CLEAR FOR FIRE! Apache AH-64 Pilot Talks Taking Fire Negotiations | Mike Drop 37

About this video

An Apache AH-64 pilot recounts combat experiences in Iraq, including an incident where Iraqi police fired rockets at a base in Basra and a major on the radio refused to grant permission to engage, instead proposing to send a ground team to negotiate for the remaining rockets. The guest also describes providing air support for convoys, including helping a platoon leader troubleshoot a vehicle recovery after an IED strike by diagnosing that the drive shaft hadn’t been disconnected.

Key takeaways

• The guest describes an incident in Basra where Iraqi police fired rockets at the base and a major in the tactical operations center denied permission to engage, proposing instead to send a ground team to negotiate for the remaining rockets
• The pilot recounts frustration with rules of engagement, saying the decision to negotiate rather than engage summarized the difficult nature of that deployment experience
• The guest explains how professional timing became critical to ensure being on station with a full fuel tank when convoys reached dangerous choke points, and describes assisting a convoy after an IED strike by remotely troubleshooting their tow truck problem

Episode details: published January 16, 2025 · 5.5K views · 8:08 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.

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