Exclusive: U.S. Troops Abandoned Me, Says Convoy Driver

Disgusting company, isn’t it.

What a lying, cheating, thieving, and immoral corporation. Hey, didn’t Cheney once run Halliburton? That explains a few things about what’s happened to this country in the past 5 years.
Watching the train wreck of America’s rapid decline on 24 hour news channels is just tragic. Nobody’s throwing on the breaks and it seems we’re just heading faster and faster for that cliff.
RIP America. May those who killed you one day be brought to justice.

I’m not surprise that Haliburton would fire the driver. Haliburton is in Iraq for the money. They don’t want to pay anymore compensation than they have too.
What the driver said about the protection, the bullet proof car windows, etc, etc would cost money and reduce profit for Haliburton. Haliburton work enviroment in Iraq is not for safety but for maximize profit and good returns for Dick Cheney and Company.

I haven’t seen the video and can only imagine what really happened. Haliburton is a sleazy company (Cheney did run it and probably still does under the table) and no doubt promised bullet proof glass and protection. These guys are paid top dollar for doing what they are doing our soldiers and Marines get very little pay for putting themselves on the line 24/7, however, like my son who is a Marine says some of the rewards are worth more than any amount of money. Most Marines do not consider themselves heroes, my son said he is just doing his job for about $18,000 a year. We must also realize that our Marines and soldiers cannot return fire unless given permission from a higher officer. My son was shot at and all he could do was jump in a ditch with the rest of his platoon. I would say consider all the sources and don’t rely on information that is not confirmed.
Marilyn PMM Sgt Steven

Truth be said, the military guys (Virginia National Guard) wimped out of the fight! They should have immediately strafed the neighborhood from where the ambush was staged. Unless the US troops make it very costly on the immediate neighborhoods for attacks to be staged on them, this kind of thing will continue to happen. Big Carrots and a Very Very Big Stick is what is need from the military. Construct first world class facilities for cooperating areas and be very very lethal towards non-cooperating areas is the way to go.
Tim.

Any company that has anything to do with Dick Cheney is going to lie, cheat, and steel every dime from the contracts it can and if that means cutting employees protection, benefits etc., they will do it. It’s all about the bottom line and profits. As far as the military goes, someone needs to explain why these men were left to be killed and without protection, good luck getting a straight answer out of them either, the generals on down march lock step with what Rummy/Bush and Cheney say. It’s a mess all the way around and these bumbling idiots should be sent out in trucks on a highway without a map, nor weapons or protection and told if you make it back alive well then we will support your war! Thanks

I thought that it was considered discrimination to fire someone who was ‘disabled’. That’s all beside the point.
The point is that if there were ‘Troops’ there to protect them they should have done their job. It seems like there should be some charges leveled.

Someone asked the question about why there wasn’t Haliburton security. As a retired military LTC and contracting officer who spent time in Operation Iraqi Freedom, unless the rules have changed (and I doubt they have) Haliburton is forbidden by their contract from providing their own security on these convoys. Think about the implications… If we could just “HIRE” an Army why would use our own troops?

Are you serious…. this is a stupid story…. Why dont you guys stop bashing our troops and report the good stuff they do. ABC has no respect for our soldiers. Instead you force your propaganda into the heads of the enemy…. stop emboldening terrorists.
The only people that should leave iraq is the press.

Having watched the ABC posted video of this ambush nearly a dozen times, it’s totally unfair to claim U.S. troops abandoned the other vehicles. And what does the sound reveal, if there is any sound, such as small arms fire that might make it impossible for US forces to stop?
The point I am making is that we are all rushing to a conclusion. First, if you haven’t been there, make absolutely no comment about soldiers, sailors, airmen, or marines wimping out. Second, wait until all the facts are in. Third, remember the truth usually lies someplace in the middle.

very easy for you to sa tim… and i do believe that this lets shot everything that moves attitude is what got us in trouble over… oh and the fact that this is a war based on lies…. look deep within yourself…

FYI the trucks they drive stall it takes 3-5 min for the systems to reset b-4 you can restart the truck….

I find it amazing that so many are so “knowledgeable” about this incident just from this one report. The fact is, you don’t know all the facts. You don’t KNOW that Halliburton or its subsidiaries are “sleazy” or poorly run, or just in it for the money. What I DO know is that we have civilians over there doing a job that most people won’t (i.e., YOU all who are here complaining), and they are getting paid extremely well for it. They are told about the hazards, risks, and are giving in-depth training and safety gear, etc. prior to going over. They are there serving our soldiers who are serving YOU who are busy griping and whining. Get off of your high horses people and learn the TRUTH.

I was a machine gunner on an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) during the Vietnam war. My unit escorted convoys near and around the Black Virgin mountain. When ambushed you are to get out of the kill zone as quickly as possible then regroup and go back to rescue or flank the bad guys. The APC in question did no wrong by driving out of the ambush. Though they should have gone back in or done something to extract any survivors. The drivers should have had armed guards in the cab.
Iraq, what a @#%$$^ mess!
MikeVet

First and foremost, my heart goes out to these people who died so tragically.
I am not surprised at the Halliburton. They are in for the money only just like good old Dick Cheney and his “boy” George Bush. As of today there are only 846 days until a new and real President is sworn into office. From what a recall in my Politics class, the definition of “politician” is one what is in office to benefit the citizens. This was never the case since day one when the “good old boys” took office on 1/20/2000. I cannot wait for a real President to take office on 2009. The want OIL, OIL, OIL………

I have to agree that the soldiers wimped out. They should have at least grabbed the drivers then fled. Haliburton is a company reaping large amounts of cash from the citizens and sending others to their deaths. If I was President they would be fired and banned from doing government business for 15 years.
Steve

We needs laws in place that even a security person from Halliburton or anyone else in the company at any level that even suggests destroying video or anything of this nature serves jail time if it is proven.
These people need to have some serious fear ingrained into them and not assume there is not a price to be paid. Heck with fines, hard prison time.

The U.S. military is a far cry from what it use to be. In Nam, they wouldn’t have left those men to die. The soldiers there were cowards, the likes of which I’ve never seen. What have you learned, Dorothy?

I was in Iraq for 11 months as a Infantry soilder, conduction many missions wich included convoy escorts. My Company never left a civilian alone, especially during an ambush. It is unfair to judge the soilders when none of you people were there. I’m not defending what the soilders did because if they did leave the civilians to die, shame on their comander, not the soilders.
Further more all civilian contractors know they could be killed at any moment. Wether it be by friendly fire or the enemy. I personally think they need to be carring some form of weapons and vests.

I have never seen anything so cowardly in my life. Trained soldiers leaving defenceless men to die. This is not a war, this is a farce, ran by a bunch of incompetent has been’s. Is there ever going come a time when our boys are going to fight and die but taking the heart along they need to win!! And as for Haliburton firing the truck driver, go figure, Cheney, you and your wanna be’s are the disease allowing good people to die for what? Just to loose again! What ever happened to heart, courage, and the belief in what you were putting your life on the line for, had purpose! Because they simply don’t believe in what they are doing! If they did, the ememy would be afraid to fight. Our good men would kick ass. Instead, once again, another Vietnam! Never learned a thing from that farse! And the citizens of the countries fighting over there should feel safe in your hands. What a joke!

I just saw the news report, and it felt like someone punched me in the stomach. I want to know if this is it? IS THIS IT???? Is this all that we will ever know about this horrible, horrible incident. What about the Virginia National Guard? IS THERE GOING TO BE MORE OF A FOLLOW UP???
How in the world could our soldiers just drive off and leave unarmed Americans?? This is a horrible, horrible outrage that makes me very sad to be an American that once believed in this cause.
Shame on us all. Shame on us all. I’m writing my congressmen next and then the President. Shame on us all.

This story does not surprise me at all. The reason it is coming out a year later is because of a bogus contract KBR makes you sign saying you cannot have any contact with the press or you can be sued.I did not sign any contract though so I am talking.KBR outrages me. This is not the only incident that has occured. I am sooo glad it is coming out. The truth needs to be told. My family has been directly affected by KBR. Nobody says you have to run around in unarmored trucks without a gun or protection until you get there. Then the truth gets let out of the bag.

If your not asleep at the wheel you will notice that most Americans are not even aware of what they agreements they make, let us call this autodomesticated animal syndrome, we just agree and continue with more gossip and poison. Truth about politics and the U.S. Military, heirarchy and rear end kissing, the good ole boy network. It is not always those that deserve to be leaders that are. America home of the brave, indigenous holocost and home to the slave. We need to remove the wool covering our eyes to observe where our hard earned pay is going. We spend more on war and space projects when we do not even know the ground we stand on. Starving people vs. Greed, Health care, Social security, underpaid teachers who make the doctors and lawyers who use class as a barrier to push out those in need,they just manipulate us to the side once the good green has gone to the head. Smoke an insurgent for me with that nice clean M16, I paid for it. The real hero is the truck driver who took two burning bullets to the arm with a video camera absorbing the light of truth reflected from a horrific scence. The poor man just needed to get some money for his family and this is now burned in his mind.

For all of you accusing the Halliburton drivers/workers of being in it just to make good money are ignorant. Many feel the need to do something for our military and our country instead of sitting back and complaining about everything that is going wrong (like many people on this page). As for the comment about our military shouldn’t have to provide security for a private company, learn the facts before you talk about it. KBR hauls supplies for the military’s troops, so why is it so absurd to think the military could provide a little security for the people transporting their supplies from base to base? The Halliburton drivers and the rest of the contractors are doing the jobs that no one else will. So before you all go saying the men killed shouldn’t have put themselves in a position to get shot if they didn’t want to be shot, perhaps think about giving them a little credit for serving our military and keeping the military functioning. I give all my support to the military AND the forgotten drivers/workers of Halliburton.

You mean because soldiers are so much better at identifying bad guys in civilian clothes than private military contractors?
Oh, yeah–it’s all Bush’s fault. And Cheney, too.

And Bruce, you’re the “keeper” of the truth, eh?

Thomas: I guess Cheney pulled the video from Orgish.com

I spent a year at Camp Anaconda where this convoy ran fom and knew all three guys that were killed. I worked flatbeds also just a different foreman than Preston and this crew. I left about 3 weeks before this convoy was hit.
KBR never promised me or the group I was in orientation with that we would have bullet proof glass or armored vehicles. KBR goes out of its way to try and let everyone know this is a dangerous assignment and does not require you to pay your own way home if you quit the assignment early, like most companies over there. And certainly you cannot hold KBR accountable for military cowardice and direliction of duty. This was not the first convoy the military deserted and will not be the last. I was on a convoy when memembers of a South Carolina Guard unit refused to exit their vehicles and pull security while we were stopped in a Iraqi town along the Tigris in 2004. The Army had wholesale rebellions on their hands several times over their when unit elements would refuse to exit on convoy duty. The Reserve and Guard units often performed very poorly. These units did perform better after they had been in country for a while though.
Maps: KBR Security did provide anyone a map that asked for it. And would brief anyone about the routes. Unless you were ex-military however reading military maps are not a skil a KBR driver would have. The military uses a GPS system to guide them through these towns. This system is problematic and I know that many convoys I was on were kept on the right roads by the KBR Convoy Commander who is in communication with the military CC and the lead military truck. It just comes down to folks who had been their for awhile and knew their way around.
KBR procedure was for drivers in a downed truck to be picked up by trailing trucks, trailing guntrucks and lastly by the recovery truck. If this convoy had 12 platforms and 5 gun trucks Preston should have gotten picked up by someone behind him. I think he was in the #5 truck. Neither Preston or ABC have gotten the facts straight on this attack.

This is one of the most shameful incidents of any war we have been in. The military escort OIC/NCOIC should be courtmartialed for abandoning his post under fire.
This was not a Sunday drive through the “Hood” This was a life and death situation where unarmed American civilians depended on our military. That reliance cost some of them their lives. What unadulterated B.S.!

What a story ABC…what an unfortunate portrayal of the facts. I was in the Battle TOC..Balad,Iraq when the incident took place. I’ve been back in the U.S. since Feb. but that video brought me back to the day that incident took place. There is so much preperation that goes into the convoys that travel on an ever changing battle field. Those men did what they were trained to do and saved many of the KBR drivers that day. Guys that sit behind a news desk and guys like Tim, Edwards that added his comments have no idea the pressures and constraints placed upon those who drive the dangerous roads of Iraq everyday. My heartfelt prayers go out to those men and women still serving in Iraq.
SSG Shell

As a mother of a young child, I don’t appreciate the use of profanity on tonight’s Halliburton story. The story would have lost no meaning by leaving out those words used by the truck driver. ABC news needs to think of all of its “family audiences” before airing such vulgarity.

I saw this on the air tonight, and well I can honestly say that it struck a nerve with me. I have a very dear friend who has submitted an application with Haliiburton to go to Iraq and drive truck. I definatly told him of the story, but I know that not everyone has someone to pass this story on to them. So I hope that this stroy gets to the ones that it needs to get to.

God bless our troops and may they disregard the crap from Americans and others who are so quick to believe a one-sided story from a one-sided press.
“Bush lied” – get real! America is about 1) defending our homeland and 2) defending others. We don’t run and hide. We don’t pass the buck. We are in Iraq, and the people of Iraq are better off because Saddam is no longer in power, but SO ARE WE because Saddam is not there to become an ally of the terrorists who are trying 24/7 to find ways to KILL US, including that lunatic in Iran. If you don’t believe they are still trying to come up with round 2 of 9/11, you are deluding yourself.
Our troops are fighting a war in a CIVIL manner – that’s right, we have to play by the rules even when the bad guys don’t – and doing SO much more for us and the Iraqis than you and I know, so for the love of God, don’t believe everything you read or see on TV. Our troops deserve at least as much of the “innocent until proven guilty” philsophy as the millions of Americans they are protecting every day!

An ambush involving an unarmed moving vehicle is one of the most intimidating and scary actions anyone can be in. The military vehicle that kept going followed procedures. The best action to take is to get out of the killing zone as quickly as possible. I’m so very sorry that people were killed. This conflict isn’t a Sunday afternoon in the park. There are 2 basic rules to WAR. 1)It’s hell and 2) people get killed. That vehicle commander made a decision based on his training and his on the spot assessment. How does one vehicle (it didn’t look like an APC to me. It did look like a HUMVEE) go up against an enemy force of unknown size, in tight terrain, with unknown types of weapons and expect to win. More lives would have been lost. Should additional protection be made available, in hindsight, most likely. But I trust the person in charge, on the ground and learned a long time ago not to be an armchair quarterback like so many talking heads hear in the States. They sit in their warm, comfortable homes and make judgements. Get off your butts. Go to Iraq or Afganistan. Make a difference then come home and tell the people here that you’d have made a different decision. I dare you!

That driver was not abandoned. I drove with that crew. I personally knew the 3 men who were killed. They got killed 3 days after I got home from Iraq after spending 1 year driving outside the wire. The guntrucks that were ahead of him did what they were supposed to do and got the hell out of the kill zone. They also had to pull security for the civ. trucks that got thru. The gun trucks that were behind him stayed and fought. As far as KBR being a scumbag co. that is right on the money. My group was told all the trucks were up armored and that we would have a shooter in every 3rd. truck. This happened 1 time right after I got there in Sept. 04. I n Oct. 04 the mil said our trucks were not protected with armor enough for the troops to ride in so they stopped putting shooters in the trucks. We have good troops over there they are being strangled by rules of engagement. The insurgents will shoot out of a crowd and our guys can’t just mow down women and children to try and get a guy with an AK. Mark Overcash

Driver knows its a battlefield overthere and should expect this to happen, this goes with making big $$

wow i just saw the footage on tv and it was mind blowing.i know these contractors go over there for the money,but i truly feel sorry for this man

Yes I am a KBR employee and yes I am typing this while in Baghdad.
I want to first address the critics of contractors on the battlefield versus coalition forces and the difference in pay. As a prior service Marine it does sadden me slightly to know that we are paid more than our military counterparts for facing the same dangers day in and day out. However, lets not forget that anyone who remains within the DOD does so voluntarily. America has an all volunteer military so I have little sympathy in regards to pay scales between contractors and active duty personnel. Like me, each soldier has a chance to leave the military and become a contractor should they choose to. For the record, very few soldiers support this war anymore and are certainly not here out of patriotism, at least not anymore. They are here because by law they have to be.
As far as Halliburton/KBR not wanting to “uparmor” vehicles because of a loss of profit, that is just bogus. Learn a thing or two before you comment. The contract that this convoy was supporting is a “Cost Plus” type contract meaning KBR is re-imbursed for every allowable expenditure and is allowed to add fee to those costs. In other words, “uparmoring” these vehicles would be re-imbursable and would bring about additional profits which is the reason any business is in business. The reason it isn’t done is because the client (DOD) won’t approve the measures in order to save on some of their costs.
It is true that KBR doesn’t allow employees to carry weapons. I do not agree with this policy and sympathize with the casualties of this convoy since I know had they been armed it is very likely that more of them would have come out alive. “Its better to get caught with one in the chamber instead of one in the head.”
As far as the convoy escort team (CET) leaving the area that was most likely a matter of standard operating procedured (sop) and/or the simple fact that these convoys have to be spaced out and the lead vehicle may very well not have been able to see the attack happening behind them. Either way, the sop is for the forward team to move ahead, cordon of the forward “avenue of approach” to assure nothing comes from that direction while the rear of the convoy security pushes or recovers everything infront of them forward out of the kill zone. These convoys are not designed to irraticate the enemy, they are designed to get past the enemy. This particular attack was surprisingly well coordinated by the insurgents and at that time they did something that we hadn’t seen them doing much, they stayed and fought as opposed to their typical cowardly hit and run tactics.
In short, the military and KBR are not to blame. As a contractor we know what is at stake and we are all here on “at will” contracts meaning we can say no and leave ANYTIME that we want.

The employes sign all kind of release forms to get those jobs in Iraq. Do people realize what those drivers make? They earn $2000 to $3000 a week to drive a truck. When the the men and women serving over there arent even making $1000 a month. Nightline never bothered to mention any of this! Those drivers knew what they signed up for, and went willing, did think it would be a cake job? doubt it!

They were NOT “executed at point-blank range.” Execution is a state function performed after a legal trial. Terrorists, thugs, gang bangers, the mafia and other low life should not be given the air of legitimacy by using the word executed or execution.

WOW!!! My life has changed today. I don’t think I will ever be quite the same as I was a few hours ago!!! War is hell, and then we wonder why our men and women over there sometimes loose thier cool. Everyone over there has someone above them to blame but everyone who seen and heard this tonite, will never forget the pleas for help. I can’t believe the hell that these folks endure everyday they are there. Just a few minutes of a home movie has affected me in ways I can not describe. I am in shock. I support our troops & civilians over there,and pray for thier mental as well as physical well being! My heart goes out to all!
GOD GRANT ME THE SERENITY

You can trust little of what the so-called ‘liberal’ Mainstream Media-MSM report day to day..
Under orchestrations and handouts from the White House, they got the whole world worried about WMDs-and really, folks, lets cut the bull, -they KNEW that there were none there from the from the beginning, and they babbled ‘Iraq has weapons of mass destruction’ as much as the winner of ‘American Idol’ if it were the winner of American Idol. Until it was etched into the brain of everyone.
Heck they managed to insert it into the sports page and classified, too. (somewhat of a joke-maybe)
IT WAS A LIE TO DRUM UP PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR A NOW SINKING IN QUICKSAND WAR-dont buy their “happy talk” o how the war s going-
More lies.
And so we see it all over again-this time it is IRAN who has WMDs-
“We swear-no-honest. this time really they do have WMDs!”
YOU know its a lie (or should)-because they DEFINATLEY DO.
But here is an analogy:
There is a large iceberg.
As we all know, only one-third of an iceberg stays above water.
THe so-called ‘liberal’ media (mostly Repubilican controlled) will cover ‘news’ all the way down the waterline.
Then stop right there-oh, on occasion they may send a diver down into the dark reaches, but mostly they report from the waterline up.
Its too scary down there.
So we have the internet-
Now there is a lot of garbage on the internet, but if you sift throught the garbage, you will find jems-and stuff the MSM will ignore, distort, or not even publish.
President Bush has let our boys down-the 3,000 dead and the 150,000-odd thousand that are there. By lying to get them over there to be killed-for nothing. GET ANGRY, PEOPLE!
And who knows how many thousands of innocent Iraqi people.
Are we safer now?
No-there are probably 10 times more ‘terrorists’ than before Bush started this war
More soldiers have now died in Iraq than died in the WTC-on 911.
And weve probably, as “collateral” damage, have killed more Iraqis than Saddam Hussein could ever, in his wildest dreams, have even fantasized about…
But back to the subject- the untrustworthiness of the MSM:
Get over it folks, it is no longer an ‘internet conspiracy theory’
911 was an INSIDE JOB-to rally public support for going to war in the Middle East-and the big bucks (your taxes) that goes along with it.
WATERGATE was considered an ‘Underground Hippie Newspaper Conspiracy’ that is, until two brave reporters risked their lives and careers-TO DIG DEEPER.
DEAL WITH IT-the MSM wont.
If you only knew about the other two-thirds of the iceberg that is almost never reported on,
there would be a civil war in this country.
TIME TO AWAKEN FROM THE TEE-VEE REALITY FOLKS,
Time to awaken from the lies,
and the trance they have you in.
Time to wake up period…
And get ANGRY.
Like Howard Beal in the film NETWORK:
“Where mad as hell and not going to take it any more!”
Make it real, citizens of the USA, before they destroy our country, our Constitution, and bankrupt us-
while the huge out-of-control mess over in the Middle East goes on and on, and on.
we dont have long.

all I can say is God bless you, Preston for telling the story behind the scenes that we don’t see. This war is shameful and one that we should not be involved in at all…no reason, no excuse. God bless and protect the ones there just doing their jobs, and the families who have lost their loved ones for the cause of ‘freedom’.
AMEN….

I am in Iraq working for KBR. The TRUCK DRIVERS are the TRUE HEROES of Iraqi Freedom. Unarmed, they drive through the most dangerous parts of this war-torn country. NOTHING would function if it weren’t for them. Yet, sadly, they are among the lowest paid employees at KBR. They risk their lives every day to bring food, fuel, medicines, supplies, etc., to many different camps located throughout Iraq. Too bad they are not given the credit they so richly deserve. Toby Keith needs to write a song about them!

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I work for Halliburton and they have spent more money then any other contractor to protect thier people on the roads. A truck driver is told up front what kind of dangers there are out on the roads and that is why they make more money and get paid for such things as Stand BY when they are not working. He knew what he was getting into before he got into that truck because the Army gives you a 45 min briefing before you leave the gate. I know this because I have been on convoy before and his gentlemans situation is no diffrent form the ones many of us have been in. The Army has to protect it’s soldiers as well as us and if this gentleman ha been in the Army he would know the ONLY way to survive and AMBUSH is to push though it. If the Army had sat there to defend 4 trucks that did not push though the ambush you would have been reporting about another 10 or 20 soldiers that got killed on the road. Even reporting stories like this is a shame.
Danny
CAMP ANACONDA

As Contractors they should know the RISKS involved. They made a Choice to go over there knoing Full well the risks involved. Do we know if the APC was following ORDERS??????????????? Well, they say everyone has thier Price…. Well in this case it Cost them.

I just wanted to say something about the sales pitch Haliburton may be putting out there. From my experiences in Iraq of Feb 04- Dec 05, our mission was the escort of these trucks. We tried to get it so that the trucks were continuously covered by the escort vehicles, but we didn’t have enough vehicles or men. I don’t want to add fire to a political battle, but that was the reality no matter how you cut it. We simply did not have enough men.
In the case at hand, its tragic, and I would take a critical look at the company command element and the battalion command element. These two echelons develop the actions the soldiers take in regards to situations like this. I would also look at the NCOIC or OIC of this convoy, what was their thinking?
Phil

If I take a job driving a truck in WAR zone I might be injured???????

I seems we are hearing we can’t judge Iraq unless we’ve been there, but we aren’t listening to the ones that have been there. If we can’t blame bush & cheney for this mess, who then would you blame? It seems the closer we get to seeing the truth from those that have been there, the more we blame the media for bringing it to us. This driver lived through this, it’s not a fake movie we are watching. He knows how it was handled, as I recall I could hear them talking to him and never saying to him we will be right there to help you guys. I commend the drivers for making the big bucks to make our military men & women comfortable, it’s a death sentence. This video isn’t to make the contractors lives more valuable than the troops or Iraqi peoples lives. Just to remind us that the people running this war, aren’t about peace and freedom at all.

At least one of my big questions about how did this guy survive for 40 minutes was answered with soliders staying behind. Shame on ABC for not saying that. The story would have had the same impact even if this was mentioned.
As far a well planned mission with rally points and such, well the convoy took a wrong turn. The well planned mission turned into a large bag of worms.
Sad, sad indeed.

I know for a fact this is true. I am a truck driver in Iraq and was abandoned by the Army after coming under attack in April 04 by the South Dakota National Guard. I am still here for them money but my faith in America is forever gone. We have lost.

steve – if the elephants are in iraq it’s bush’s fault! he’s the worst president this country has EVER had! he’s a moron who can’t put two sentences together and he’s running this country into the ground!

Charlie Green hit it right on the head: Forget Haliburton, Dick Cheney, ect. There must be a dozen charges under the Universal Code of Military Justice here. Start with a charge of Cowardice in the Face of the Enemy; Abandoning his post: Dereliction of Duty and leave it to the JAG to go on from there.

A CNN story says Wheeler actually went back to work in Iraq, after this incident. So, regardless if the army errored or not, he is now back there, working in the same risky environment.
That being said, the video makes it seem like no heroes were born from this incident. But if I were there, I don’t know if I’d be the hero and try and save these drivers either. Still, going against SOP sometimes makes heroes and wins battles.
Redmond–you forget, we lost Korea and Vietnam. Whether a handful of people die or millions, a war lost is a war bad for our country. I would say the perception is that we are losing the Iraq war. (It is definitely not like WWII or the Civil War, where we knew we WON.) The way to win the perception war, is to win the war in reality, not in fantasy.
A UAV caught much of this on video, so their was air support of sorts. But, what are you going to do, send in an Apache to start mowing-down “civilians”? As you said, you can’t tell civilians from non-combatants.
I may sound like a wimp with this post. I’m not. This war must be fought much more aggressively to win. Civilian supporters of IED makers and arms cache hiders must be killed on the spot, if proven. We must fight this war like we did WWI or WWII, or we will win it like we won Vietnam or Korea — which I already stated, we lost.

Here we go again – convicting before hearing the evidence. We simply don’t know. I like what the other write stated – you’d basically have to have just fallen off a turnip truck to go over there without thinking of the danger in it. Everybody is aware of what goes on, no one from this country is forced to go so I would say those civilians that are there are the ones that are there for the money. Halliburton is there because if they weren’t who would be?

Ok, just how do these people graduate from journalisim school now days?
“The tape shows an armored personnel carrier leading the trucks that Wheeler says was from the Virginia National Guard.
”
“says was”?????!!!!
I had to look back at the banner to see that I wasn’t on “International Redneck & Jive News”. Nope, ABC. Was it written by Foghorn Leghorn? Nope apparently not. Maybe Yosemite Sam?
Doesn’t anyone proof read these articles? Can’t ABC afford a proof reader?
This writer uses says in about 10 or 11 places where he/she/they should have used the word SAID! They use WAS where they should be using WERE! Damn, this is subpar 3rd grade English grammar!
About the story:
None of this surprizes me. The people leading and guarding the convoy were probably graduates of the same grade school that the article’s writers “was”. :)
Aahh, says, aahh, says, boy! That thar’s a chicken!

I think we shouldn’t try and solve the worlds problems like we do. But since our troops are there, we should support THEM. The Halliburton folks are there trying and help rebuild a country and it’s people. Which leads me to my opinion. Is anyone else appaulled at the Iraq people for doing this to our people, who are trying to help??? The people in the US boo-hoo when the poor Iraq prisoneers are not given all of the comforts of US life, but then it’s ok for this type of behavior to go on??? Or when they shoot or behead one of our citizens- WHAT’S UP WITH THIS??? Do you think that’s why they keep doing these things to us. Think back over the last 10years at all of the attacks on American interests-USS Cole, the various embassay attacked, etc.
Are we that complacient??? This is what makes me sick about the American people. Maybe we should look at our selves with a little blame and not always point fingers at others – Bush, Halliburton, etc.
WAKE UP AMERICANS !!!!!!!

>>>>I JUST CAME BACK FROM IRAQ AND I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A SOLDIER RUNNING FROM THE ENEMY IN AN APC UNDER FIRE. NO I JUST DON’T BELIEVE IT. LOUIS
Posted by: LOUIS AGE | Sep 27, 2006 5:32:19 PM
Hey Louis. It happens. You might never have heard of soldiers running from the enemy, but the trucker has it all on video. What you’re basically saying is: How can the American People believe their lying eyes…
JSW
====

The biggest problem here is that civilan contractors are being used to fill the gap. The military lacks the personnel to do the job its self and has to contract out jobs like this to civilians. Oh wait yeah it’s cheaper. Last time I checked all branches of the military had their own transportation corps. And the drivers don’t make 150,000+ a year in Iraq. We should be ashamed that we went to war with insufficent man power. Which is always a receipe for disaster. The other reason for using civilians is “private companies can do a better job”. Well my fiance was in Iraq for over a year and had KBR. They were told that KBR would provide better food. Non military food. Guess what they ate. Military food. They saw the boxes. Standard issue military food. But instead of Army cooks adding water to the powedered eggs it was KBR employees who made 3 times as much money.
If that trucker was a Sgt. in a humvee alone and broken down would you still expect his fellow troops to abandon him? Their protocol was to speed up, abandon those in distress behind them, rally and call in air support. How do you call in air support? It’s a village full of civilians. Furthermore you don’t call in airstrikes on a location where your own are at (whether civilian or military).
My fiance watched this video. He was a gunner on a humvee. His humvee was hit by an IED. The rest of the convoy stopped to aid them and didn’t runway and look for help. His response…What are they doing leaving unarmed civilians in distress behind? If they had done that to fellow troops they would have been in major trouble.

Hey,you all seem to forget that 3 KBR men were killed that night. One didn’t even make it out of his truck or knew what hit him. Wheeler was lucky. Max wasn’t!

I was stationed at Anaconda from Jan 04 to Mar 05, as Force Security for the entire base. I can assure you, THERE IS NO WRONG WAY OUT OF ANACONDA. Only two gates allow vehicle traffic: one road will take you directly to the main highway to Baghdad, the other will go through open farmland until it too reaches the main highway. The small village to the northwest of the base is was a very bad place…but escorted convoys did NOT go through it at all, and in fact the road went by and away from it. As stated before, the reason this guy lasted “45 minutes” is the fact that convoy protection procedures were working, with rotor craft overhead and returing fire, and grounds troops re-converging on the ambush site. The other fact that the guy has returned to Iraq, tells volumes about his integrity and purpose of releasing this video.
Folks, we are doing tremendous good there. It is not all death and destruction as you see on the nightly news. I dare ABC to report on all the schools, hospitals, power stations, water stations, rebuilt roads and towns, return of local markets, and the ease of travel that Iraqis now enjoy.

I have never posted to a web story, or any other news story for that matter, but this one has me boiling. I would like to address a few different items that I have read relating to this particular story.
I am in disbelief at how many people are discussing operating procedures for a convoy on a public website. I know we all want the record set straight, however, the typical citizen will neither care to know the truth or simply misrepresent statements to use them for their own fodder. You can see this for yourself by reading some of the drivel above. Do not fall prey to the desire to explain tactics to those with no need to know.
Another point: I am greatly dismayed at those who spout off (especially former military) about “cowards” or “traitors” in this incident. It seems that the liberal slant of those posting such nonsense is a matter of casting the first stone. I say, if the first stone cast is not the one the Iraqis were throwing at a truck you weren’t in, shut your mouth. You are more un-American than anyone that was there that day, or is still there now. Remember the three fingers pointing back at you cliche? Put on a uniform or drive a truck in Iraq to support those that are wearing one; or use your brain instead of your emotion (the intellectually immature route I am seeing all over this page).
Next, the “contractors” are not hit men, mercenaries, killers or any other type of hired gun. They are regular people from all over the world trying to earn a living. Funny how most of these civilians are from third world or oppressed countries, but liberals fail to recognoze the efforts globally in this endeavor. I guess it doesn’t serve their country-bashing purposes. It has been stated repeatedly that civilian workers are not allowed to carry weapons, however you touchy-feely types continue to harp on misstatements, erroneous or made up facts and innuendo. The civilians I worked with in Iraq were dedicated to the cause of supporting troops, particularly those that served themselves and pulled my Soldiers out of more than one sticky situation. I witnessed KBR mechanics donating parts off of their iwn vehicles to get our convoy security teams back in action. Where are those news reports? As far as the money, the people complaining about civilian salaries are probably the same ones here fussing about paying immigrants pitiful wages for performing jobs they would never perform themselves. One more hypocracy in the world of the liberal mind that goes unchallenged by thinkers and not feelers who find themselves above such petty and inexcusable lies and emotional drivel dished out by those who do not, will not and can not come to the self-realization of the fact that they contribute little to society. If it is a job you are not willing to do, regardless of the money, then I must invoke my “shut your uneducated mouth” rule once again.
About “untrained” troops. I have served in the US Marine Corps, the active Army and the National Guard, and I say this: my guard units were more effective in combat than even my unit in the corps, had less disciplinary problems, and more dedication to the mission. Some equipment we had the active duty army hadn’t even seen or been trained on. I say this with four combat tours under my belt and challenge anyone to try just one with any of our proud service men and women. This is not the guard of the ’60s or ’70s. Get over your high-horse stereotype. Additionally, the National Guard is packed full of Marines, Sailors, Airmen and Soldiers that can re-iterate the same words I print here. Get over yourselves. Do not perform the Democratic Party / liberal error of applying worth to one particular individual over another. We are all from God and therefore all equal in his sight. Your short-sightedness counts nil.
For those who have served and are bashing the military or belittling the National Guard, shame on you, for you are an Arnold of the Benidict variety like no other. Every American who puts on a uniform is to be treated with the utmost respect, not belittled or spit on like the democrats would have behind closed doors. Remember Viet Nam? These are the same spitters and their propagandized children doing this whining. 270 million Americans being defended by a few hundred thousand. I say the active duty US Marine is worth as much to our country as the inactive reservist or retiree. How dare we allow fellow servants of the military be degraded by our own? Those who do this should be stripped of any association or recognition with their military service. You are the same people who look down your nose at the cashier at a grocery store or behind a McDonald’s counter because you feel you are better than they are. You should get over yourselves too!
In conclusion, I realize that my post here will do no more than provide yet one more target for leftist whiners, but alas they are Americans as well, and must be given the freedom to show their stupidity. I only pray that more Americans answer the call to duty before those who whine but don’t do anything overrun logic and reason. Two quotes to depart with:
“To those who think, the world is a comedy; to those who feel, the world is a tragedy.” Look it up whiners – it describes liberals to a tee.
“Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said “Here I am, send me.: Isaiah 6:8 God bless those both military and civilian who go for those who choose to do nothing and fall victim to their own euphoric stupor that there will ever be peace without those willing to go and fight for what we believe.

Anyone who asserts that Haliburton has a no-bid contract is either ignorant or mendacious, possibly both.
Once that is established then there is little reason to believe anything else they might say.

I spent 2.5 years over there working for halliburton, though it sounds like an intreging job venture let me tell you that I remember this all happening and the coverups that took place daily there its about time that someone started telling the truth about the company and what goes on there FOR REAL! You want more stories like this trust me they will surface eventually now that one man had the guts to do it I know more people will too and yes we all have it on home video too!…

Do you people realize what you are saying? The Company did not abandon the drivers, the Army did! Gees get your facts straight! Also I might add that it is just the drivers word right now that he was fired by KBR, there has been no comment released from them at this time confirming or denying. You must understand, these people are putting their lives on the line everyday just like those soldiers. Remember in the early days of the war how the Army lost some of its soldiers because they madea a wrong turn? It didn’t take them 10 minutes to go start searching for them. I think all in all that it looks like KBR is a pretty strong company and from what i can tell of the research i have done, they take very good care of their employees. I just wish that people would stop blaming them for everything just because Dick Cheney was the CEO at one time. That is in the past, let it go, get on with your life! The media has blown this out of proportion so much, they are hell bent on getting out the bad news, what about all the good things that KBR is doing for Iraq. Log in and read Stars and Stripes sometime and see all the stuff that they have been commended for. If our Media were not so liberal and only showed all of the bad stuff tha happens in the world, we might not have people who are so brainwashed!

How far down are Americans willing to let Bush and Cheney take them before they just admit they’ve been had? How many troops have to die, because you can’t admit you were wrong? Grow up, Americans!

I was in a trans/supply company as a convoy commander in Afghanistan and here is my take:
The military trains to fight and survive in a war zone. I cannot imagine why a contractor would go into a war zone, especially unarmed, and not have the slightest curiosity to find out what the military does in combat situation like an ambush. Why is it the military’s fault to place our soldiers and other contractors in jeopardy and that of the mission because unarmed civilians with no military training don’t know how to tactically respond or make decisions that could save their lives in a combat situation? They have voluntarily placed themselves in a war zone to do the same job as soldiers and complain when they are attacked as combatants. The Virginia National Guard did not ‘tuck-tail-and-run’. The convoy commander probably saved the convoy and many lives both soldiers and contractors doing what he did. Watch ‘Blackhawk Down’ and you get a clue why you only engage the enemy in the KZ as a last resort. The contractors made a poor decision by staying in their disabled vehicles. The contractors could not even follow simple orders to get out of there and called for the gun truck (FYI -an officer or NCO is usually not going to argue with someone in a gunfight but again you learn that the first day of boot camp). The video showed another semi that passed them when there vehicles were disabled and were sitting in theirs. Get out of your vehicle and flag him down before he passes you! The soldiers knew what to do during an ambush – get out of the KZ and rally away from danger and they survived. The contractors disregarded the convoy commanders orders, stayed with their disabled vehicles and paid with their lives. Let’s face facts, they are untrained, unarmed civilians in a war zone doing the same job as trained, armed soldiers. Patriotism and professional truck driving don’t get you home alive it only earns you a paycheck. Being trained in what to do during an ambush and following orders may not get you home alive but it sure increases the odds. The contractors did neither.

Osama Bin Laden has pulled of the greatest scam in human history in creating this war. He mearly inlisted a few weak minded, starving fanatics to train and fly planes into the towers. How much money has poured into a barren, economically desolate country since? How much still is? Yep, You are one smart S.O.B. Bin Laden. Too bad, you and your followers will all go down in history as just another Hitler. You will all perish. Because you forgot one important fact. Not all free nations have banded, unfortunatley, together as yet in force, to hunt you down and kill you, your fanatical followers. However, the closer you come to invading the free world and the freedoms of the free world. You will once again wake the giant which destroyed Hitler and his followers. We will band together once again as brothers and sisters of the free world. And you and your merry band of butchers/thieves will all die at our hand! Your people will spit on your memory! Because, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. You have gravely underestimated the resolve of the free world. We will not give up the freedoms we have. So come, knock on our door. We have something waiting for you!

I am thouroughly amazed at most people and their so well informed comments here. That’s is the scent of sarcasm you are smelling.
I just looked through all the comments and the overwhelming majority of you are so filled with hate and rage, yet somehow at the wrong people.
WHO KILLED THE DRIVER’S?
Barely anyone commenting had anything to say at all about the actual murderers of unarmed truck driver’s.
Are you kidding me?
So much to say, yet actually saying very little. Same old tired Bush and Cheney hate. Most of you just repeat each other because group think has so crept into liberal orthodoxy that you don’t even recognize your own inability to formulate new and positive thoughts. It’s really not your fault, though. It’s the liberal ideology that’s taught to you from youth. You are not taught to actually think. You have been indoctrinated to repeat, ad nauseum, mantras that amount to nothing and accomplish even less.
I am more angry than any of you seem to be. I am angry at murderers whose purpose in life is to murder. Innocent men died that day at the hands of muslims who also want to kill every one of you whiny little lilly-livered cowardly do nothings that think they have so much to say, yet don’t even know what they are saying. Come on, just come out with what you really think and believe. You are angry because the American troops did not die with those innocent men. You never have supported our troops and evidently you never will. At least until YOU need them.
We will win WWIII, with no thanks to liberals and Democrats. History will remember your cowardice and record it well.
Of course, you can always go to wikipedia and rewrite history, which is the preferred method of liberals for leaving a legacy.

It used to be that our military provided all of its own support so we didn’t need conglomerates like KBR/Halliburton in combat zones . . .

It is the US Government and military that should be held liable for this tragedy. Sending brave men to a place where heads are chopped off with a fury and not arming them? They attract desperate people who need money and then don’t let them protect themselves because it is not politically correct. What a military!!! The military is nothing more than one more failed American bureaucracy.

I find it disgusting that our armed forces would leave those men. Isn’t the reason of having the armed forces to protect their countries civilains??? Maybe at the turn of the century the militaries main function is to gain profits for our countries leaders.

This story really angered me, because its not about the contracted drivers, or the Virginia National Guard, or about Halliburton. It’s about failed leadership and failed policies. Without enough troops, the US hires contractors to drive trucks and provide supplies to the soldiers. Or to provide security. No one appears to be trained properly to know what to do. If we really are there to help Iraqis, it’s time to get out and let them run their own country.

My question is how did that truck get stalled? And why was this driver jacking with a video camera instead of driving? Looks like he almost rearended the hummer in front of him. He wasn’t abandoned, the guntrucks behind stayed and fought. KBR security is a joke unless you’re talking about them confiscating a lighter before you fly out on R&R. Op. Sec. is almost nonexistent among KBR personnel inside the wire. I personally saw a KBR truck supervisor post a convoy profile on a bulletin board in public where local Iraqis working inside the camp could read it. It stated when and where the convoy was going, how may trucks and how much security. When this was brought to the attention of KBR management it was ignored. If you work for KBR in Iraq you move up the ladder not by what you know, but who you know. There are other co.’s out there that could do this job so quit fooling yourselves about KBR being the only one that could do it.

It is painful to watch anyone suffer and I can only try to understand Mr. Wheeler’s (the driver’s)anger and confusion as to the outcome of his commitment to Halliburton. Many of the truck drivers who went to and are still in Iraq went as a sense of duty as much as for the pay.
The logistics of this type of military movement is more than most people can comprehend.
I appreciate the response from our military concerning this article. I not only found their comments enlightening as to operational proceedure but also as to their moral.
I also find the numerous comments based on ignorance disheartening.
Too many people feel they were issued a license at birth to judge without any effort to educate themselves on the issue they are ranting about.
COMPARE: the lazy, self-righteous ones complaining OR the committed who are WORKING and SACRIFICING towards a SOLUTION.

ABC NEWS IS FULL OF IT. what a load of typical “MEDIA CRAP”. this was my company that escorted THIS EXACT CONVOY! Why did no one mention the gun truck behind wheeler that was returning fire? why not tell about how the gun truck in wheelers video sped off to provide security for the front half of the convoy that didnt stop in the kill zone. so before all you guys start blabbering your bush hating propaganda, try talking to someone who was there! but why believe me, im just another dumb gunner in the Virgina National Guard

To Tony, my ex is a smart man only if you are the type of person who blames everyone else for your personal short comings and problems and like to put yourself high on a pedestal of superiority.
The media is helping the enemy by spreading only one side of the story, the bad news, how many of you can say that you’ve seen the stories about the new schools, the hospitals, the growth in business? Yes Halliburton is only doing the job that the military would have been doing if it weren’t for the forced budget cut backs. Think for a minute, back to the “War Bonds” and the days of Hollywood making movies to show “Our boys” fighting the Germans (who by the way also never attacked America)and actually Japan who also only attacked an island used by the American Military (Hawaii became a state AFTER Dec 7 1941)Try to remember your parents and grandparents rationing things so that the military would get the things they needed (didn’t always work but the point is people in America gave up luxuries for the better of “the boys”) Today Americans just sit around watching TV pointing the finger of blame, judging without information, complaining with no proposed solution (Democrats and Liberals are really good at this one!)and turning their backs on their part of the responsibility. And Hollywood! Oh lets check out the HERO’s of WWI and WWII Hollywood! Nothing like the Celebs of today! Lee Marvin, David Niven, Ernest Borgnine(GM2 1935-1945!)to name a small portion!
If Bush is the worst President EVER then I guess we’ll be seeing a Depression worse than the Stock Market crash of ’29 and the depression that followed WWI. Who was President then? Bush? Cheney? How about Hoover with a lead in by Coolidge!
Again, my thanks to those serving their country, I am truely proud to be considered in the same group as you. In the words of JFK, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” also my personal favorite “”Any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile … can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction, ‘I served in the United States Navy’.” Go JFK!
The bottom line is, Remember the way you felt on 9-11-01. Try really hard to remember the fear, the horror, the sadness, the ANGER, and the PATRIOTISM, the PRIDE, remember how you felt when Bono opened his coat at the Super Bowl and PROUDLY displayed YOUR flag, not his. Remember how you got goose bumps and teary at the opening ceremonies of the World Series. Try to remember.

It’s easy to judge what should have been done while sitting behind a computer screen. All you “desk-top heros” should try to put yourselves in the position of the soldiers. We see whats happening to the driver in the video but we have no idea what’s happening to the soldiers. Are they being fired upon? How many other trucks do drive out? If you listen to the radio it’s obvious that the protocol is to get as many trucks out of the kill zone as possible.
Blaming Haliburton or the president for this incident is just plain moronic.
The thing that does bother me is why aren’t these drivers armed? I can understand them not getting gov’t issue weapons but is there a reason why they can’t carry their own?

to the virginia national guard personell “involved at-the-time-of-incident”.You guys are a bunch of terrorists.America would like to say THANK YOU to yourselves and commanders for such a fine job of protecting american citizens.Way to go!Leave ‘em behind to the dogs!Is that the national guards new motto?Apparentley YES.I really hope you read this and think about the fatherless families you AND HALLIBURTON created!

Truck # 1 driver was hit by a sniper or that IED got him, Christopher Lem.
Truck # 2 driver was hit by a snipper also but made it out alive and also was fired by KBR.
Truck # 3 drivers truck was hit by small arms fire to the engine and was disabled, Keven Dagit.
Truck # 4 drivers truck was also hit in the engine by small arms fire and disabled, Sasch Case-Granger.
Truck # 5 was hit by a grenade thrown out by the gun truck #3, Preston Wheeler.
Truck # 8 was hit by small arms fire and lost a lot of blood. KBR also fired him.
KBR was at fault?
You’ve seen the video last night the 27th of september.
As far as seeing the video, it’s been out there for almost a year. I am grateful to Wheeler Preston for bring this to the public.
3 unarmed American cilvilians died on 09-20-05 and it went unseen.
The Army is at fault?
You know who is at fault?
I guess it all go’s back to
09-11-01.
We didn’t ask for this but it came to our country.
This isn’ the 1st time that the military left U.S. civilians behind.
The video shows the Army National Gaurd 1173rd as the gun trucks.
The gun truck #3 is the one that never fired a shot. Gun trucks 1,2 and 3 ran. Gun trucks 4,5 and 6 stayed behind and fought. They did there jobs. DO NOT blame the Army for something that afew did.
What your not being told is that the I.N.G. (Iraqi Nation Gaurd) and the I.N.P. (Iraqi National Police) were involved with al-quida in this ambush.
Proff?
This is where the cover up begins.
In the video, you can see the I.N.P sqaud cars on both sides of the road when the convoy went through. On the return trip where the ambush began is the same spot where the police cars were.
The Marines came in town and killed over 100 al-quida, I.N.G. and I.N.P.
I honor the military for doing there JOBS. I don’t hold blame to anone. Kevens time was to come.
They just helped he along to go home, (Heaven) with our LORD JESUS.
I’m sorry for Christophers family and Saschas family.
GOD bless to all…..Brian Dagit

I’m stationed at LSA Anaconda now, and we don’t leave personnel behind in the kill zone according to my convoy training I did prior to leaving the USA. Standard Operating Procedure or situational awareness may dictate a different course of action, but we’re susposed to evacuate personnel and disabled equipment too according to the training I received.

CNN just corrected this story…OUR TROOPS DID NOT ABANDON THE TRUCKERS!!!!! They raced ahead and doubled back to the other side of the flipped over truck. The trucker with the video camera couldnt see them from his angle. ABC is soooooooo full of it. God Bless our troops AND our truckers.

I was in Anaconda during the time you described. Do you know the name of the unit that escorted these individuals?
Just post it to this website and I will check it.

Reading this makes me sick. Some of you are so biased against anything Cheny, Halliburton or Bush that you write your flames here without knowledge or facts getting in your way.
Kevin Daggit was a good friend of mine and we drove on convoys together for several months in Kuwait and Iraq. We started at KBR together. ALL of us were informed of the risks before we signed up or went to Houston for processing and reminded again and again before we ever drove “outside the wire”.
Kevin didn’t want to die, but I know he loved what he was doing and he knew it made a difference for our military. I can’t tell you how many soldiers would come up to us and tell us “thanks, we couldn’t do this without you guys”.
I can’t tell you how many Iraqi’s told us thank you by waving and smiling as we drove by. I had a shop owner who spoke english in Tuz tell me “with Saddam, we had nothing, now we have everything . I am for what the US did here 110%.”
Yes, the money was more than we could make at home, but not as much as you may have heard. For most of us, it wasn’t just the money… Many folks working in Iraq right now would join the military in a heartbeat if they could. Many of us are veterans.
These guys, (all of them), who died working for KBR didn’t die in vain. They died doing a tough job in tough conditions for thier country. We carried “Military” ID’s that say “Army Contractor”.
The terrorists shot them doing the job they signed up for, knowing the risks.
I got this video before most KBR folks knew it existed. I talked to guys in this convoy and thier friends. I still don’t know the facts. I’ll say most of you (and the media) don’t know the real facts either and the reason the media put it out there was because it sells. Because most folks don’t really know anything but what they hear on the “news”. Of course KBR and the military won’t say anything because someone is probably going to sue them and hope they hit the lottery. But some of you say that’s a “cover up” because it’s Halliburton or the army. Right!
Our military has rules of engagement and the terrorists don’t. Our military does a good job over there. If not for them you wouldn’t have the freedom to prove how little you know in forums like this one!
I can’t believe what some of you say and believe without knowledge or facts…

Forgive me if I celebrate this. :)

i was in the military, and i think everyone i knew would agree to onr thing (assuming this story is 100% true). UNEXCUSABLE. you absolutely never leave someone behind. even though innocents died, i hope it is at least justified by some sort of comminication error. i noticed it said apc, but did not designate which one. if this was a stryker, that is even worse. those things are tough. i guess some soldiers have more heart than others. you hear a story of a soldier that should be dead, still fighting wounded simply because he doesn’t want his fellow squad members to suffer the same fate, and then you hear of others crying and hiding in the corner. i think everyone should agree if this happened as stated, this is an unexcusable and unforgivable action. i know marines that fell asleep in a fox hole and woke up to a rifle butt in the face. i wonder what that same gunny would do to these guys. never mind. i really don’t want to know.

the strategy and the war are seperate jackson smith. nice of you to use this incident to further your political beliefs. you must be a democrat. i was angry because good men died for no reason. not my men and not your men, but men. fathers, brothers and sons. men died period. yet all you can say is, “they shouldn’t have been there.”

Well, seems everyone has there own version of their own story. Also, it seems that there are people out there for personal gain of the wrong kind. 1) Did the news reporters check out the full story or did they take the word of one untrustworthy truck driver that should not have been there anyway. 2)It happened September of 2005, why was it not brought forward months ago to the news if it had a grain of truth to it. 3) the man making the complaints was not “fired” as stated. He was medically demobilized due to being off the job and out of theater for more than 60 days per alotments in the contracts or work agreements that everyone signed in Houston. And the list goes on and on to the problems and flaws of these reported lies or half truths.
I worked for KBR for 25 months through some of the most hellish days of post war IRAQ and I lost many friends of mine on the roads. I know, because I took care of many of them. I was the Medic in charge of the whole of KBR’s TTM medical division north of Baghdad to Mosul. I left just prior to the Sept. 22, 2005 incident but knew most of the drivers and all of the fallen well. This report needs to be researched thoroughly and retractions need to be printed because this one mans story is hardly close to true. As I stated, I worked for KBR, and I am not taking up for them. They are an undeserving corporate bunch that cares not for many of the things that go on in IRAQ. It is not so much that they do not care as it is that the IRAQ conflict is “out of sight out of mind” and the corporate powers that be do not ever see the true horror of it all. They do not see the truck drivers come in the gate broken and bleeding. They are never there when there is a sustained mortar attack at Camp Anaconda for hours on end and you spend your nights in the buncker asleep on the gravel, fighting the heat and mosquitos, and your days working at your normal hours for weeks on end. If there is a story to tell it needs to be told by the whole and not by a very unworthy single angry employee. Many people have been injured and killed, but we all were told and warned of the dangers of the WAR ZONE prior to mobilization and many times daily while there. I wonder did this one individual and his reporters take into consideration the families of the fallen Civillian drivers that are still grieving for their loved ones prior to them airing all this on the national news? How about give them a bit of consideration and not smear something with lies. Also, while we are at it lets think about the military that is OUR military. They do their job every day the escorts of the KBR convoys are no exception, they have a very hard job and they are not known to run away from a fight. They have many good men and women and I have patched many of them up myself. If you realy want to know the story, you can’t listen to it on TV, or Radio or watch it in videos! You have to grow some brass balls and go see it yourself. No one can explain the joys and the horrors that are experienced in the country of Iraq by the Contractors unless they live it.

Interesting comments, sendeth. You know, the conservative netpaper, WorldNetDaily, July 24’06, outlines the beliefs of the Father of the Republicans—George Washington. Rusty Humphries’ article “Oil Makes for a Messy Alliance” reiterates Washington’s belief that the People must be careful not to align themselves with countries that hurt them in the long run. This is not a Democratic belief, nor a Republican belief, but an American belief.
I side with George Washington.
I guess some do say, “Good men died for no reason.” I suppose that they blame the Army. They should state this clearly if this is what they believe. If so, how can they fix the problem—by waving the flag but remaining silent? That’s what good North Korean Communists do—out of fear! On the other hand, people may demand improvement from their government. The government that collects their taxes and says, “Don’t worry, we’re from the government, we’re here to help!”
We can trust too much in our government, and in any political party. Ultimately, should we not we trust in higher principles that supersede those of the government and party politics?
Although tragic deaths tug at the heartstrings, should we not all stay calm and think this through? If we react, rather than being proactive, is that not what the enemy would like? Thus, we have to keep a clear head when evaluating these stories, and try to separate the true from the false. To some, this may appear judgmental and insensitive, unfortunately.
Every war has a strategy, and if it doesn’t, that war is bound to be lost. A war without strategy is like a poker player or Monopoly player without a strategy. He will surely lose the game!
But war is no game, and a strategy is even more necessary. As Rear-Admiral Mahan stated, “…if the strategy be wrong, the skill of the general on the battlefield, the valor of the soldier, the brilliancy of the victory, however otherwise decisive, fail of their affect.”

I am appalled at your lack of discretion in airing the Halliburton story.
First,you have gone a long way to plant the seeds of doubt in all the [former, current, and future] soldier’s families that they will receive an accurate COD (cause of death) notification. This is abhorrible!
Second, the truck driver has some responsibility to bear in the situation as well. The appropriate convoy formation would have been to have a military vehicle behind the truck as well as in front. The fact that he was driving in the rear bears the fact that he was not following protocol.
Further, it was appropriate action for the lead vehicle to get out of the line of fire. That’s the proper response in a convoy. Had they not cleared the road, this story would have likely been about 20 dead, not three.
And, most outrageously, you have plannted the seeds of doubt about our military personnel following procedure. Unknowing people are going to assume that this one anamoly is what’s regularly going on over there. It is NOT. So many of our transportation people have given their lives for the protection of the KBR drivers … this story discredits so much of that bravery.
I am very dissapointed in ABC’s lack of discretion.

Another case where the national news media gets it WRONG and wont even televise a correction!!!
I am not surprised at the untruthful spin put on something that should have told a story of heroics and valor.
James G. Scott
Colonel US Army
Retired

We need those guys, Mr. Christie, because we have a smaller volunteer army and need those civilians to take up some of the slack. Now I’m done here.

No surprise Halliburton would fire (desert) this poor guy. What else would we expect from a company who has bilked the country out of millions dollars after being handed juicy contracts by this administration? Halliburton is 100% representative of Bush/Cheney mentality.

For all of those in denial, for thos that think the military is doing a half job, this is for you.
I am an airman in the U.S. Air Force, and i have to say that hearing all of you civilians bashing our president, it disgusts me. i volunteered to come in to the military, and then for you to stand there and say that my brothers in arms are cowards? I hope you can sleep at night. If you knew what kinds of things were actually going on over there instead of believing everything you see or hear on the news or by your friends you may just actually have a different view on things. i know its really easy to stay over here on this side of the pond and to say things like all of us military members are cowards but how about you go over there and experience one month. One month of 130 degree days, of mortars going off at all times of the day, of seeing little children with bombs strapped to them because thier parents told them they would go to hell if they didn’t. you try being away from home for a month, wondering if you can see your family. if you have one decent bone in your body you will apologize for these terrible things. im not telling you to, its just a suggestion. i think im gonna vomit now.

I have heard it all now, half you don’t even have a clue, small minds think in small boxes. Just because someone is in the military they have all the facts and know how! Same as with some of the contractors, it’s what YOU know. But how many of you have actually sat down and talked to other contractors about this situation? Not just this one you see on Video, but others who were in Ambushes in Iraq? This isn’t the first time I have heard of Military going down a wrong road and getting Ambush, but the Media won’t tell all that! They only show what they want. I will say that I sat through several Interviews with Drivers in Iraq that CBS did back in July in Nashville, all have the same story, it’s just a different face, different convoy attack! They have not aired these stories yet, but it’s only days now before they do. There is a problem going on, and someone needs to face up to it and change the Rules someswhere. I’m not sure where to even begin, but the Rules that are in place now Do NOT WORK and have not worked for sometimes now. Who is to blame? Our military or KBR? I don’t know but I think if these companies are going to stay and support our military then they need to review how they are going to protect them. Make new Rules of Engagments for American Civilian Convoys when being attack, you can not keep going in a NO WIN situation! Weater or not what KBR says, what now needs to be realized is that if you are a contractor and go to Iraq you first need to realize that you go NOW knowing that you will or may not be protected by our military. YOUR not driving armored Trucks! You go at your own risk, with no securities or guns. What ever you think or told, watch the video and then decide if you want to go, but know that if you do go as a convoy driver this is the risk you take. This is appauling, to think our military needs these contractors to provide logistical support, like bringing Armor and food so they can continue to fight the war in Iraq. I don’t understand it’s all a…. what could of, should of , and would of done, situation! To bad the drivers didn’t know the Rules of Engagment prior to going to help our military in the WAR IN Iraq. Maybe this needs to be printed out and givin to all who decides to take a job in Iraq for a company, or are they afraid to tell? Why Candy coat it!

I don’t think it serves any purpose to become upset over a few people dying in a war zone. Military and civilians alike are killed all the time. It’s the known risk they take. So let’s not get too mawkish when soldiers get blown apart or when civilians are lost in battle. IT’S NO BIG DEAL, JUST GET OVER IT.

So many of you think it’s ok, due to the military Rules of Engagment to leave UN_ARMED Americans in a Ambush? Shoot we aren’t even at WAR in Iraq, or that is what our President says or are we now?, shoot I can’t even keep up anymore on weather we are or not!
You downsize Contractors because they make more money then most of the military over there? OMG! I bet you have to tell yourself that to get throught your nightmares! I did it because I was told to….?
It’s the contractors fault? OMG! He felt as he was left alone, begging and pleading for them to come back and get him, for what ever reason, they didn’t! Why not stop and fight? Where was the BOBTAILER? Why didn’t he get in there and pick him up or the other men. You have gun trucks in the back shooting but seems they should of been clearing the way for the Bobtailer so he could move in and get his drivers like he is supppose to, or if they couldn’t because they were shooting at insergents then maybe they could of communicated that to the gun trucks in front so they would know to STAY AND FIGHT! Either way you look at it someone was not following the BOOK! What is a bob tailers job? Why didn’t he get his men when their trucks when down? Was he not able to and if so for what reasons? Was it due to the military actions? Someone failed to do a job! Someone please explane to this forum what the bob tailers job is!
OMG I don’t know how some of you sleep at night!

Amazing how many comments are posted without actually watching the video! Lots of things to say but let’s keep it simple. We’ve been there for over 3 years and we’re still sending out supply convoys without a MAP? Military commanders are making wrong turns in known insurgent neighborhoods while taking supply convoys through them? Doesn’t sound like a smart thing to do. No matter what party you affiliate yourself with, demand the TRUTH!!!

Why were these men unarmed? Is this the company’s policy? Seriously, what are you thinking signing up to drive trucks through a war zone without having a some kind of weapon and sufficient ammunition….stupid!

For all of the people that think we are wrong to be there…. remember the KURDS or the eleven U.N. resolotions? WAR is just that WAR. This truck dirver knew what he had to do to get the pay check that he wanted. The military unit on that convoy did there job. You dont sit in a ambush and die you move threw, re-group and come back to secure the area. Should the driver of had a gun? YES. Maybe if we stop with the politics and just let the military do there job this war would be over by now. Here’s an idea… IF YOU DONT KNOW HOW THE MILITARY RUNS IT’S MISSION’S DONT RUN YOUR MOUTH!!!! This man said he sat there for 40 min. How long did they hold Nick Burg before the cut his head off. What was Nicks crime? He wasent a contractor or a soldier. Just let the military do their job and stop painting them in a bad light. Respect them. They are why you can run your mouth about stuff you don’t understand.

WE are waking up NOW, takes some courage from ABC to finally reveal what is actually happening over in Iraq to our contractors, couldn’t figure out WHY we never hear anything about all the good the contractors are doing, but I guess many are afraid of opening a book of worms, as you can see the only thing we see are from BRAVE survivers of the war! It’s about time WE the American Public finally SEE it how it is! Thank You Perkins! NO MORE MILITARY and Goverment Cover UPS! Show us and tell us the truth, Thanks ABC, it’s about time!!!!!

WE are waking up NOW, takes some courage from ABC to finally reveal what is actually happening over in Iraq to our contractors, couldn’t figure out WHY we never hear anything about all the good the contractors are doing, but I guess many are afraid of opening a book of worms, as you can see the only thing we see are from BRAVE survivers of the war! It’s about time WE the American Public finally SEE it how it is! Thank You Perkins! NO MORE MILITARY and Goverment Cover UPS! Show us and tell us the truth, Thanks ABC, it’s about time!!!!!

Some say that strategy and the Iraq war are separate, but I say they are inseparable. As the Japanese warrior Musashi wrote, “Strategy is the craft of the warrior.” So we must always keep in mind strategy as we fight this war. But in this incident, tactics are what are really being called into question. I look for a full explanation by the government soon. Were the tactics used by the Army sufficient for the operation? Did the tactics provide sufficient protection for the civilian truck drivers, and the innocent Iraqis who may be caught in a firefight? This is the question.
Wherever we go with this war, we must not let our emotions rule us, but cool logic. It is OK to feel for the deaths of these drivers. But we must always remember the long-term goals and objectives that we are seeking to achieve in this war. Sometimes, people will die. The Army will not always be able to save everyone. That’s one reason why the drivers are paid a risk-premium, not just because of the hot weather. It is not that the drivers shouldn’t have been there, but that they should have been better protected—I think everyone agrees that this is the issue.
Our comrades in arms, and our fellow civilian Americans, are dying in this war, but some good is being achieved in Iraq. The question we all should ask, if we are wise, is “Is it worth it?” If it is, we stay the course. If it isn’t, we should quit the war. Either option is wise, depending on which is the best. If one option is best, but we do not do it, then we are fools indeed. It doesn’t matter at all which party chooses the best policy. Still, the best policy will promote the party that chooses it over the party that chooses the worst policy. In the end, what counts is what is best for all of the American people, in the long run. That’s why the Founding Fathers didn’t believe in parties, as some people become so attached to them, they cannot see straight.

I’ve read every posting so far. It is a waste of time to play the blame game. The military did what they needed to do; it is unfortunate that three men died but how much more unfortunate would it have been if everyone had died? It is also unfortunate that our drivers are not able to carry a weapon to defend themselves or that their vehicles are not 100% up-armored to help protect them from attacks. It is part of the agreement with the military, though, that KBR contractors do not carry weapons. Perhaps it is time to change that to state that those who go outside the fence could do so.
I am a KBR contractor in Iraq, female. I do not support my president or his administration’s policies and I disagree with his reasons for going to war with Iraq. However, I do support my nation’s troops 100% (my husband is a former Guardsman) and am proud to be here doing whatever I can to help keep them going and make it so that they go home to their families at the end of their tour.
Yes, I make very good money. I believe that the military should make DOUBLE or TRIPLE what I do.
Think, though, about this: the money that I make goes to support my family. We are not mired in debt. We are not standing in line at the welfare office. We are putting money aside for the education of our children, for our retirement, for donating to charity, and for those unexpected things that come up in life. We are doing exactly what responsible Americans everywhere should be doing: taking care of our own so that they can help make the world a better place.
Consider also that if I wasn’t here to do my job, someone else would be. It was during George H.W. Bush’s presidency that Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney advocated that logistical support for the military should be outsourced to private companies so that troops could focus on the job at hand and we could maintain a smaller military force.
The services that we contractors provide have gone a long ways towards making our soldiers comfortable, relaxed during their time off, and well-fed (not every site has a dining hall; but those that do are very much appreciated).
If a soldier gets the rest, comfort, relaxation, and food that he needs, then he is able to patrol outside the fence and be more alert to what is going on around him. If this allows him to go home to his family at the end of his tour, then the job that all of us with KBR do, and the very long hours that we work (84 hours per week, four months at a time), make it all worth it.
Please stop the blame game. Even if you don’t like the current president, don’t tear down our troops. They are doing the best they can under very difficult circumstances. Don’t crucify Mr. Wheeler; he was alone, unarmed and frightened. Who among us wouldn’t be? Don’t put down KBR personnel; everyone here works very hard to help take care of America’s sons and daughters. We have all left our families at home to come here and we all work very hard to make a better life for the soldiers here and our families at home.
In closing, change is always best effected when your concerns are addressed to the people who can do something about them. Name-calling and finger-pointing will get you nowhere fast in today’s world. Instead, call or write your Congressman or Senator and tell them what’s bothering you.
That is why one of our most precious documents starts off with “We the People…”

My husband’s a civilian contractor in Iraq employed by Halliburton.This really ticks me off!….I need to calm down and maybe later respond………..

The National Guardsmen followed protocol in the situation a convoy comes under attack. You people who use the death of two honorable U.S. citizens to push some political agenda are dispicable. They knew the risks of what they were getting into. In the video you clearly can see what is going on. You also can hear all the events being played out over the radio. Just because the guy who taped the video wasn’t assisted immedietely doesn’t mean he was “abandoned.” The National Guardsmen were taking small arms fire, RPG, and IED casualties further up in the convoy. I don’t know what the guy who shot the video was thinking by not arming himself at all times at least with a sidearm and extra ammunition.

Jana:
Don’t try and blame the bobtail man. He was in the back trying to take care of what was going on there. The gun truck in front of cameraman wheeler probably didn’t even have a kbr radio so he couldn’t have heard him calling. I would still like to know why in the hell he is operating a camera instead of the truck during an ambush.Does he still think he stayed alive for 45 minutes and nobody was there. I guess the insurgents were just feeling benevolent towards him and decided to let him finish his documentary. Why didn’t he let the air out of that seat and get down low, get small. It might of made filiming harder but it also would have made him a smaller target. KBR doesn’t want there drivers armed because they might shoot some KBR big wigs brother-inlaw that is in a position he has no business being in. Kinfolk Brothersinlaws and Relatives.Killem Bagem Replaceem

I got the distinct impression from the video I saw on ABC that the point Preston Wheeler was trying to make was lost in this idea of blaming the guys in the gun truck.
I was under the impression that Preston Wheeler pointed the finger at the guys at Halliburton/Kbr who were managing the supply routes.
Yes, in his video he was cursing the troops in the gun truck … but I’m sure that was out of natural self-preservation … he wasn’t allowed to carry a gun to protect himself and when you see the only defensive unit disappear … and then a fellow driver shot … that would be disconcerting.
My concern is that this video is a wedge to increase the numbers of private security forces in Iraq who are not under the control of the US Army and therefore not under the control of the US Government … it would be more honest … but we don’t need a multinational corporation developing bigger armies than it already has. Think of the clones in Star Wars. Or think of the Mujaheddin in Afganistan. Started out as a good idea … but are we going to continually relive these strategic errors?

The drivers should have never been left no matter what. My deepest regaurds go out to the lose of these families. As for Preston Wheeler I know why he finally came out with the video. I seen this video about three months ago on the internet. There was an interview with a Mrs. Bradshaw and on one of the interviews with her it was said it was her husband on the video. Then it was took back and said it was Mr. Wheeler. She also said her husband seen these men get killed he didn’t see anything. These are the people that are out for money not Mr. Wheeler. As far as the military goes they are only partley to blame. The war in Irqa isn’t about the United States anymore we have went way past that. If we are going to send contractors and truck drivers over there to take supplies to our soldiers then they should protect them no matter what it takes. The only thing I can see that companies are interested in is the money they can make. I don’t believe that that company has been honest with these contractors. As for as Dick Cheney and President Bush you can put a stop to this. I do not trust anything about Cheney. As for Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw you should be ashamed of your selves. Mr. Wheeler didn’t make this public first you did with a lie.

I am currently in Balad, Iraq and at LSA Anaconda with KBR. I believe everything he says. KBR does not care if their employees live or die. Us American employees they are in the process of cutting us to only 20% and bringing in Bosnians and other nationals to do our job. If we do get hurt here, it is nice to know that we do not have anyone to back us, such as the AMERICAN COMPANY THAT IS RECEIVING OUR TAX DOLLARS TO BE THE GIANT CORPORATION IT IS. Dick Cheney should be so proud to be affiliated with Halliburton/KBR. We take alot of grief from this company, but according to them we are not even employees of KBR. They have subcontracted our pay to come from a company in Dubai, but we must do everything they say. Until the day comes that we are hurt, then we don’t have to listen to them anymore.
I know for a fact that we have had horrible things happen to people inside the wire and KBR turned their backs on those people and fired them to replace them with Bosnia’s, Turkish, Philipeano’s, and Indian’s so they do not have any one able to complain about the treatment. Us American’s know what companies are suppose to do and what they are not. Now that our camp; LSA Anaconda, will have 80% of the 4500 workers here foreigners, there will be no complaints and they can conduct themselves and the sweat slaves they truely are. If the American people do not see anything wrong with working as hard as they do and paying taxes so that money can go into another countries hands then we are the fools and Halliburton / KBR is all ready depending on it.

Dear Baffled
No, I would be and always will be happy when American Soldiers kill massive amounts of the enemy and if some civilians get in the way? Well I am sorry about that but I always want Americans to win any fight decisively with no American deaths or severe wounded. Our Military and our political leaders don’t feel the same way and so they put Americans in situations they can’t win, kinda like Vietnam. Outrage at the Iraqi’s behavior? No way, they are true destroyers, destroying our military forces and winning the military conflict. That has been done since the beggining of recorded history. The problem is our incompetent military leaders, in many ways, are scared of firearms. I make this statement after doing recent weapons training classes with American Servicemen.

Just got throught watching the uncut version of the video! Why didnt’ the rest of the gun trucks cut and run like the truck in the video shows? You can see him clearly going around the flipped over truck! NO THEY STAYED AND FOUGHT! Someone, besides Wheeler, is calling for the Gun Truck in front that left, and it’s NOT WHEELER! You hear, “Gun Truck, Gun Truck Gun Truck,” then you hear, “Gun Truck back up here, we need some cover!” So there is communication between the trucks! ABC cut this out so Americans would hear what actually happen is my take! NOT JUST WHEELER but Many on the actually entire video were begging for help! Trucks in front and back, even the gun trucks! Show this ABC!
If not I know a place where anyone can go see it, just drop me aline from my website and I’ll give you directions!
jana

Maybe someone out there can tell me why the National Gaurd was sent outside the U.S. to a war zone?
I guess they don’t stay in the borders of this country to protect us? Who else will be sent? I think maybe the BORDER PATROL can be next to be sent to Iraq. I don’t know of anyone else unless, the government can send out our HIGHWAY PATROL. Maybe the STATE POLICE. I know, the government can send out thgose guys that sit at the scales and wait for the big trucks.
I don’t understand why these guys are sent outside of the states.
WHO put the military so low on recruits that this happened?
Someone please let me know why the National guard is not protecting us in this country but protecting other countries.

I didn’t think about this, maybe the voice you hear, ‘ GUN TRUCK GET BACK HERE WE’RE TAKING FIRE ‘
was truck #4. I know itwasn’t #1 #2 and #3. Ibetter think about this one and ask again. It makes since.

Question was asked to me was were these gun trucks that left, armored gun trucks? Does that make a difference. If they were armored did they have to leave the Kill Zone to call in for help and why did it take 3 gun trucks to do that? The answer I got was an un armored gun truck would have been shooting like crazy to keep his driver alive. How true the statement I have no clue, but it does make one think…….

Question: wouldn’t you leave the disabled trucks if you were in an open humvee taking fire?

I know more about this event then you could all understand… its way more complicated then what the army makes of it. I’m sure they failed to mention that the COmmander of the convoy used radio freqs that were outdated by a year, blew off the OutKast Express for help learning the route. and would not have made a wrong turn if they had taken the help. because it was only two rights a left and a right to the next base(they screwed up on the left and took a right) But I will stop with this…. it should have never of happened, and it could have been prevented … I KNOW this for a fact! I did over 150 trips on that route.

if the military was ordered to run, then why did gun truck 4 and 5 and 6 stay and dis-obey orders.
Gun truck 1 and 2 and 3 ran out of the kill zone and obeyed orders.
Who do we belive

I saw the video where the gun truck in front threw that bomb out and hit prestons truck. why isn’t this being investigated. the gun truck took out this guys truck and almost got him killed too.

Nice to know the story finaly came out!I think the Active ARMY military are the ones to blame for this.There “I know it all attitude”cost the lives of all the soldiers and the civilans in the convoy.A certain MSGT and there OIC should be held accountable.(they didn’t go on the mission) They were offered by my national guard unit(Outkast Express) who had done over 180 runs threw that area to show them the way and they refused to our faces and said we dont need help from civilians!I was told by an investigating officer that they had a map from over a year ago and call signs for that area were no good.Imagine that lost and no way to call for help.He showed me the map in his binder and then he closed the book and said forget about this it never happened.Well I wont forget those Americans who died had families and they deserve the truth.The Virgina guard unit was made out to be the fall guys for active duty seniors. They are lucky any of them came out the vally of death.I blame my self everyday for this.I am sorry I didn’t have the power to stop what happened

Let em die! All of them!
Go to a country, get rich on the war that your country lied about.
So I hope all of the truck drivers die.
They are only therre for the money.
while the American Gov. rapes, kills, tortures people in Iraq. The country the occupy.
LET EM DIE !!!
God Less Ameri kaka

WE are not surprised that it is how our fellow men and women are treated.. We knew Preston for a good number of years before this happened. He was a good loyal friend to my husband and I. When we heard the news I don’t think that you could describe the pain we felt. He is a good father to all his children and a good person to lean on. It is sorry that our family and friends go out there to help bring supplies to those people that are and I quote “stand up for our country!” yeah right. While they are over there doing that the people in which they are there to supply can’t even freaking help out in the time of trouble? No they have to run away like scared little puppies with their tails tucked between their legs. Well, all I can say is THANKS FOR GETTING HIS STORY OUT THERE AND OTHER STORIES LIKE HIS SO THAT THE “RIGHT” PEOPLE WILL BE PUNSHIED!!!

Hey ‘B’ , as you can see in the AMBUSH. gun truck didn’t even make an effort to stop and get those civilians out of their downed trucks. They left them there to be killed by the R.N.G. and the al-qiuda. you can’t tell me that they didn’t even think about grabbing those guys and getting them to saftey! same on you. the 1173rd had guns to protect them selves. those civilians had NOTHING but the saftey of those chickens.

I have read all of this blogg. Not once have I been able to find where this ‘Brian’ has said anything about letting them die.
I have seen alot of hate, but yet again I have seen alot of love too.
Keep up the great work bloggers. I love reading this stuff.

Back in my day, protection of civilians under your responsibility was paramount…abandoning them consitutes cowardice in the face of the enemy. On the other hand, as a contractor I and hopefully other would refuse to go “outside the wire” unarmed (Geneva Conventions authorizes civilians “defensive” weapons only (i.e 9mm handgun) and maintain their status as non-combatants…in any event I don’t think our current enemy gives a rat’s a$$ about the Geneva Convention. So there it is…if your convoy gaurd won’t protect you and you company won’t protect you, then you’re ON YOUR OWN…good luck!

‘Kvon’,
I want to thank you for this info. we have been told alot more from people like you
the military hasn’t even talked to us.
I would love to talk to you more.
God bless to you sir….brian

WHO ARE YOU ALL TO CALL US COWARDS ,last time i remember we have both have u.s army on our ACU’S , I COME FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE REG ARMY AND THE NATIONAL GUARD

This is one of the few things that troubles me about my tour in Iraq. I was the Intel soldier on the Outkast. This unit that took over the route from us refused our help. I was one of the troops tasked to brief them and they absolutely refused our help. They made a wrong turn and got people killed. due to their arrogance and neglect of duty. We saw disaster looming but they would not listen. Those lives should not have been lost. The OutKast and the Unit before us managed to complete our tours with only minor injuries and No lives lost. It is haunting that we could not make them listen.