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Three Minutes in Peak Baghdad Traffic
Published 3 years ago
If you've ever wondered what it feels like to drive in an up-armored column through some of the busiest and most dangerous streets in the world, here is a three minute taste.
When someone thinks about the war in Iraq or Afghanistan, they most likely think of troops out on foot patrols making contact with insurgent forces. While that was a good chunk of both wars, for most people who participated on the coalition side of both conflicts a majority of their conflict probably looked something like this video that you're watching.
Wake up. Load up the vehicles. Drive out to do a resupply mission, security patrol, or key leader engagement. A majority of the mission will be spent driving to and from the destination, and life for the people in Iraq and Afghanistan doesn't stop just because your mission is happening. You too have to compete with traffic, just like everyone else.
Unlike everyone else however, you're driving with a massive target on your back. Unlike everyone else, you don't know who the bad guys are. You don't know which car is a suicide bomber. You don't know which intersection has a PKM and RPG aimed at it. All you can do is drive aggressively, move people out of your way, and try to get to your destination before an ambush kicks off with a bunch of civilians surrounding you.
This is three minutes in Baghdad traffic.