#66: Bennie and Home Defenders

About this video

McPhee recounts a complex combat operation in Iraq where his squadron was ambushed at a defensive position near the Haditha Dam. After initial contact from multiple directions, McPhee coordinated extensive air support including fighters, gunships, and attack helicopters over a 13-hour engagement, ultimately resulting in significant casualties among Iraqi forces and the loss of two team members.

Key takeaways

• McPhee emphasizes the importance of holding defensible terrain and leadership decisions to maintain position rather than retreat, citing Commander Wild Bill’s call to ‘hold your position’ as exemplary despite pressure to move
• McPhee describes coordinating multiple air assets stacked by altitude like ‘rounds in a magazine,’ cycling aircraft through the target area and utilizing close air support including A-10s and Apache gunships to suppress enemy positions
• McPhee recounts the value of forward observers and target spotters like Mark, who provided precise laser rangefinder data and called effective fires, enabling accurate engagement of enemy forces at extended ranges

Episode details: published July 8, 2020 · 4.5K views · 1:21:20 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. McPhee’s service stories are his own accounts, attributed to him — not independently verified. His tactical and firearms instruction is his doctrine, presented as his teaching — not legal or safety advice from Self Growth Videos.

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