One of the primary threats in the area of operation was explosively formed penetrators

that were activated by PIR passive infrared radar.

And that PIR is basically triggered or they would turn it on when they knew a known target

was coming by.

So when I rolled into the kill zone, my vehicle triggered it because it was an already active and armed, the IED.

And got hit.

Hey, welcome back to another episode of The Spear, a podcast by the Modern War Institute at West Point.

I'm John Amble, editorial director at MWI, and The Spear is our platform to explore the combat experience.

Each episode includes a single one-on-one interview with a guest who walks us through a particular event and their role in it.

A battle, a firefight, a mission, it's a first-person account of combat.

In this episode, MWI's Captain Jake Moraldi talks to Colonel Mark Hoffmeister.

During a deployment to Iraq as a major in 2007, he was part of a

MIT team, essentially a small team working closely with and advising Iraqi security force units.

When the Humvee he was riding in was hit with an explosively formed penetrator, a specialized

and very devastating type of IED. He talks about that EFP strike, the immediate aftermath, and his long

and challenging recovery from wounds the EFP inflicted. He also explains one incredible thing he did

that played an important role in his recovery, leading a team of wounded veterans to the summit

of Denali, the tallest mountain in North America.

It really is a powerful story.

A couple notes before the conversation.

First, if you haven't yet subscribed to the spear, you can do so on iTunes, Stitcher,

or wherever you get your podcasts.

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