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Mortar Team in Mortar Pit Returns Small Arms Fire
Published 3 years ago
Footage recorded in 2009 shows the moment a mortar team in close-contact with the Taliban has to return fire with not only their 120mm mortar system, but also their rifles.
This footage, which was shot in 2009 in North Eastern Afghanistan, shows members of 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, utilizing a 120mm mortar system to repel a Taliban attack. At a certain point in the video, the fighting gets so intense and close that members of the mortar team actually have to transition off of the 120mm crew served weapon, and return fire using their issued M4 service rifles.
If you've never been inside of a combat outpost where there is a 120mm mortar pit, then let me explain. The 120mm mortar system is generally located in one of the safest locations on the base. This is because the ammunition needs to be stored nearby, and the ammunition needs to be protected in order to prevent sympathetic detonation which could be catastrophic. So, if these guys are in the mortar pit, which is one of the safest places on the installation, and they're needing to return fire with their M4's, then this firefight must have been extremely close, and incredibly kinetic.
