A platoon sized-element of insurgents get caught repositioning in the middle of a gunfight with coalition forces. Unfortunately for them, the thing that caught them was an F/A-18 Hornet with a substantial payload.

This is one of those classic airstrike pieces just about everyone has seen a dozen times. Most people saw this footage for the first time while they were in basic training, or while they were at their secondary school. For me, I originally saw this footage at the School of Infantry in 2007 while I was learning to become a machine gunner. It was an interesting introduction into the world of close air support, and how our air capabilities can change the battlespace that we operate in.

For context, I believe this footage was originally recorded in Baghdad. It was at a time in the war when the Insurgents didn't fully understand the capabilities of our air power, and what it meant for their ability to maneuver around the battlespace. That's what makes it such an impressive strike as well, because the insurgents thought that they had complete freedom of movement, which is what caught them out in a platoon size force in the middle of a street with an F/A-18 Hornet overhead.