WHY DID THESE MARINES RIDE ON THE OUTSIDE OF AN APACHE?

What you see in these photos is not Photoshop. Those are 4 British Marines riding the stub wings of Apache attack helicopters on a rescue mission. The men are on their way to Jugroom Fort in Afghanistan to evacuate LCpl Mathew Ford, who is surrounded by the enemy.

Jugroom Fort was a fortified insurgent compound in Helmand that was to be stormed on 15 January 2007. After 2 months of observation, artillery and bombs pounded the complex and blew a gap in the compound wall.

Then 200 British Marines attacked across the river with light armor and Hägglunds, supported by artillery and attack helicopters. Despite the British advantage in firepower, the insurgents refused to give up and put up stubborn resistance. During the engagement, one of the Marines fired his machine gun at muzzle flashes outside his sector to take out the enemy. The muzzle flashes came from British comrades, and 4 of them had to be medically evacuated. Because of the casualties and the heavy Taliban resistance, the Marines decided to pull back across the river.

The head count on the far side showed that LCpl Ford was missing. One of the Apaches picked him up on its thermal camera, a low heat signature holding out in a corner of the fort. The Marine officers pushed for a ground rescue, but that was turned down to avoid further casualties. Then one of the Apache pilots suggested an alternative: 2 attack helicopters would take on a handful of Marines riding the stub wings and fly them to Ford, while a third Apache covered them.

Four volunteers were quickly found, and they moved to the fort by that unusual method to get their comrade out. The Apache pilots first set down in the wrong spot near the fort, but quickly found the right landing point. The British commandos dismounted, brought the missing man back to the Apaches and pulled him out.

LCpl Ford was flown back to camp without further incident, where he could only be pronounced dead. He had already been killed at the fort by friendly fire. A British comrade had mistaken an explosion near Ford for enemy fire and engaged the suspected enemy position with his rifle, hitting Ford fatally.

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