INTRODUCTION

Ramadi, Iraq: The Combat Leader’s Dilemma

Leif Babin

Only the low rumble of diesel engines could be heard as the convoy of
Humvees^1 eased to a stop along the canal road. Iraqi farm fields and
groves of date palms spread for some distance into the darkness in all
directions. The night was quiet. Only the occasional barking of a distant
dog and a lonely flickering light gave any indication of the Iraqi village
beyond. If intelligence reports were accurate, that village harbored a
high-level terrorist leader and perhaps his entourage of well-armed
fighters. No lights were visible from the convoy, and darkness blanketed
the road, blacking out most of the surroundings to the naked eye. But
through the green glow of our night-vision goggles a flurry of activity
could be seen: a platoon of Navy SEALs kitted up with helmets, body
armor, weapons, and gear, along with an element of Iraqi soldiers,
dismounted from the vehicles and quickly aligned in patrol formation.
An explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) bomb technician pushed
forward and checked out a dirt bridge that crossed the canal ahead.
Insurgents often planted deadly explosives at such choke points. Some
were powerful enough to wipe out an entire vehicle and all its occupants