2953 x 2215 px | 25 x 18,8 cm | 9,8 x 7,4 inches | 300dpi
Aufnahmedatum:
3. Dezember 2004
Ort:
FOB Marez, Mosul, northern Iraq.
Weitere Informationen:
These are American soldiers of the 1st Battalion 24th Infantry Regiment (1-24), nicknamed "Deuce Four", prepare to board their "Stryker" ICVs at FOB (Forward Operating Base) Marez in Mosul. They are about to head into the city on an operation to root out insurgents. This was during the aftermath of the Battle of Mosul (8 - 16 November 2004) when insurgents took control of most of the city. The M1126 "Stryker" Infantry Carrier Vehicles (ICV) is an eight-wheeled armoured personnel carrier. Each Stryker is fitted with slat armour, designed as protection against RPGs. The first Stryker brigades were deployed to Iraq in October 2003. The 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (SBCT) "Lightning" (a Stryker brigade), and served in Iraq from October 2004 to October 2005. Camp Marez was near Mosul Airport, initially home to the 101st Airborne Division rear command post and various other units. It was initially known as Camp Performance, then Forward Operating Base/Fire Base Glory. In early 2004 it was renamed Camp Marez. On 21st December 2004, at 2:01 PM, an explosion tore through a crowded US military mess tent during lunch service, killing at least 22 people, and wounding 69. 14 of the dead were US soldiers, most of whom were from the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, a Stryker brigade from Fort Lewis, Washington.The explosion was caused when a suicide bomber disguised as an Iraqi National Guard trainee blew himself up inside the mess tent. Following the US-led invasion in March 2003, the Americans went on to occupy Iraq for eight years as part of a multi-national force, their troops finally departing in 2011.
