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All in a Day's Work - Cav Soldiers Encounter IED, Treat Injured Civilian

Dec-16-2005 » Filed Under: 172nd SBCT

Link to Full Article with Photo
Sgt. 1st Class Leonard Strickland
A, 4-14th Cavalry

MOSUL, Iraq – The 1st Platoon of A Troop, 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry, conducted a route recon mission one morning in November to confirm or deny enemy activity.

We were clearing and searching for any improvised explosive device emplacements or any anti-Iraqi forces planning an attack on coalition forces on this specific route.

As the platoon moved along we noticed there was no traffic on the route like there usually is.

That was a little spooky.

It is pretty scary to ride down a road and not know what is buried or hidden that you cannot see.

You are just trying to anticipate the explosion as if you know it is about to happen.

It was a relief when we saw the Iraqi Police patrolling the area to safeguard their home. The Iraqi Police were doing the same thing we were doing, trying to keep the terrorists away and protecting the local community.

As the 1st Platoon maneuvered on the road there was a loud explosion that went off in front of the lead vehicle.

We just thought the worst had happened.

The explosion was an IED that was set off. None of the U.S. Soldiers or the Iraqi Police were injured, but there was one local civilian standing next to a bus stop who was injured by debris from the explosion.

Immediately our platoon medic, Pfc. Raymond Nelson III, rendered aid to the injured civilian. The man’s left arm took some shrapnel, causing him to bleed profusely.

Thanks to the Soldier’s special skills and dedicated training for situations like this, he was able to have self-control and take care of the man while the dismounts from the platoon and the Iraqi Police who were in the area provided security for him until an ambulance came to take the injured civilian to the local hospital.


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