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Soldier hit by anti-tank mine praises up-armor

By Pfc. Durwood Blackmon
25th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs
September 18, 2006

TIKRIT, IRAQ (Army News Service, Sept. 18, 2006) – Soldiers are issued cumbersome protective gear that they have to lug, carry and drag everywhere they go. With heavy steel doors and blast shields, vehicles in the Army are no exception.

For one Soldier of the 25th Infantry Division, Combat Aviation Brigade, however, both of these security defenses helped to save his life and the life of his fellow comrades when their Humvee was hit by an anti-tank mine.

Sgt. Aaron Richardson, petroleum supply non-commissioned officer, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 25th Infantry Division, Combat Aviation Brigade, was the turret gunner when his vehicle was struck by a buried explosive during a roving patrol outside of Contingency Operating Base Speicher September 6.

“We were hit by an anti-tank mine. I remember seeing a flash and hearing a loud noise. Basically, I couldn’t hear anything after the noise, and the blast threw me back into the turret,” he said.

Richardson received injuries from the blast impact, but without the proper safety equipment he acknowledges the situation could have been far worse.

“There are blast shields around the turret and the armor stood up to the blast. The front of the vehicle was gone, but there were really no dings or anything in the armor," he said.

“I think the equipment they issue us, the up armor and personal equipment, should be worn at all times when you’re going outside the wire," he continued. "It may be an irritating task putting it on and lugging it around, but the equipment will save your life, and stop objects and projectiles from damaging your body.”

While other passengers received small injuries and the vehicle's front was destroyed, there were no fatalities.

Army training also played a key role in the aftermath of the attack. Although Richardson couldn’t hear, and was at times incoherent, he pushed through the setbacks and reverted to his training and direction of others around him in aiding in securing the area.

“After the blast went off, we did buddy checks to see if everybody was alright and make sure we had no injuries. The mission still has to go on, so after that I climbed out of the vehicle, we dismounted the 50 caliber, cordoned off the area and extracted the vehicle for sensitive items. After the area was secure we waited for a recovery team and medical personnel to show up,” Richardson said.

Although Richardson is still recovering from his wounds, his experiences have only intensified his adamancy towards proper safety and training.

“I was over here last year and we got hit twice. I wasn’t in the turret so it’s a whole different scenario, but I think everybody needs round-robin training. You never know what your job will be when you get to Iraq,” said Richardson.