Having recently returned from Iraq I thought I would add some of my observations that run a bit different. What prompts me to write now is the post (12 Nov ’05) about experience in Iraq. I view the slow slide into economic collapse as the greatest threat and the one I am currently preparing for. I have been meaning to write for a few days and thank you for posting Fernando’s observations from Argentina. I also found it useful to look at areas (on the NGIC site) that were outside Iraq but were dealing with Islamic fundamentalists. It was not uncommon to find things through NGIC weeks before higher command got the info to us through regular channels. Any soldier with access to the SIPRNET can find it and it allowed us to stay weeks ahead of emerging Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP)s. If you have any direct contact with soldiers in country please recommend to them that they have their intel people take a look at the NGIC (National Ground Intelligence Center) website regularly. I have several to include more than one Intelligence MOS. Army Reserve ( USAR) over active duty is that we bring a greater skill set with us when we deploy, both civilian skills and more MOS schools under our belt.
One of the strengths of the Army National Guard ( ARNG) and U.S. They have some advanced 155 rounds that have a greater lethality due to the pre-formed fragments included in their design and some of these have been used/recovered in Iraq.
The South Africans had a very well developed arms industry and they made some of the best artillery and rounds available. The Iraqis did have 155mm artillery in inventory and we found several South African 155 rounds in country. I read your added notes to the discredited letter from the returning Marine’s father and I can add one more detail.