A roadside bomb killed 10 Marines and wounded 11 others on a foot patrol near Fallujah, the U.S. military announced Friday. It was the deadliest attack against American troops in four months.
It hurts to lose so many in one blast. But while losing a number in a helicopter downing or armored vehicle loss is to be expected (and far fewer have happened than I would have expected over these many months), 21 casualties at once seems to indicate bunching up.
Why weren't they dispersed? Why didn't the unit's leader keep them apart? There may yet be a good reason like the multiple warheads being dispersed in a trap the way they thought we'd spread out. But it sure seems like a leadership error here.
In war, mistakes are paid for in blood.
