73 Easting: Episode 15 — 68 Easting

68 Easting was the first sharp warning that the 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment had reached the Tawakalna security zone. This episode follows Eagle Troop’s early contact with Iraqi prepared defenses, bunkers, tanks in revetments, and minefields as the regiment pushed east through dust and reduced visibility. The battlefield was difficult to read: normal sight lines shrank to roughly 800–1,000 meters, while American thermal sights could detect targets out to about 3,000 meters in favorable conditions. Listeners learn how reconnaissance became combat, how mines threatened tempo, and why thermal technology mattered only when paired with identification, crew discipline, and aggressive command. 68 Easting sets the stage for the larger collision by showing the cavalry touching the outer teeth of the Iraqi defensive system. For more military history writing and books, visit MilitaryAuthor.me, and for magazines, galleries, and a massive archive of military photos and video, visit Trackpads.com.