Courage Under Fire

(Peter Arnett)

You may hear the bombs now.

Ifyoure still with us,

you can hear the bombs now.

They are hitting the centre of the city.

(second reporter)

Now we can hear explosions...

..off in the distance

to the west of central Baghdad.

Clearly l 've never been there,...

..but this feels like

we 're in the centre of hell.

(radio chatter)

(President Bush) The 28 countries...

..with forces in the Gulf area...

..have exhausted all reasonable efforts...

..to reach a peaceful resolution,...

..have no choice...

..but to drive Saddam

from Kuwait by force.

(Iraqi spokesman)

A great battle has been initiated.

The mother of all battles.

(Bush) Our objectives...

..in the Persian Gulf area clear,...

..our goals defined.

Iraq must withdraw from Kuwait...

..completely, immediately,...

..and without condition.

(Bush) The liberation of Kuwait...

..has now entered a fllnal phase.

l have therefore directed

to use all forces available,...

..including ground forces,...

..to eject the Iraqi army from Kuwait.

(Peter Arnett)

At this point it seems inevitable...

..that the ground war is only hours away.

Peter Arnett, Baghdad.

Don't ever for one minute

underestimate the enemy,...

..but remember, we're better soldiers.

We're fighting with better equipment,

we're better trained and a lot smarter.

Sleep deprivation.

Our soldiers been up 46, 48 hours,...

..so stay on top of 'em.

Maintain your intervals.

Any questions?

Let's have a Little prayer.

Dear God, protect us...

..as we protect our country

we so dearly Love.

Keep us safe that well all get home

to see our famllies and our chlldren.

Amen.

Amen.

- Let's kill 'em all.

- (all) Hu-ah!

You all right, Boylar?

Hell, yeah.

- Let's heat 'em up, Nat.

- See you in Baghdad.

Yes, sir.

(engines starting)

Battle-carry Sabot.

Sabot bullet coming up, sir.

- Sabot loaded.

- Indexed.

Crew report.

- Driver ready.

- Loader ready.

Gunner ready to give Saddam

a new way to hurt.

- Hu-ah!

- Hu-ah!

Hu-ah.

All right, Boylar?

Roger that.

All Cougar elements, this is Cougar-6.

Report Red Con 1. Over.

All Sabre elements, this is Sabre-6.

Move out.

(radio chatter)

Sabre-6, this is Cougar-6.

No joy over here.

Permission to try an alternate route. Over.

Roger that, Cougar-6.

Work your way to phase line hammer.

- (Nat) No surprises. Copy?

- Roger that.

I'm taking up the right flank.

Ill get back to you. Out.

Contact. I see flashes, 3,500 metres, sir.

- All right.

- Hold on. They got no range.

Ready to lase and blaze.

Contact, sir. He's in range.

- Come on, let me kill his ass.

- Fire!

On the way!

Yeah! Yeah!

Yeah, yeah, yeah!

- Find me another target, Patella.

- Loaded!

- Identified.

- Fire.

Fire!

(Patella) Got him! We got him!

Sabre-6, Liberty-6.

We got enemy tangos retreating...

..vicinity grid 2-4-9er-8.

Your pursuit should intercept

their retreat, grid 7-6-5.

Roger that, Liberty-6.

- Troops!

- Troops!

Cease fire! Cease fire!

(shouting in Arabic)

Come on! Come on!

Sabre-6, this is Cougar-6.

Go ahead, Cougar-6.

I have got mines. Repeat, mines.

I gotta get the f*** out of here.

(Nat) Work your way to gridline Charlie.

Cougar-6 to all Cougar elements.

Let's get the hell out of here.

(shouting in Arabic)

Whoa! What the...

Oh, sh*t!

All Sabre units, this is Sabre-6.

We just lost a tank.

Anybody see the shooter?

- I didn't see anything.

- Where they coming from?

Who the hell is shooting at us?

Liberty-6, we got enemy tanks...

..retreating grid 7-6...

- Patella, that one of our tanks?

- Hard to tell.

Make it out, and fast!

Oh, sh*t! We're almost browning out.

Nat, what's happening?

Liberty-6, we got enemy tanks on our flank.

We have contact.

This is Cougar-6.

Enemy tangos at phase line delta. Over.

- Patella, find me a target.

- I think I got one, sir.

Do you or do you not have a target?

I think so!

Gunner, Sabot, tank.

Identify! Up!

Fire!

He just fired, sir.

They're firing at us!

- Loader!

- Up, sir!

Fire!

Yeah! That's the one!

All right.

(radio) Sabre-6, we just lost Cougar-6.

- We got him.

- Sabre, you just lit up a friendly!

I heard you! We... what?

Oh, my God.

You just lit up Boylar, goddamn it!

(radio) Sabre-6, Nat, what's happening?

Patella, was that one of our tanks?

He fired, sir.

At us or at the T-72s?

I don't know.

At us or at the T-72s?

I don't know!

(Patella) Oh, Jesus f***ing Christ.

(radio) Colonel Serling, report status now.

(explosion)

They have range on us, sir.

Sir!

Oh, Christ, Colonel...

I gave the order to fire.

So with your thermal equipment,...

..confused by burning tanks

and smoke obscuring your visual ID,...

..you couldn't tell the difference

between the T-54 and the Abrams.

I believe that, uh, we...

l should have known the difference,...

..even with the night scope.

If we weren't under attack,...

But, under the circumstances,

there was no way to tell the difference.

Under the circumstances,...

..I suppose there was

no way to tell the difference, but...

There was no way to tell the difference.

Thank you, Colonel.

That's all we need.

(Patella) Were almost browning out!

(Boylar) We got enemy tanks on our flank.

We have contact.

Aah!

We just lost Cougar-6!

You just lit up a friendly!

(knock on door)

Colonel Serling?

Yes.

You OK? Can I get you something?

Yes, I'm fine. Fine.

Uh, yes, you can get me a cup of coffee.

You got it.

We missed you and Meredith

at Banacek's party last night.

I'm too old to dance with you youngsters.

Meredith's not,

so tell her to come without you next time.

Oh, OK. I willdo just that...

..next time.

(telephone rings)

Colonel Serling.

- Hershberg in five. Coffee's coming.

- Thanks.

Yes.

Washington Post?

About?

Yes, I was there.

That's a matter of public record.

Well, thank you very much, Mr...

Gartner. Thank you, Mr Gartner,

but I have nothing to say.

No, sir.

No, sir!

Well, Ill do just that.

Right.

Colonel Serling's here, sir.

Ban.

I'm not talking to you.

Won't even come to my anniversary party?

You and Sylvia have been together,

what, a month?

The way she danced with that marine,

it won't last another week.

It may be my last anniversary party.

Were you there for me?

What's up?

Hey, Nat.

I've got to talk to you.

How we holding, Ban?

Running late, sir.

- May I run a few things by you, sir?

- Quickly.

Lieutenant Boylar's parents...

Boylar?

Tom Boylar. He died in AI Bathra.

He'd been with me a long time.

- From Virginia, right?

- Roger that, sir.

His parents have written to me.

They're hearing rumours.

You know we can't discuss it.

You have to put them off.

- Yes, sir, but...

- Tell them he died in action.

- He's a hero. That's all they want to know.

- Roger, but it's not just his parents.

We got a call...

..from the Washington Post.

A reporter named Gartner.

A reporter called you about AI Bathra?

You didn't talk?

Of course not.

Nobody ll hang you out to dry.

I won't let 'em.

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