Among the dangers faced by U.S. and other coalition ground troops in Iraq, some of the most pernicious are roadside bombs that target moving vehicles. The stand-off weapons, also known as improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, have been responsible for many deaths and serious injuries. The most vulnerable vehicle has been the lightly armored Humvee.
To reduce the risks, the Defense Department conducts training designed to help troops avoid IEDs in the first place and to improve their chances of getting out of danger with minimal exposure to harm. The photo here is not from a combat zone, but rather from predeployment training at Camp Shelby, Miss., early in 2007. The Humvee, which belongs to an infantry battalion of the Iowa National Guard, is silhouetted against an explosion from a simulated IED.
Caption text by Jonathan Skillings, staff writer, CNET News.com
Photo by U.S. Army
