U.S. Soldier Survives Taliban Machine Gun Fire During Firefight

[Bosco123]

Correct on all accounts except his fire team was probably doing the right thing in that situation. Open terrain your movement formations open up, since he is regualr Army Infantry his team was probably wedged out.(I used the diamond for my team just because of the terrain and tactics we were in) So the rest of his team could have easily been 35-40 meters away because of the open space....depending on the Team Leader/Squad Leaders SOPs.

 

People also need to remember that helmet cams dont pick up noise very well

That's true, or they were probably covered somewhere lol.

[SmokinLoon]

An idiot

I only watched half the video, up to the point where he got hit then cried for the rest of it saying that he was hit.  First off, when is it in your right mind is it alright to stand up and start shooting in an open area like that?  Secondly, where in the hell was his fire team?  Even though I'm an air winger in the Marine Corps, in an open firefight like that, my first reaction would be to drop down and start laying rounds down range, while looking into the sight. I'm not about to shoot rounds and waste them if you can see where your shooter is. Next thing I would do would either be to find cover, while my fire team was suppressing fire, or I would be suppressing fire for my buddies to find cover.  There is a little ditty that they taught us in boot camp, "I'm up, they see me, I'm down"  Basically, you jump up, you run a few feet then drop back down.  You run that ditty in your head every time you maneuver under fire.  By the time you found cover or your buddies did, you start hitting the targets, with accurate shots.

This guy completely forgot his training, and suffered the price for it.

<S>

*sigh*

You were not there, you do not know where the enemy was, you do not know what happened prior to the video and can only see from the authors digi-cam perspective.  You also have the luxury of hindsight.  Maybe he had a position of very good cover picked out 50 yards away?  Lots of unanswered questions, far more than any one of us with or without combat experience can accurately make such scathing review as you did.  The one thing most of us can agree on is that he left cover to "move on down".  That's it.  He made a choice to do so and he got hit, luckily for him he was hit where he was protected.  Maybe his actions allowed enough time for back up to arrive, or for his team to reposition, or maybe his movement spooked the enemy in to falling back.  We do not know.  But this I do know: there is a lot of finger pointing and a lot of judgments being made by people who have no business doing so simply because there are too many things unknown that the video does not tell us.       

[Shuffler]

*sigh*

You were not there, you do not know where the enemy was, you do not know what happened prior to the video and can only see from the authors digi-cam perspective.  You also have the luxury of hindsight.  Maybe he had a position of very good cover picked out 50 yards away?  Lots of unanswered questions, far more than any one of us with or without combat experience can accurately make such scathing review as you did.  The one thing most of us can agree on is that he left cover to "move on down".  That's it.  He made a choice to do so and he got hit, luckily for him he was hit where he was protected.  Maybe his actions allowed enough time for back up to arrive, or for his team to reposition, or maybe his movement spooked the enemy in to falling back.  We do not know.  But this I do know: there is a lot of finger pointing and a lot of judgments being made by people who have no business doing so simply because there are too many things unknown that the video does not tell us.       

You were not there either. Maybe he said he got hit...... maybe there was no threat.

I don't think anyone has shown the video is real or not.

Not guessing at what happened before the video. If real, all the video shows is someone moving out in the open on what seams to be a ridge. That is just not smart when under fire. Draw fire by shooting at the enemy, not completely exposing yourself. If hit and wounded or killed then he endangers everyone around him as they have to recover him.

[Bosco123]

*sigh*

You were not there, you do not know where the enemy was, you do not know what happened prior to the video and can only see from the authors digi-cam perspective.  You also have the luxury of hindsight.  Maybe he had a position of very good cover picked out 50 yards away?  Lots of unanswered questions, far more than any one of us with or without combat experience can accurately make such scathing review as you did.  The one thing most of us can agree on is that he left cover to "move on down".  That's it.  He made a choice to do so and he got hit, luckily for him he was hit where he was protected.  Maybe his actions allowed enough time for back up to arrive, or for his team to reposition, or maybe his movement spooked the enemy in to falling back.  We do not know.  But this I do know: there is a lot of finger pointing and a lot of judgments being made by people who have no business doing so simply because there are too many things unknown that the video does not tell us.       

I can break this down clearly, so you can better understand the things that I've said.

Number one: He was never under cover.  From the moment the video started, he was standing up and shooting at the target, and not aiming down the sight (and you can clearly tell that he is not aiming down the sight). Now that right there tells me two things: either he knew where the target was, or he was just firing rounds pretty much for absolutely no reason.  I know for a fact, regardless of training either army or Marine Corps, that we won't fire unless we know where the target lies. Now what I can see a reason why he was shooting without looking down the sights tells me that he knew the general location of where the target(s) were, and he laid some suppressive fire.  It still doesn't makes sense to me why he stood there and moved maybe 50 yards and didn't think he wouldn't get shot at. 

There isn't many variables in this.  This video is clear as day, and I can get very deep into what he did wrong and what should have happened.



<S>

[Guppy35]

Well we've gone from it's a 'definate fake" to now it's 'probably real'. 

Funny how the wind blows sometimes.  Anyone have a definitive answer?

[JunkyII]

Until the guy in the video comes forward and says it's fake....it's real to me.

My reasons are simple....too much research went into knowing 4th ID is in Kunar.

Second, I have about 20 buddies who have been in that area...literally like the mountain he is shooting at.

Third, MAXXPROs don't get full up armor anywhere but Afghanistan. The ones used in training are all first generation. Only place you might see them is at JRTC or NTC.

 

[MarineUS]

Well we've gone from it's a 'definate fake" to now it's 'probably real'. 

Funny how the wind blows sometimes.  Anyone have a definitive answer?

I mentioned earlier that a local news station confirmed it was real.

Then gman never said anything else....

[Slash27]

Well we've gone from it's a 'definate fake" to now it's 'probably real'. 

Funny how the wind blows sometimes.  Anyone have a definitive answer?

I found another camera angle of the incident.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLRXKlU02Oc

[bj229r]

If that's narrowed down to Kunar province or Ft Carson area, looks like it could be found on Google Earth

[SmokinLoon]

I can break this down clearly, so you can better understand the things that I've said.
Number one: He was never under cover.  From the moment the video started, he was standing up and shooting at the target, and not aiming down the sight (and you can clearly tell that he is not aiming down the sight). Now that right there tells me two things: either he knew where the target was, or he was just firing rounds pretty much for absolutely no reason.  I know for a fact, regardless of training either army or Marine Corps, that we won't fire unless we know where the target lies. Now what I can see a reason why he was shooting without looking down the sights tells me that he knew the general location of where the target(s) were, and he laid some suppressive fire.  It still doesn't makes sense to me why he stood there and moved maybe 50 yards and didn't think he wouldn't get shot at. 
There isn't many variables in this.  This video is clear as day, and I can get very deep into what he did wrong and what should have happened.
<S>

We did not see him behind cover at he the beginning of the video, doesn't mean he wasn't prior and it doesn't mean he wasn't moving to cover when he took direct enemy fire.  Again, we simply do not know.  As far as "aiming" down the sight, I beg to differ.  Watch as he fires he rifle from :08 to :21, he moves his head down to the sights on the 1st and 3rd volley.  The 2nd volley I'm guessing he is watching for his rounds impacting to adjust fire.  Just because the camera does not line up each time with the rifle the same way does not mean he does not have a "cheek weld" and is not using the sights, I've fired enough AR15 variants in enough rifle and carbine course to tell you that.  Also, he was firing while kneeling, not standing.  Watch the video again.     

As far firing his rifle: "that we won't fire unless we know where the target lies", that certainly is not an accurate statement.  If it is known that there is an enemy combatant at position A, and there is cover all around or near to their flanks, especially if those positions provide an avenue of approach for the enemy to close the gap, you had better believe there will be come suppression fire dealt in to those areas.  In this situation, I'm guessing he could see the enemy muzzle flashes and were firing at that position until arty, air, or heavy weapons could lend a hand.  Again, all speculation.  It'd be very nice to have the author narrate this video, wouldn't it?   

I'm not claiming to know the details of the fire fight, or to even say what this guy did was right or wrong, I'm trying to make sure those of you so quick to crucify this soldier are aware that you can not know all the details of the fight either.  There are so many variables missing for any of us to blatantly judge.  Only is immediate comrades and his superiors will know the actual events prior, during, and after this video.  Some of you guys need to lay off the arm chair general BS.

[Maverick]

I mentioned earlier that a local news station confirmed it was real.

Then gman never said anything else....

Well to be correct, you said a local TV station claimed it was real then the story can't be found anywhere on their website. I looked as well. That leads me to believe they may have pulled it after finding it lacked any verification. I also have not seen any other documentation or media confirmation anywhere else of the video as either real or fake to date. To me that means it's still up in the wind. Unless we get outside confirmation or something to corroborate the video, it's still suspect IMO. YMMV

[JunkyII]

If that's narrowed down to Kunar province or Ft Carson area, looks like it could be found on Google Earth

Eye witnesses have told me Kunar...don't need to investigate further.

[stealth]

Just to show that the soldier was real and what not. To hopefully end any further doubt for you that do or did.  http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/soldier_describes_firefight_after_GonI2RmhT2T2LlVfrWgSxL

[Megalodon]

Just to show that the soldier was real and what not. To hopefully end any further doubt for you that do or did.  http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/soldier_describes_firefight_after_GonI2RmhT2T2LlVfrWgSxL

Thank you for posting this

  Pfc. Ted Daniels




Gman, Ranger, Karaya, Wide

Nuthin to say now? Like ....we were wrong? You especially Gman... Nada?


Disgusting,

[Nathan60]

 Gman, Ranger, Karaya, Wide

Nuthin to say now? Like ....we were wrong? You especially Gman... Nada?

Disgusting,

It hasnt even been 24 hours  geez not everybody trolls the bbs on an hourly basis, put your troll bait away