Oscar Mike = On the Move?
Correct.
I don’t know if they recorded all of the communications or if they just made it up for the show, but all of the lingo is authentic when they are rolling the credits. Spotting rounds on the deck, sead missions, all that stuff made the hair stand up on my arm.
Really enjoyed that episode.
As far as I’ve seen it’s pronounced “pogues” but acronymed POGs. It’s such a wonderful catch-all version of REMF’s that has less to do with location than with your mission and lifestyle.
About the only realism problem I had was the Mark 19 (grenade launcher in the vehicles) taking down the ambush building. In general my experience with them had them create a lot of smoke and dust but do little structurally to all but the flimsiest buildings. You had to get a window or you were pretty much just suppressing, and poorly at that.
Granted, this was a time when the muj had gotten to the point where they were offsetting from their windows by entire rooms, with sandbags and netting, so it’s all relative. I just have a tough time envisioning a building collapse or whatever the hell happened as a result of the 40mm grenades. I guess the fedayeen shouldn’t have stacked all of their dynamite next to the windows or something.
During our time in Ramadi, one of our favorite registered targets (TRP Gay Palace) took in the neighborhood of a hundred antitank rockets (SMAW variants and AT4s) and countless 50 cal and 40mm on top of numerous JDAMs, GMLRs, and god knows what else that came before us. That damned thing was no closer to falling at the end than it was when we got there. And I think I’ve mentioned elsewhere how the hotel across from the government center took weeks of twice nightly controlled detonations with as much C4 as the engineers could safely transport before it was rubbled, after years of being hit with all sorts of munitions. They were exceptionally large buildings, but characteristic of the indestructible architecture there.
One thing I really liked was how he left interpretation of Lt Col Ferrando’s actions and words relatively open. I can definitely see someone interpreting his statement about wanting to make Gen Mattis happy as merely sycophantic, but that would seem a narrow view of what to Ferrando is likely just a statement of faith in a higher power he admires and seeks to emulate. I guess that’s a tough distinction to draw for some, and I respect Simon just leaving it out there. Unless he didn’t, and was just subtle about it, I can’t tell anymore.
Also, the Sgt Colbert fiance story had a lot more resonance than it did in print. I’d like to think I would have remembered it, but something about the whole tone of the conversation must have added a lot to the experience.
At 27 minutes into the second episode they passed my brother’s track. The one leaking the transmission fluid.
I thought that Alexander Skarsgård was an odd choice for a marine, especially since he’s something of a main character, but he seems to be doing fine so far.
Wow guys. This thread is much better with you vets in here. Thanks for chiming in.
POGs - People Other than Grunts
Haven’t read the book so I don’t know what to expect other than what I’ve seen and read about the invasion but each shot of the Hummers passing down a road or crossing a bridge had me on the edge of my seat bracing for a road side bomb to go off. But I suppose those don’t come into play until well after the invasion.
How is range finding done for snipers these days? Does the spotter have a laser range finder with a anemometer for reading wind speed or is it all done through intuition gained from endless hours of practice at the range?
Man, that sniper scene was awesome.
It was definitely a different war, then. Your standard issue Humvee is not a terrible place to be until IEDs and improvised rocket launchers come into the picture. Watching them with their open windows and armor-free vehicles is impacting when I reflect on how long it took (until about halfway to 2/3 of our deployment to Fallujah in 05) before we had any significant number of vehicles that were at all prepared for the environment we were facing.
How is range finding done for snipers these days? Does the spotter have a laser range finder with a anemometer for reading wind speed or is it all done through intuition gained from endless hours of practice at the range?
Laser range finders and a variety of other instruments are very useful, but both spotters and snipers rely heavily on their judgment and practice (plus as far as wind goes, it doesn’t just matter where you are but where the target is and everything in between). Even when things can be relatively precisely controlled in a range environment, with wind flags at frequent intervals and clearly delineated distance, that crucial decision of how to adjust the shot requires a good amount of the on the fly math, experience, and instinct. In short, you will likely have at least a laser range finder even at the level of general infantry to prepare for your shots, but there is no substitute for the training to develop a near instantaneous translation of the mils in your binos into useful information with the references available.
From what I’ve seen of the better snipers and designated marksmen, 9/10 of their art lies in the preparation for the shot. They take the time to read their surroundings, to understand the tactical implications of their possible shots, and to have a variety of contingency plans. The rapport and trust with the spotter is very important as well, although certainly solo snipers have their own ways about them. Once you have all that going, then the shot itself is almost the easy part, relatively speaking.
While it is the kills that get all of the glamor, the primary mission of STA/scout sniper units is very similar to that of reconnaissance generally, which is information gathering and observation in support of the infantry or other conventional units. This is not to downplay their significance both practically and in terms of terrorizing the enemy, but to place it in the broader context of the sort of responsibilities they have. Granted, it’s an evolving mission in terms of Iraq. The characteristics of this war have forced very different roles for all special units that were last shaped in Vietnam and preceding wars.
My unit deployed during the first Iraq conflict with the first of three .50 cal sniper rifles. I was Weapons Company XO and default OIC for our STA Platoon (traditionally they have a senior enlisted platoon SGT who is the platoon commander, but they require officers for various things). We had an interesting time with those weapons, hehe. They looked like something from a Star Wars movie.
Here’s a post I wrote up for someone having trouble with the rank/hierarchy stuff. For those of you allergic to nested quotes in a purple hell, it turns out this blog has tons of useful info, including a hierarchy chart and glossary.
This is a bit off topic, but I figure since we’re probably all David Simon fans in this thread I’d share it here:
Christ. What’s the story there? Did he make it out?
Pity the POGs. Sure, we don’t have PTSD or head injuries, but we have to endlessly see that look of vague disappointment in people’s eyes when they find out. Then they reveal that they have a cousin in boot camp who’s “going to deploy” and they become the military authority in the conversation. I don’t know how that works.
I’m tempted to just start pretending I was never in the Corps, except on my resume.
</snark>
or maybe </bitter>
Probably both.
Start at page 103 on An Nasiriyah, ISBN 1-928724-04-3 . Long story short the loss of tranny fluid killed their steering and had to hang out on a rooftop in the middle of ambush alley for 14 hours. This is after getting strafed by 2 a-10s after holding the north bridge for a while.
He lived, but…
…he took up smoking?
Took him over nine months to sleep without a loaded gun under his pillow.
Third episode spoilers below
I loved the third episode, but I was a bit puzzled that Godfather lays out the practical considerations for not “cas evac’ing” (close air support evac?) the wounded civilian, or detaching a group to drive him back through enemy territory, only to then relent and detach a group to drive him back.
Also, having all those men stand defiantly in front of Godfather’s tent sure smacked of insubordination. It seemed a bit stagy to me.
Still, I’m loving the fly-on-the-wall aspect of the show. And the radio calls over the closing credits are mesmerizing. Is there someplace online to listen to more radio communications like those?
-Tom