WITH TilE 1ST MARiNE DWISiON IN DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM            115


coverage. The tanks' fields of fire formed a protective triangle to the AAV's
inner circle of heavy machine guns.
   In terms of firepower, the task force made a strong defense  of tank, heavy
machine gun, and interlocking small arms provided by dismounted combat
engineers. The position vulnerability was the volatility of the obstacle clearing
detachments' AAVs. Most of the AAVs in the column carried fully loaded
Mkl54 three-shot line charges besides towing trailers carrying single-shot line
charges. A rocket or mortar hit on any of these would have proven devastating.
   Once Captain Allison finished placing the vehicles, the engineer task force
commander,    Major Joseph I. Musca, held a leader's brief in his AAY to
establish radio procedures, the watch schedule, the enemy situation, and other
relevant  items. When  the meeting ended 20  minutes later      Major  Musca
discovered that a sudden shift in wind direction not only improved visibility, but
also enabled the flames from nearby wells to illuminate every vehicle in the task
force, except for the three tanks.
   Allison felt good about being able to see again, but the unit's exposed
situation troubled him as he walked the perimeter a few minutes later, checking
positions. Tempering uneasiness with the knowledge that fighting was virtually
over, he cut across the circle of AAVs. Suddenly, a series of explosions from
mortar fire, instantly followed by RPG and heavy machine gun fire, poured in
on him. The next few minutes passed in a blur. He noticed that the enemy fire
was coming from the airport highway to the north, while it was the AAVs and
tank nearest the Iraqis returning fire. As an AAV next to Captain Allison
pivoted to bring its gun to bear he saw a combat engineer get caught under its
tracks.  Fearing that the Marine was  dead,  Captain Allison      ran  to get
assistance.IsI He had gone only a few feet when a sledgehammer blow across
his face knocked him down. Dazed and bleeding from a machine gun round
through the face, Allison crawled to the dubious shelter of one of the obstacle
clearing detachment AAVs. There, he removed his bulky chemical suit and ran
to the command vehicle where he hoped to get medical attention for the combat
engineer, and now for himself.
   Inside the command AAV, Major Musca had already started coordinating
return fire. Concerned over the proximity of adjacent Marine units, Musca held
his tanks in checkfire. Sitting in darkness, the three M60Als had been ignored
by the attackers and their commanders used their night sights to track Iraqi
movement and acquire targets. Of the three, Musca cleared only "Phambo 07'
to fire. In almost the same moment that Captain Allison was wounded, Corporal
Duchoa Pham, the tank commander, destroyed an armored personnel carrier
with two well-aimed shots. Corporal Pham explained, "I meant to hit the target
with HE but was so excited that I forgot [and fired SABOTj. The first round
went right through the vehicle without damaging it. The second round must
have hit something sensitive because the whole vehicle exploded with a flash. "
   Mortar rounds continued to fall on the Marine position. The enemy had two
well-served mortars operating. Firing simultaneously, the mortar crews walked
their rounds intO the circle of AAVs and out the southwest side, but inflicted no
damage. RPG rounds flew into the Marine position. One round penetrated the