Defiance against IEDs.

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The Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant in the picture is Michael Burghard, part of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team that is supporting 2nd Brigade 28th Infantry Division (Pennsylvania Army National Guard). I heard the below story first hand last Saturday during a video teleconference between his Brigade Commander and the 28th Infantry Division Commander. I thought that others should hear it as well, as I think it demonstrates the true spirit of most of our troops on the ground.

Leading the fight is Gunnery Sgt Michael Burghardt, known as "Iron Mike" or just "Gunny". He is on his third tour in Iraq. He had become a legend in the bomb disposal world after winning the Bronze Star for disabling 64 IEDs and destroying 1,548 pieces of ordnance during his second tour. Then, on September 19, he got blown up. He had arrived at a chaotic scene after a bomb had killed four US soldiers. He chose not to wear the bulky bomb protection suit. "You can't react to any sniper fire and you get tunnel-vision," he explains. So, protected by just a helmet and standard-issue flak jacket, he began what bomb disposal officers term "the longest walk", stepping gingerly into a 5ft deep and 8ft wide crater. The earth shifted slightly and he saw a Senao base station with a wire leading from it. He cut the wire and used his 7in knife to probe the ground. "I found a piece of red detonating cord between my legs," he says. "That's when I knew I was screwed."

Realizing he had been sucked into a trap, Sgt Burghardt, 35, yelled at everyone to stay back. At that moment, an insurgent, probably watching through binoculars, pressed a button on his mobile phone to detonate the secondary device below the sergeant's feet. "A chill went up the back of my neck and then the bomb exploded," he recalls. "As I was in the air I remember thinking, 'I don't believe they got me.' I was just ticked off they were able to do it. Then I was lying on the road, not able to feel anything from the waist down."

His colleagues cut off his trousers to see how badly he was hurt. None could believe his legs were still there. "My dad's a Vietnam vet who's paralyzed from the waist down," says Sgt Burghardt. "I was lying there thinking I didn't want to be in a wheelchair next to my dad and for him to see me like that. They started to cut away my pants and I felt a real sharp pain and blood trickling down. Then I wiggled my toes and I thought, 'Good, I'm in business.' As a stretcher was brought over, adrenaline and anger kicked in. "I decided to walk to the helicopter. I wasn't going to let my team-mates see me being carried away on a stretcher." He stood and gave the insurgents who had blown him up a one-fingered salute. "I flipped them one. It was like, 'OK, I lost that round but I'll be back next week'."

Hell yeah, surviving a bomb blast between your legs and live to tell about it, not to mention giving the insurgents the finger. Im certain the insurgent is mad when watching it happened.

In. Sane. That's all I can say about it. "I'm screwed" isn't exactly what I'd be saying after seeing a string of detcord between my legs. Man that guy is....I don't think I have the word to describe him. Sierra Hotel to him.

Man that put a smile on my face, thanks for sharing that!

Reminds me of a favorite quote of mine from Chesty Puller, US Marine Corp General during ww2 “All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us... they can't get away this time. [When Surrounded By 8 Enemy Divisions During WW2]”

Typical jarhead. Balls of steel!!
Semper Fi Gunny!!!

btw, former marine myself 85-92

It's quite possible that Big Mike's digital gesture is meaningless in the Islamic culture...no matter. It's my new screensaver.

What did you expect him to do? Run too hes humvee crying? Well i suppose you have a point there.. At least this one minorly injured US soldier has some guts, isnt a total coward. I bet the resistance guy who smoked those 4 must of been gutted missing out on a bomb difusual guy...

I'd guess not many make it through IED blasts without getting killed, loosing a leg, being paralyzed or something like that. Lady Luck was certainly on his side that day