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A soldier recounts surviving an IED blast that flipped his vehicle and caused a fire threatening to reach the ammunition. He was trapped inside after the door sealed, but was rescued by Lance Corporal Chris O'Connor, who ran 200 yards across an IED field with only a fire extinguisher to save him.
Summary
The speaker describes a harrowing combat incident in which his vehicle was struck by an IED, launching it into the air and knocking him unconscious before it crashed to the ground. The crew were wearing quarter ghillies filled with burlap, which posed an additional fire hazard. After the vehicle landed on its side, a fire broke out in the back and began spreading toward the ammunition stores, cutting off the escape route through the turret for the three soldiers in the rear.
The speaker managed to force the door open enough to push out his two team members — Johnson (his point man) and Jacobs (his RTO) — but the vehicle then shifted, sealing the door and trapping him inside alone. With the radios melting, ammunition at risk of cooking off, and his exit sealed, the speaker drew his pistol, implying he was preparing for the worst.
Unknown to him, Lance Corporal Chris O'Connor, positioned roughly 200 meters away, abandoned his weapon and grabbed only a fire extinguisher before sprinting across 200 yards of IED-laden terrain to reach the burning vehicle. Meanwhile, Johnson and Jacobs were using their M4 rifles to try to pry open the rear door. Together, they managed to open it just enough for O'Connor to duck the speaker's head down, insert the fire extinguisher over his neck, and discharge it to suppress the flames. O'Connor then grabbed the speaker by the collar and physically pulled him free of the vehicle, after which the remaining fire was extinguished.
Key Insights
- The speaker describes being knocked unconscious by the IED blast and the vehicle being thrown into the air before crashing on its side, with the crew wearing flammable burlap-filled quarter ghillies that worsened the fire risk.
- The fire spreading toward the ammunition effectively blocked the only viable escape route through the turret, trapping all three soldiers in the back of the vehicle.
- After getting his two teammates out, the door shifted and sealed behind them, leaving the speaker as the sole person trapped inside with melting radios and ammunition about to cook off — at which point he drew his pistol.
- Lance Corporal Chris O'Connor deliberately left his weapon behind and instead grabbed a fire extinguisher before running 200 yards across an active IED field to reach the burning vehicle.
- The rescue required coordinated effort — Johnson and Jacobs prying the door open with their M4s while O'Connor used the fire extinguisher over the speaker's neck and then physically yanked him out by his collar.
Topics
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