So here's another one from the archives of Alpha company, 1st platoon, 168th Engineer battalion Combat Mechanized.
As combat engineers of course we were always being attached to other units as their support. Our platoon was always attached to 1-33 Armor, Tankers. At first this seemed like a decent arrangement. After all we rode around in M-113 APCs better known as the rolling coffin. It would be nice to have the big ole M-1A1s right beside us. Our views of this quickly changed after my first field experience.
We were at Yakima firing center for a training rotation and of course that meant riding along with tanks. We would sleep in their assembly area with their people pulling guard and their 1st Sgt bring us food. The next day we were to roll out for an attack at 0600hrs. The night before the attack we struck up a conversation with the tank positioned next to us and they seemed like a real friendly bunch. They showed us through their tank and let us look through the optics and sit in the drivers seat. It was a lot of fun. The next day as we were lining up to move to the LP we found that we would be following our new friends. What could be better right? We followed the tank in front of us for a little over an hour to the IP. At the LP we had our pre-mission briefing and wound up sitting next to our tankers. Upon leaving the lp we began the combat run. We knew from our op-orders it would be a long day. The scouts had reported a mine field but it at least two and a half hours away as the task force travels. Those of us in the back settled in for a long ride.
Half way to the LP we were held up by a communication problem between the task force commander and a couple of his Lts. A couple of us in the back of the 113 three had stood up to get a look of what was going on when we saw the tank commander in front of turn around and give us a strange look and point at us. Our TC thinking the man was being friendly kind of waved back. Next thing we knew the turret began to spin on the tank. It was heading right for us. Our TC began waving his arms frantically and screaming but the tank commander could not hear him. Suddenly our MILES gear started flashing and we could all hear the sweet little voice exclaiming "direct hit, tank fire". We had all just become simulated casualties. Our TC was so upset (I'll avoid any direct quotes from him) he climbed out of the 113 and started running at the tank. They received the word to continue and started to roll. Our TC didn't care he kept chasing them, picking up rocks and throwing them at the tank the entire time.
Come to find out later that night, they did not know we were behind them and thought we were part of the opposition force. Even though we had camped beside, ate with them, toured their vehicle and had been following them for hours. We also found out that three other engineer squads became casualties that day as a resut of their own tankers.
What in the world were they thinking? ?? 
