Soldier using TOY CAR to suss out IED's

[MADem]

This is the fucking chimp economy at work--screw the servicemembers, line the pockets of the rich! I have to hand it to the soldier who used the car though--such ingenuity in the face of such profound absurdity is commendable on his part. http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,051205_MD_Sgt,00.html

Yesterday, I was "outside the wire," patrolling with the 2nd Platoon. We came upon a possible IED in the middle of the road, and stopped all traffic to check it out. While we were doing that, our battalion's S-3 officer drove by on the opposite side of the highway and spotted one of our soldiers not wearing his proper eye protection. He then lit up our company commander on the radio, and our CO had to reprimand us for that. All the while we're trying to figure out if the cardboard box in the middle of the road is merely a windblown piece of trash or a bomb planted there to kill us!

A young private in that platoon has one of those radio-controlled toy cars. When they find unidentifiable debris in the road, E.S. sends out his little RC car and rams it. If it's light enough to be moved or knocked over, it's too light to be a bomb, so we can approach it and get rid of it. If it's heavy, we call EOD. At night, they duct tape a flashlight to the car.

The military actually has robots that it uses for such things, but they are larger, slower, higher-tech, and frightfully expensive. Only EOD units have them, and you could wait for hours and hours before they show up with their robot. If 200 units read about this idea, and 50 units actually buy a toy RC car, and it saves just one single life, it would all be worth it.

I've suggested to E.S. that he put some fancy paint and a couple of LED lights on his toy car, demonstrate it to some Army brass at the Pentagon, and sell it to them for $80,000. He won't actually try that, but it's fun to imagine. In the meantime, I've also suggested to some of his chain of command that they put him in for a commendation or a medal for his ingenuity. If he ever finds a real bomb with that toy car, they probably will...

Sounds like these friken toy cars should be on the CARE PACKAGE list to our friends in theater....seeing as the government won't protect them, apparently their only hope is Toys R US!!!!

[whistle]

1. No, but Radio Shack marketing people will try to get $80K per car

[WLKjr]

2. and you know what

it's always the simpilist things too.....I will say something to anyone I see making care packages about this.

[kliljedahl]

3. Murikan Injunuity in action

GAWD bless aMurika.


Keith’s Barbeque Central

[beam me up scottie]

4. Yep, still as I remember it:

"While we were doing that, our battalion's S-3 officer drove by on the opposite side of the highway and spotted one of our soldiers not wearing his proper eye protection. He then lit up our company commander on the radio, and our CO had to reprimand us for that. All the while we're trying to figure out if the cardboard box in the middle of the road is merely a windblown piece of trash or a bomb planted there to kill us!"

Getting your ass chewed by an officer while trying to do your job- typical, except these guys are also trying not to get their asses blown up or shot off at the same time.

[hack89]

5. Perhaps the officer doesn't want to send a blind soldier home?

The Army has issued blast resistant glasses to keep debris from bombs from blinding soldiers. It seems to me that the officer had the best interest of his men in mind.

[beam me up scottie]

6. Ummmmmm,

ever heard of there's a time and a place?