Humvee was struck by an improvised-explosive device, while on patrol, causing the vehicle to rollover.
By U.S. Army Pfc. Paul Ondik
4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division
FORWARD OPERATING BASE RUSTAMIYAH, Iraq, July 14, 2006 — “I looked across the vehicle, which was now upside-down,” recalled the soldier. “My gunner was actually pinned between the gun and the roof from the dog tags up. My door was blown open.”
It was a scene straight out of a soldier’s nightmare, but it is exactly what happened to the humvee 1st Sgt. James Westover, Troop B first sergeant, 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, was riding in May 19 in Salman Pak.
On the way from an Iraqi council meeting to another objective, his three-vehicle convoy was hit by an improvised-explosive device made from high-caliber artillery rounds.
“It was in kind of slow-motion,” said Westover. “There was smoke and glass flying everywhere. The driver’s side window flew through the vehicle and hit the (communications) equipment and hit me in the shoulder. I looked and we were slowly gliding forward to go off of the embankment.”
"It was in kind of slow-motion. There was smoke and glass flying everywhere."
Sgt. James Westover
The concussion from the blast of the IED had knocked the driver unconscious. The vehicle overturned as it was blown off the road.
“We were up-side down,” Westover said. With his driver unconscious and Sgt. Percell Phillips, his gunner, incapacitated, Westover scrambled to exit the vehicle and assessed the situation. “We thought the gunner was in the worst shape,” said Westover. “It turns out that he didn’t even have a scratch. Then we started looking at the driver”
The blast of the IED had actually blown the door of the vehicle inside of its seams. The driver was trapped in his seat and injured.
Westover and Spc. Brian Stout, a combat medic, who had been sitting behind Westover in the vehicle, worked on the driver.
The other soldier that had been in the vehicle, Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Meyers, mortar section sergeant, had no major injuries. New to the unit, he was riding along to familiarize himself with the unit and its area of operations.
Westover would find out later that his wrist had been broken in the attack.
“I don’t think I paid any attention to the injury,” said Westover. “When the adrenaline gets going, you don’t really notice it until later, but I did have a cast for a couple of weeks.”
The situation was nothing new to Stout.
“I’ve been in convoys that have been hit with IEDs a couple of times, but this was the first one to hit my vehicle,” Stout said.
Westover, who received an Army Commendation Medal with Valor device for his actions, was very happy with the job his troops did.
“Everyone’s reaction was just like a battle drill,” said Westover. “From the medic on up to the rest of the crew, everyone just reacted – no one had to give them guidance. People were automatically going into search mode, security mode and recovery mode.”
After the driver was evacuated, Westover stayed back to help recover the vehicle.
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