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August 4, 2003
   
August 2, 2003: At least two battalions in the 4th Infantry Division have modified their equipment to help them adjust to urban warfare by mounting .50 caliber M2 heavy machine guns on the back of their Humvees. These vehicles are now nicknamed "Gun-Vees" and resemble the "technicals" used by Somali fighters first encountered by Americans in Mogadishu ten years ago. These up gunned vehicles are especially useful in battling the Islamic fighters in alleys and other tight urban spaces, where tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles cannot maneuver. The modified vehicle also provide an element of surprise, being far quieter than the tracked M1 Abrams or M2 Bradley's. - Adam Geibel