1) The document describes several IEDs found by 1LT Welch's team on patrols in Iraq between February and April 2005, including details about their construction and methods of detonation. 2) It then discusses an incident where the team captured an insurgent IED emplacement team in the act of planting explosives. 3) The document concludes with 1LT Welch recounting a harrowing ambush that his convoy faced while passing through the city of Ad Diwaniyah, during which they sustained gunfire and explosives but no serious injuries before fighting their way out of the kill zone.

1. OIF III Experiences
By: 1LT Ryan Welch

2. Table of Contents
 IEDs Found
 Capturing Insurgent IED Team
 IED Hunting TTPs
 Ad Diwaniyah Ambush

3. My Team A1 or B7

4. My Team A1 or B7

5. IEDs Found

6. IED #1

7. IED #1
 1st IED found on first
day of B CO 3-112th
combat patrol
 22 Feb 2005 at 19-A
on MSR Tampa.
 2 x 155mm Rounds
 5 x 2 liter bottles of
homemade napalm

8. IED #1
 Signal Receiver of
Mobile House Phone,
Motorcycle Battery,
and Dryer Timer

9. IED #1
 Old Extension Chord
used to carry
electrical charge from
Telephone Receiver to
Blasting Cap

10. IED #1
 This IED was found
while conducting a
dismounted patrol
under a highway
overpass
 It was buried in a
mound of dirt along
the MSR with only 3
inches of receiver
antenna exposed

11. IED #2
 2nd IED found
 23 Feb 2005 at 17-A
on MSR Tampa
 1 x 155mm round on
West side of MSR
 1 x 155mm round on
East side plus one
IED detonated 5m in
front of our platform

12. IED #2
 Signal Receiver of
Mobile House Phone,
Motorcycle Battery,
and Dryer Timer
 Electrical wire used to
carry the signal to the
Fuse/Match Head
Electrical Blasting
Cap

13. IED #2
 This IED was found
while dismounted and
looking for secondary
devices after an initial
IED detonated (hole
in road right)
 A second detonated
on the other side of
the MSR on an MP
patrol 5 minutes later

15. IED #3
 3rd IED found
 24 Feb 2005 at vic.
MB 507444 on
 3 x 155mm rounds on
East side of MSR
buried in a dirt mound
 Only some pink wire
was exposed

16. IED #3
 This IED was found
while conducting a
dismounted patrol
near a canal
 This dirt mound was a
previous IED site
 Wire and blasting
caps in place
 No signal receiver
was recovered

17. IED #3

18. IED #3

19. IED #3

20. Detonating IED #3

21. Detonating IED #3

22. IED #3

23. IED #5 2 April 2005

24. IED #5 2 April 2005

25. IED #5 2 April 2005

26. IED #5 2 April 2005

27. IED #5 2 April 2005

28. IED #6 4 April 2005

29. IED #6 4 April 2005

30. IED #6 4 April 2005

31. Capturing Insurgent IED Team

32. Capturing Insurgent IED Team

33. Capturing Insurgent IED Team

34. Capturing Insurgent IED Team

35. IED Hunting TTPs
 Other IEDs were found in old IED holes on the
side of the MSR then covered with a piece of
asphalt or dead animals, and in HESCO barriers
 We coordinated with the engineers to remove all
the dirt mounds and HESCO barriers in our AO
and to fill the old IED holes
 As our techniques became more successful the
AIF resorted to placing IEDs with their vehicles
by pulling over, dropping the IED covered with a
bag on the side of the MSR, and then driving
away.
 These “drop and pop” IEDs were easily spotted
and then, either destroyed or recovered by EOD.

36. IED Hunting TTPs
 Patrols were conducted with 3 M-1114s
with a crew consisting of a driver, gunner,
and vehicle commander.
 We changed our SP Time, formations,
route, speed, spacing, lane, start point, and
dismounted techniques every day so that
we never did the same patrol, in the same
place, at the same time two days in a row.

37. IED Hunting TTPs
 We used WARLOCK system which
prevented several detonations on our
platforms.
 We also used Thermal Sights to locate
IEDs by their thermal signature
 75% of the IEDs were found while
conducting dismounted patrols

38. Ad Diwaniyah Ambush Video

39. Ad Diwaniyah Ambush
Hi Honey!
First, nobody was hurt, and second, I love and miss you!
Well, that was the hardest and longest mission we have ever done. We
were on the road a total of 14 1/2 hrs. At first everything went smooth,
then after about 1 1/2 hrs SSG Garcia's platform started overheating.
We tried to fix it, but we ended up just turning the convoy around and
towing his platform (gun-truck) back to Tallil, but first we had to drop
the convoy back off in the Cedar II yard. When we had dropped off the
convoy, we towed his platform to Tallil and the whole team helped to
switch all their gear and equipment into our spare. By the time we got
back to Cedar II and picked up our convoy and left again it was 6 1/2
hrs later. So, now that we were 6 1/2 hrs late we left again on what is
normally already a 7-9 hr mission depending on the route. The mission
takes us close to the two Holy cities of Karbala and either through or
just around Najaf. Everything was going fine till we came to a town
called Ad Diwania. The route is supposed to go around this time but

40. Ad Diwaniyah Ambush
SSG Hughes was leading and the only time he had been to TQ he went
through Ad Diwania. The only problem is that in Ad Diwania the is a
large Al Sadar contingent and that same night his militia in Najaf was
hit with a raid so unknown to us they were in a foul mood as we passed
through the city at about 0200 in the morning. Well, they attacked our
convoy as it passed through the city with RPG’s, hand grenades and
machine-gun (SAF) from both sides of the road. We first knew we were
under attack when an explosion went off between the scout truck (SSG
Hughes) and the pace truck (Me). "IED IED IED!" was reported over
the singars radio and I said to my driver (SGT Lopes) "GO GO GO
GO!" Then we were hit with SAF from both sides of the road as we
drove as fast as we could out of the kill-zone while we returned fire.
When we came to a "T" intersection we stopped, and I jumped out to do
a quick "Battle Assessment" of the damages. All my guys were OK and
one TCN driver was slightly injured from a truck 7 from the end. I
called for the medic with my Marconi radio. When SPC Drake came up
to me we started receiving SAF from both sides of the road again.

41. Ad Diwaniyah Ambush
We hid between a wall and the Semi-Truck and Drake looked at his
injuries, then the SAF got closer and a lot worse, so I told Drake to stay
behind the wall and I ran back to the front while laying suppressive fire
with my M-4. Boy my lungs were burning by the time I had made it
back to the front of the convoy! I didn't think I could run that fast with
all that gear, but I sprinted all the way to the front while returning fire. I
jumped into my truck and got on the SINGARS and told everyone "Let's
Roll, let's get out of here!" I told the "3" (SSG Garcia) who had rear
security to pick up his medic as he passed his position, and we moved
out while laying down more suppressive fire with our crew-serves. The
3 then reported that a truck was not moving, and the back half of the
convoy was still in the kill-zone, so I told him to make that driver move.
SSG Garcia ran up to the driver and threw him up into the truck and
yelled at him to move (the truck had 4 flats from a hand grenade that
exploded right by it). So, we moved out again and when we were 5
miles outside of town, we stopped the convoy to change the important
flats.

42. Ad Diwaniyah Ambush
By the time we were ready to move again a recovery mission in front of
us was blocking the road to recover a broken vehicle from another
convoy, so that delayed us even further. We got to camp Duke (about 4
hrs from our destination at 0730) 14 1/2 hrs from when we started and
we got fuel, ate, got a transient sleep tent and took a shower and went to
sleep. The convoy had about 21 bullet holes, 5 flats, 5 broken windows,
and 1 injured TCN, but no military injuries or damage. Anyway, I'll tell
you the rest later. After dinner we are heading out again to TQ and we
expect to flip and come right back to Duke to sleep again. Prayers are
answered and we have been protected again. Thank God for his merciful
protection!
I love and miss you MORE!
Love Scott

43. Route Taken vs Correct

44. Questions?