Military guys - a question

[BobbyBlueChip]

Why are we sending the apache helicopters to attack the Republican guard when we have the jet fighters on the ships that would be less vulnerable to counter attack?

I'm already sick of the helicopter fatalities already and now their being fired upon and I don't want to see any more soldiers on Iraqi TV. Maybe I'm missing something.

 

[hellah10]

Because Apache Helicopters are designed to fly low and do what Jets cant. And with the hills and sand dunes in Iraq - its the perfect hide n seek game....Apache can easily hide behind a hill, then come out of nowhere and launch an aerial attack...

I rode in an apache once....not a smooth ride, at all.

 

[hellah10]

speaking of choppers going down. Another one went down in Baghdad. They are guessing it fell in the Tigiris River....

 

[hellah10]

they are showing the Apache now. Surprisingly, it landed in the upright position

 

[loophole]

apaches are used primarily to support ground troops in combat. using fighter jets to support ground troops is problematic.

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

Bobby They evidently have their reasons and Hellah is probably correct. --a little on being upright and I also read where they explained in news picture of copter might have been mechanical because of being intack.
Many times helicopter lose hydralics due to hostile fire and unless they explode in air they will "auto rotate" down. This means that that the copter will start spinning itself and if it does not have far distance to ground it will just bounce very hard on landing and most will escape without injury. Had this occur twice in vietnam however it was on medivac copter which was hovering just above tree tops in medivac mission.Fortunately it did not have far to fall and auto rotate reduces shock .Also fortunately if you are evacuating your own soilders chances of you falling in friendlys is almost 100% where as falling in enemys lines has to be a very frightening experience.
I am sure that we will use planes in all circumstanses we can,but all evacuation and rescue will be done by copter.
There are many things that are frightening and I can not understand. Where are all these soilders that surrendered in 91 and no refugee's, where there were almost a million in 91 by this time. There are many huge ??? here. By trying to spare civilians we are putting ourselves in a most precarious situation.---and something that has stuck in my mind is Saddams statement of us being in quagmire(spl)prior to start of war, which could indicate they plan on blowing those dams once we get into "the valley" and try to trap us. I am sure those much smarter than I have projected this. It is going to get extemely tense soon and the next 2 days will determine the length of this conflict.

 

[djv]

We use them for inclose fighting. They can peek as we say over a hill drop down then come backup and let all hell breakout. They are used in close contact with there out fit. There refuling point is close by so they can stay in the fight longer and get back to it faster. Your jets are in hit and gone. And can take a while to get back. The enemy gets to timing these things and hides to after jets have left. Then come back out of there holes to fight. We learned all the way back in Korea this did not work the best. So useing the apache for close ground support works well.

 

[gardenweasel]

bobby

bobby

i have had serious questions about invading and occupying a foreign country halfway around the world....and with the media tagging along with every outfit to make sure we mind our p`s and q`s,we are fighting this war with at least one hand tied behind our back.....

also,i don`t see this thing as winable with the emphasis on keeping iraqi media,infrastructure,power, ad-infinitum untouched....al jezeera is spewing propaganda daily,and from what i`m hearing,the people in baghdad,despite the bombs in the distance,find it hard to believe the americans are actually coming.....and i don`t buy the argument that the iraqi people will see us as liberators,not occupying infidels.....

bobby`s right about the apache`s ......forget the apaches taking out a few soldiers and maybe an occasional tank....go in there and bomb their positions into oblivion....these s.o.b.`are coming up behind us,attacking our flanks,putting white flags up,then ambushing us,running around with civilian clothes on....what happens when we get to iraq and we have to go house to house?......how are we gonna know who is a civilian and who is republican guard....this has the potential to turn into a terrible mess.....

and please get rid of their television and media.....disconnect the propaganda.....disorient them.......

i know it`s early....and i always thought this would take months,not weeks....but,we can`t half-ass this thing if we are in there to win....and by half-assing it,we are gonna lose more boys....

i hope the administration has a workable plan....i` am honestly worried....i`m not crazy about this war,although i`m behind the administration as an american,and i have always believed the world and the iraqi`s will be better off without saddam.......but,i have to say,that i`m seriously worried....maybe i`m jumping the gun....the powers that be obviously know much more than i do....

 

[buddy]

How Apache Helicopters Work~

http://web.ask.com/redir?bpg=http%3a%2f%2fweb.ask.com%2fweb%3fq%3dapache%2bhelicopter%26o%3d0&q=apache+helicopter&u=http%3a%2f%2fwww.howstuffworks.com%2fapache-helicopter.htm&s=a

 

[djv]

gardenweasel you hit on the part that will be tough to deal with. Door to Door I hope is not needed. But we have to remember not all Iraqis like us. Hell most these folks cant get along with each other let alone get along with us.
We are faced with the things that happen in Israel when the shooting stops. They will walk up to our troops and blow them self and 20 other people up. Terror does not end when the shooting stops. Trying to think this will be agreat place to visit in next 3 to 5 years is wishfull thinking. That is why I wanted the UN in on this. We don't need them to fight the war. But to let them stay there with troops from all over the world to handle all the chit thats will continue after this action. We have to remember Bagdad has over 5 million people liveing there. If only 5% dont like us and are willing to die to show it with terror attacks. Well you can see the problem.