BAGHDAD, IRAQ - U.S. soldiers working the streets of the capital fear one Iraqi weapon more than others - copper-plated explosives that can penetrate armor and have proved devastating to Humvees and are even capable of severely damaging tanks.

The power of EFPs, explosively formed penetrators or projectiles, to spray molten metal balls that punch through the armor on vehicles has some American soldiers rethinking their tactics. Some are asking whether the U.S. should give up its reliance on constant improvements to vehicle defenses.

Instead, some soldiers think, it is time to leave the armor behind and get out and walk.

“In our area, the biggest threat for us is EFPs. When you are in the vehicles, you are a big target,” said Staff Sgt. Cavin Moskwa, 33, of Hawaii, who patrols the Zaphraniya neighborhood with the Bravo battery of the 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery. “But when you are dismounted … you are a lot safer.”

A counterinsurgency guidance memo released this month by Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, commander of day-to-day operations, urges Iraqi and American troops to “get out and walk.”
The memo argues that though Humvees offer protection, they also make units predictable and “insulate us from the Iraqi people we intend to secure.”

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