Wild geese: the story of a modern mercenary who visited Iraq

Mister X

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11 min

I found on the net an interesting story of a former contractor (mercenary) named Ben Thomas, who visited Iraq and decided to share his experience gained in this hot spot.

I posted his monologue "as it is."

I gained this experience during a one-year contract in Iraq.
I wandered around Iraq more than anyone I met, traveled everywhere from Kuwait to Iran.
I drove in military columns in armored Hummers, rode around Baghdad in official white Fords without armor and unofficial tinted Padzheriks in local outfit, with diplomats in armored suburban vehicles with helicopter escorts.
Like everyone else, I made mistakes and was lucky enough to write it all.

CLIENT
Learn to communicate with any client.
The locals are considered by some to be great guys, and the US military is considered the center of evil.
Some will require you to shoot every cyclist that enters the road.
I've seen both.
Consider their schedule and self-importance.
Don't neglect your own life.
Don't let the client convince you “it's safe. I always do this. ”
If it is stupid, then it is stupid.
And again, if we interfere with the client from doing his business, we are in shit.
It's a fine line.
Don't be too conservative and don't get pissed off.
Yes, if the client considers it a good idea to go for tea to the Muslims in the back streets around midnight - sometimes they have to do it.

SNARYAGA A
carbine, twelve magazines to it, a pistol, three magazines to it, a first aid kit, GPS, a map and a compass, a radio with a spare battery, five hundred tanks, a dry ration, a flask, a night vision device, an armored vehicle and a helmet.
It's a lot.
It's hot in this.
If this is too hard for you, sign up for the gym: our job is not for weaklings.
I will always wear a helmet now.
If it is, it is on my head.
The guy next to me collapsed with a bullet in his head, and that settled the issue for all of us.
The more comfortable and compact the helmet is, the more likely you are to wear it.
Spend up a MICH (Modular Integrated Communications Helmet) or something similar.

AIMPOINT is excellent (its battery lasts for six months), EOTEC is normal (too bright: for my taste), ACOG is best.
Remember, the aiming mark is 3 MOA, and we regularly shoot beyond three hundred meters. Last night, we had to aim the mortar crew seven hundred meters away - fortunately, the PKM was at hand.
What do I recommend?
Take ACOG, TA31F is the best value for money.

WEAPON
Take the biggest cannon.
Keep it clean and ready.
TAKE MANY CARTRIDGES.
Once I needed 14 stores, I never thought that it could be so. Stock up shops all over the place.
If you work in the "green zone", one or two stores will be enough for you, but if you leave it, you need at least twelve.
Buy a short M4, it will save your life.
I have an 18-inch barrel assembly (upper), and if necessary, I attach it to the lower receiver (lower receiver), replacing them with a short one.
It's like having a choice of two carabiners.
I also have a Mk 12 (SPR) with a 22 '' barrel and a Leupold scope for long range shots.

Ammunition ...
They are not delivered.
I would get rich if I got an A every time I hear:
- "aha, boy, we have already ordered ten boxes, in three days they will be."
Or my favorite:
- "everything is in order, they are waiting for you in the country of destination."
If you do not have good guns, ammunition, armor and communications, simply say no, as Nancy Reagan (wife of the 40th US President) used to say.

Some offices are pieces of shit and will leave you in Iraq with a broken-down AK and a couple of stores, and some will pack you in first class.
Personally, I prefer the above in stock, and the rest to the bank account.
If I want a backpack for three hundred tanks, I'll buy it myself.
Remember, gear is critical.
Order the best and - take care of it properly.

TRAINING
I think the most important and overlooked survival factor is training.
Every day, your team must practice algorithms for behavior in a variety of situations.
At the very least, do it with dry fire.
We usually start with "what if ..." and every guy's opinion of every unforeseen accident.
And we practice it in different settings.

Come to certain basic principles - and stick to them.
Know the overall goal and move towards it.
For example, if a car is ambushed, the driver switches to neutral so that the following car can push him out of the affected area.
Shoot a lot.
Keep in shape.
If the office cannot provide with cartridges - BIRTH THEM.
Shoot idle.
Practice changing stores.
In my memory, three guys were shot when they fiddled with changing stores, standing upright or rarely changing positions.
Lean on the butt, aim.
Basic skills are the basis for victory.
Shoot 800 meters and beyond.
I know that almost every fight takes place closer than 150 meters, but more than once we had to shoot at 800 meters or so.
Shoot as if you are still serving, and always beg for ammo.
Remember the movie We Were Soldiers?
Sam Elliot, as Basil Plumney, said:
"If I need it, it will be in bulk" - meaning the weapon.
He was right.
The wounded and deserters abandon it so much that in two weeks we have accumulated: RPK, AK, PKM, Mk 19, M-249, M203, M4, SVD, and M60 ...
It was fabulous ...
And it led me to the following: know how to handle with any weapon.
If you can't shoot from it, at least read the NSD.
You never know when 5.56 will run out and you will have to start RMB.
Be familiar with them.

Before the next business trip, we had a firing workout of algorithms and training for leaving the vehicle.
It was the best and most rewarding workout I have ever done.
We spent a lot of simulation ammo on transport ambush scenarios.
We came to the unequivocal conclusion that
LEAVING THE CAR IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP FOR SURVIVAL.
Hiding in it or behind it - just wait for a shot from an RPG, which will put an end to it.
So practice and practice, although easier said than done.
When they call me for training at seven in the morning, I just growl.
But I think everyone will agree that it is better to think over and discuss your actions at the base than on the side of the car, riddled with PCM.

TRANSPORT
Breakdown in Iraq is like a shitty movie scene.
We swam, we know.
Check tires, oil, fuel, everything else.
And don't force your car.
Every contractor will tell you that he is a great driver.
The fact that he can go fast and not crash anywhere does not mean anything.
Take extreme driving courses, or - let the guy who took them behind the wheel.
And let him teach everyone his tricks.
Learn by doing.
Practice changing tires.
Realizing that you have piled a hundredweight of load on top of your spare tire is a sensation that I would not want to relive again.
Place a tow rope in EACH vehicle, wrap it around the rear bumper so it is ready to evacuate within a minute or so.
Get a good jack, it costs no more than money.
Check that everyone knows where the personal belongings are for towing, replacement, repair.
Practice.
Always keep your travel plan handy.
We always try to be more secretive and smarter than anyone else.
Avoid major highways and roads used by the military. they are prime targets.
Before leaving, take a look at the maps that the army does not use.
Ask the scouts why (G2 according to the NATO hierarchical classification).
Keep non-touches in the glove box: shrapnel, smoke and gas.
Here's the rule.
DO NOT TOUCH THE CHECK WHILE THE POMEGRANATE IS IN THE SALON!
The car shakes, and the grenade falls on the road.
The trouble is not great.
And if in the salon?
Bummer.

Use of gas and smoke.
If you are jammed by the stream and you have bad suspicions about the car behind, throw smoke.
Most of the drivers will then stop, or at least free up a lot of space for you.
It is effective and harmless.
Use gas with care and never in heavy traffic.
Seeing the cloud catching up with you isn't very fun.
Gas is a tough thing, and I only used it when it was impossible to do without it.
Shrapnel?
We all know when to tackle them.

I ALWAYS prefer armored vehicles - unarmored ones.
Just common sense.
If an unarmored one falls out, install sandbags, steel plates and spare armor plates wherever you can install them.
It's better than nothing.
Pull the polycarbonate windows off the armored cars.

As in the good old days, nothing dares an adversary more than precise, dense fire.
Think about your fuel consumption.
Plan stops for refueling and meals.
Always keep a spare canister, just in case.
Track the fuel level, calculate that it is enough.
Attach the US flag to the visor so that no one can see it until you drive up to the checkpoint.
On the passenger side, do the same for the VS17 warning panel.
And then the warriors can fire at you even faster than the local pasties.
Take food and water to the car.
NEVER throw food and / or candy to children.
There are many reasons, but at least it stimulates them to jump out in front of the car.
Bumping into a child can end your career.
The rear vehicle is more likely to be attacked, so put the best shooters with the largest guns there.
A car door is not a shelter.
The car as a whole is not a shelter.
And the Hummer is a car.

MEDICINE
Medical supplies are expensive, but they save lives.
The office where I work spent a lot of dollars on them, and it has already saved three lives.
Do medical training.
There is nothing to add to this.
Do this.

GOODIES
Are you coming in June?
I would take four pairs of light boots with me to change them often.
Fifty pairs of socks.
At least ten NON-COTTON T-shirts.
Two pairs of sunglasses.
Non-cotton jerseys - if you are wearing jerseys.
A bunch of talcum powder, film disks, sun cream.
(Cotton does not burn: it carbonizes. Pilots and crews of military vehicles wear cotton.
Polyester and nylon are "sweaty" clothes, and in the event of a fire, they cause severe burns. Fire-
resistant thermal underwear has existed for several years.)

LOCATION
If you live in a trailer or cabin, find out where the nearest bunker is.
Trying to find him in a hurry at four in the morning is not an option.
Yes, everyone will run there.
The man from "Delta", usually glancing viciously at everyone, will follow the combat swimmer in slippers.
120mm mortars make us all very humble.

Zhrachka in my opinion is terrible there.
I sometimes eat my rations just for a change.
If you drink coffee, take it with you.
A bag of instant coffee is worth its weight in gold there.

I wear trekking socks to wick away sweat.
Insects bother one week, the next you don't notice them.

Points to Remember:
Remember that once upon a time you were all silly little puppies.
You had 450 tanks a month and you couldn't do anything without a bunch of orders.
Remember this when you get mad because you have 17 thousand a month, and the guys from the next office - 17 500.
When your bosses demand that you shave regularly - shave: you never know when you will appear in some idiotic newspaper.

Carry a drink with you wherever it takes you.
This is the most valuable item.
You would be fucked up if I listed everything that I exchanged with our sergeants (an analogue of our warrant officers) for whiskey.

The soldiers came on a one-year business trip, or even more.
They pay in blood for every dollar, and they do stupid dangerous shit every day.
Remember this when you have to stay 68 days, not 60.
And communicate with them normally, well, at least you.

Of course, each of us ultimately works for ourselves, but distinguish trade secrets from intelligence.
If you run into the deep on the highway, write an e-mail about it to your colleagues.
Trust your intuition, it saves lives.
Be thick-skinned, take criticism adequately.
If something doesn't work out, ask for advice.

Wear your armor and your helmet.
Always have spare GPS batteries.
And always have a map and compass with you.
Know the map and check if everyone on the team knows the route.
Place an elastic band on the weapon belt to prevent it from snagging when you leave the vehicle.
Bring a mosquito net and a poncho pad to set up an urban sniper position.
If you start to trust the locals, it's time to take a day off.
Entering the battle ... finish it.
If you shot someone and he lay down, he may open fire again.
Finish what you started.

Things I'm glad I took them:
ACOG, short M4, own holster, own unloading, poncho liner, travel mat, compass, books.

Things I'd like to take:
more socks, more shops, more T-shirts, more boots, M4 spare parts, urban camouflage kit, more movie disks.

Save your sense of humor.
Stick with funny people, it's easier with them even in a shitty situation.