Vol. 26, An Eyewitness Report - Operation Iraqi Freedom, Road to Baghdad

This brand new Special Ops title features eyewitness reports from the ground during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Travel with the allied soldiers as they run the road to Baghdad and find out what life is really like on the road!

Concord's war correspondent Yves Debay was a non-embedded journalist, a "wildcat", who ventured through Iraq with the "Desert Rats", the 3rd Infantry Division, and the Marines. He was able to photograph the "true picture" of the war, not guided tour arranged by the American MP. He was caught by the MP and Iraqi Secret Service respectively. This is his up close and personal photo report of "Iraqi Freedom", the 2003 Gulf War.

Yves entered Southern Iraq with an American army convoy. Then he traveled with the British 7th Armoured Division into Umm Qasr and Al Faw peninsula. At Al Zubayr, the British operated with the US Marines. Yves was able to photograph the Challenger 2 in combat, as well as the Warrior, Shielder, bridge layer in action. He then followed the Red Devils securing the Rumailan oilfields.

Next Yves caught up with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force as the Marines rolled onto the Baghdad-Basra Highway. The 3rd Infantry Division also used this highway. AAV-7, M1A1, M2/M3, bridge layer were the vehicles caught by Yves' camera.

March 24 there was a sandstorm and resistance was encountered. Yves switched his focus on the LAV Battalion and various LAV variations were captured in superb images, including TOW, Air Defense, and ECM.

By luck, Yves met the 2nd Recon Battalion as the unit advanced to the Tigris. Yves lost no chance to photograph the unit and its equipment.

Logistics and supplies were important to the lifeline of a modern day army. A good photo report is on the special vehicles such as M88A2 Hercules, M9 ACE, Fox NBC.

The Leathernecks were ambushed on March 27 near Dawiniyah. Yves was there during the shoot out. Naturally, the Marines responded with the support of attack helicopters. Amtracs and Cobras were the focus of the battle.

On to Afak, the Marines battled the Feyadeens with M1A1 Abrams and Amtracs. The raid on Al Tahir also saw the Marines in combat.

Yves' adventure ends here in this volume. The second volume covers the Battle of Baghdad in which Yves fought alongside the 3rd Infantry Division, with his camera.