channel movement). "Move" includes know how to change a tire like a NASCAR pit crew or how to execute a "bump" plan (the plan to stack extra people in a vehicle after losing a vehicle in the convoy.) For those that have travelled in a big city before... if you move out with a purpose and look like you know what you're doing, you're not an attractive target. If it looks like you are in charge of an area after an IED attack, they won't want to attack with small arms and lose everyone (as they often do... its why they usually just use IEDs unless people get lazy).
• * Security at all times. If you are safeguarding a site, like an IED, do NOT spend time looking inwards at the IED. Look out, observe patterns and behavior. If just part of the perimeter gets lazy, that is where they will attack. If you're in the wire, know where your equipment is, know where shelters are, and know what the drill is in your area. Know what protection your ECM provide - they are highly effective and are forcing the enemy to move from 90% radio-controlled IEDs to other, less desirable means of initiation.
• * Have brutally honest AAR after EVERY movement. There are no such things as "simple convoys", they are all combat patrols. So, even if there were zero hits, review your conduct. Did you follow a pattern from previous ops? What did everyone see in terms of changes to the terrain or people? Did your vehicle stay alert? The other ones? If you can keep each other sharp, avoid patterns, and constantly learn, it dramatically decreases your chance at being targeted. There is always room to improve, always something that slipped. Get after it.
• Winds of Change.NET: Lessons Learned: IEDs in Iraq