Relentless toll to US troops of roadside bombs

From the infantryman's point of view, the most important things coming to the troops are fire-resistant uniform materials, heavier body armor, and especially tougher vehicles to replace the relatively venerable – and vulnerable – Humvees.

Many soldiers, and their parents, have written ardent fan letters about the new "Cougar" and "Buffalo" vehicles – "Humvees on steroids," they've been called.

"I have seen these things take a hit from an IED and keep driving without a problem," Air Force Staff Sgt. J. Adam Burke, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, wrote to Force Protection, Inc. the South Carolina company that produces the vehicles.

But so far only about 300 are in the combat zone, and troops on the ground could use thousands more.

Those tasked with countering roadside bombs also have been drawing on the experience of wounded veterans who've survived the blast of an IED. Twenty-two soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center have joined the "Operation Warfighter" program to work with military and civilian officials trying to reduce the threat of IEDs.

Besides the 3,000 US military fatalities in Iraq (perhaps more than that if those who died sometime after being evacuated from the war zone are included), the number of troops wounded due to hostile action now approaches 23,000 – about half of those from IEDs. In addition, some 24,000 have had to be evacuated due to accidents and illness. Sergeant Jacobs lost his right leg when it was crushed by a concrete barrier in what he calls a "freak accident" involving his truck convoy.

The percentage of those wounded who die has dropped to about 10 percent in Iraq, an all-time low in the history of warfare. By contrast, the figure was 30 percent in World War II and 24 percent in Vietnam.

Without improvements in soldiers' protective gear, battlefield treatment, and quick transportation to field hospitals, the number of US troops killed in Iraq might well have been more than twice what it is today.

That accounts for what could be seen as the relatively low figure for combat fatalities due to hostile action, distressing as it is. It also means, as the Government Accountability Office reported this year, that "many of them are returning home with severe disabilities, including traumatic brain injuries and missing limbs."

Those in harm's way in Iraq got a break the other day.

Iraqi children playing outside the gate of Forward Operating Base Marez reported a suspicious device to soldiers from the Second Battalion, Seventh Cavalry Regiment. It turned out to be an IED, which an explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed.

Civil affairs soldiers rewarded the children with toys, candy, and soccer balls. In the end, it may be that this kind of intelligence information from Iraqis themselves will be the most important weapon in countering deadly roadside bombs.

These days the Army's Third Infantry Division is preparing to deploy to Iraq for the third time. In about two weeks they'll be going to Anbar Province, one of the most dangerous parts of Iraq.

At night, lights shine on each of the Eastern Redbud trees at the division's "Warriors' Walk" at Fort Stewart, where it's hoped that no more trees will have to be planted. Like the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, personal mementos have been placed on the ground by family members, friends, and fellow soldiers.

"It's a good way to remember," says Jacobs. "But it's also a harsh reminder sometimes too."

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