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Friday, June 3, 2005
Road rules are no rules in Iraq
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If there’s such a thing as driver “re-education,” the Georgia soldiers are going to need it when they get home.
On the roads here in Iraq, they drive military convoys down the center — and everyone else has to get out of the way. They don’t slow down for pedestrians, and any car that tries to pass or get in between the military vehicles is likely to get shot.
If U.S. soldiers get stuck in traffic, they’re taught to push other cars out of the way, jump curbs and medians and do whatever they have to do to keep moving.
The reasons for these Darwinian rules have been learned through bitter experience. Insurgents place deadly explosives on roadsides and detonate them when convoys pass. Suicide bombers turn their cars into rolling, four-wheeled explosives and target military vehicles. And U.S. soldiers are most vulnerable to ambush when they’re stopped.
Cpl. Rodney Bettis, a member of the Atlanta Police Department’s motorcycle squad, says the first rule for driving in Iraq is knowing that “There are no rules.”
“There are no street signs, stop signs or speed limits,” he said. “The bigger vehicle, the faster vehicle, always wins.”
Sgt. Joe Picon, a member of the Gordon County Sheriff’s Department, has been astounded by Iraqi driving practices.
“I could fill my ticket quota in an hour,” said Picon, 40. “Road rage is normal here. Get out of the way or get dinged.”
Five members of 48th injured in mortar attack; two treated in Germany
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One soldier was killed and 16 wounded — including five from Georgia’s 48th Brigade Combat Team — in a rocket attack near the Baghdad airport, military and congressional officials said Thursday.
Two of the soldiers are from Georgia, one of whom suffered serious injuries and was flown to Germany for treatment.
The other three are from an Illinois unit attached to the Georgia brigade. One is also being treated in Germany. The others suffered minor injuries and were treated and returned to duty, said 2nd Lt. Selena Owens, a spokeswoman for the 48th Brigade.
According to authorities:
— Vanessa Harris, a member of the 148th Support Battalion, Bravo Company, suffered a depressed skull fracture and was flown to a U.S. military hospital in Germany.
— Sean Broderick, a member of the Illinois-based 2/130 Infantry, suffered shrapnel wounds to the head, back and abdomen and also is being treated in Germany.
— Clyde Miller, a member of the 148th Support Battalion, Alpha Company, was being treated at a temporary military hospital in Baghdad’s heavily fortified “Green Zone.”
Tracy Colber and Jack Dorset, both of the 2/130, were treated and returned to duty.
Soldiers at the sprawling Camp Liberty complex near Baghdad International Airport are not required to wear helmets and flak jackets while they are within the walls of the compound.
Doug Moore, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, said the Pentagon notified Marshall’s office of the incident. The 48th is headquartered in Macon, which is in Marshall’s district.
In addition, Owens said two of the Georgia soldiers were with the 148th Support Battalion, which is based in Forsyth, just north of Macon.
The injuries were the first combat casualties suffered by the 48th since the brigade’s combat team started arriving in Iraq about a week ago for a yearlong deployment.
It was not known how long the wounded soldiers had been in Iraq, but some members of the 148th arrived only Monday.
Lt. Col. Steve Boylan, a military spokesman in Baghdad, said the dead and injured “were a combination of civilian and military casualties.”
Boylan said the slain soldier, whose name has not been released, was with the 155th Brigade Combat Team from the Mississippi Army National Guard.
Several of the wounded were from the 256th Brigade Combat Team from the Louisiana National Guard.
The rocket attack was the second at the base in the last four days.
The blast occurred about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in a plaza area at Camp Liberty on the north end of the airport where soldiers gather to board shuttle buses for other parts of the sprawling complex.
Most of the 48th’s units are at Camp Stryker, on the south end of the airport, which has fewer amenities. The 48th initially was supposed to be stationed at Camp Liberty but its orders were changed just a few weeks ago.
The plaza is near a large post exchange that includes Popeyes Chicken and Burger King restaurants.
The PX at Camp Liberty is famous in Iraq for its wide selection of goods that help soldiers feel a little bit closer to home.
Soldiers can get anything at the PX from a 50-cent granola bar to a 42-inch plasma-screen television set that sells for $3,499.
Spc. Rakesh Pal, 23, of Modesto, Calif., told The Associated Press that he likes to hang out at the Liberty PX even if he doesn’t buy anything.
“It reminds me of being back home at the mall,” he said. “It doesn’t feel like I’m in Iraq when I’m in the PX.”
The PX shut down immediately after the attack but reopened Wednesday morning.
AJC staff writers can be reached at: Dave Hirschman, dhirschman@ajc.com; Ron Martz, rmartz@ajc.com. Staff writer Moni Basu in Atlanta and wire services contributed to this article.
