Stryker Brigade News

The Iraqis were eating lunch with their ING and U.S. comrades when the explosion occurred. Both of the Iraqi soldiers were blown from their seats by the blast, which they described as, “very powerful, lots of noise and heat.” They were both dazed. One of them could only hear a loud ringing sound in his ears. The other couldn’t believe his eyes – everywhere he looked people were gasping for air or bleeding profusely.

Before the two Iraqis lay a helpless American Soldier, who fell to the ground after staggering across the smoke-filled mess hall. They couldn’t understand his words, they saw the wound above his knee and realized the American’s life was in danger.

“Recognizing the Soldier’s injury as potentially life-threatening, the two ING soldiers employed first aid techniques learned during recent training with U.S. Special Forces and used their belts to apply a tourniquet to the U.S. Soldier’s leg to stop the bleeding, and then moved the Soldier out of the danger area,” said Maj. Jim Harrell, a Multi-National Forces spokesman in Mosul.

They moved the Soldier to a MEDEVAC vehicle using a two-man litter carry. After they hoisted the Soldier in the truck, the two Iraqis – one an officer, the other an NCO – ran back to the facility and began treating the other wounded, without regard for their own safety.

Herrell said the ING soldiers, with their American partners, rendered first aid to two very seriously wounded comrades from their unit and at least five other U.S. and ING Soldiers, applying field dressings and moving the wounded by litter and buddy-carry to evacuation vehicles.

Once the smoke cleared and the severely wounded had been evacuated, medical personnel checked the two ING soldiers to ensure they had suffered no severe injuries. The Iraqis waved off medical attention, simply wanting to see the American they helped “to make sure he’s OK,” said the officer.

Both Iraqis said they had great admiration for their U.S. counterparts. As for their own actions, the officer said, “This was our duty. We are a team, and we take care of each other.”