Through the Sand: Day 89: Convoy

Today, I was the medic for a convoy mission to a nearby FOB (Forward Operating Base). My good friend Justin had a great post about the "ins and outs" of convoy missions since he also takes part in convoy operations (ConOps), and so I wanted to at least describe, to all my friends and family, what a convoy entails.

A convoy is defined as any group of military vehicles traveling under the same orders (thank you dictionary.com). But, it doesn't just mean getting into a vehicle, turning the key, and off we go. Convoy missions are meticulously planned for this reason...many of our soldiers are being wounded or worse during convoy missions because of roadside IEDs (improvised explosive devices). Therefore, a convoy is serious business which is why convoy missions were a big part of my training at Fort Riley.

Typically, a convoy consists of at least 3-4 vehicles, the more the better. We drive either 1151s which are the standard up-armored HUMVEEs and/or MRAPs (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles) which are the new generation of IED resistant vehicles built to withstand most IEDs, but without any intention to provide comfortable seating. Each vehicle will have personnel to include a driver, gunner, medic, and vehicle commander who all have defined roles for that vehicle.

Checkbox items that need to completed 24 hours prior to moving out include vehicle maintenance, crew serve weapon systems (the guns on the vehicles) maintenance, passenger list, medical supplies check (my job), commo check (radio frequencies), and intelligence briefings (to assess the enemy threat).

We usually have a set time for a pre-movement brief (military talk for "meeting") just before moving out. Before then, the team will need ensure that the weapons are mounted, medical bags are resupplied, radio frequencies are set, and all passengers of the convoy are assigned to their respective vehicles. During the brief we review the mission, any new intel about the threat in the area, and the order of movement.

Once we go "outside of the wire" we are vulnerable to an enemy attack. As we drive, every person in the vehicle needs to look out for suspicious activity or areas that may pose an IED threat (piles of trash, rocks, loose dirt mounds, roadside vehicles, cars that pull into the convoy). The problem is that everything looks like an IED threat so it's best to just relax and take a picture or two!