CHAPTER 5

Cover and Move

Leif Babin

SOUTH-CENTRAL RAMADI, IRAQ: COVERING THE FLANK
“So what are we doing?” asked our leading petty officer.
The clock was ticking and every second counted. There were no good
options. Each one could have deadly consequences. But I had to make a
call.

*           *           *

As SEALs, we often protected the troops in the streets with our snipers
and machine gunners in a type of operation we called “sniper
overwatch.” By taking the high ground in buildings and positioning
SEAL snipers where they could best observe and engage enemy fighters
maneuvering to attack, we could eliminate threats and disrupt insurgent
attacks before they could fully materialize. This helped mitigate the
substantial risks to U.S. and Iraqi troops patrolling the streets, enabled
them to more safely accomplish their mission, and ensured more U.S.
Soldiers and Marines came home alive to their families back in the
States.