The Long Road Home

The Long Road Home (2017)

The Long Road Home is a 2017 American television miniseries adaptation of the 2007 book The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family by journalist Martha Raddatz. The series is an account of a 48-hour battle in Sadr City (an area of Baghdad known as Saddam City before the invasion), that began on April 4, 2004 when militiamen of the Mahdi Army ambushed elements of the newly-arrived 1st Cavalry Division. Much of the production has been shot at the US Army base at Fort Hood in Texas, and so benefits from the availability of authentic US Army vehicles and equipment, and even advice from some of the 1st Cavalry soldiers who fought in the actual battle. The miniseries premiered in November of 2017 in the US on the National Geographic Channel.

The first two installments, "The Road to War" and "The Eye of the Storm" were initially broadcast as a feature-length pilot episode on November 7, 2017, under the name "Black Sunday." The listings on the official website currently list both of these episodes as S1E01.

The following weapons were used in the miniseries The Long Road Home:

WARNING! THIS PAGE CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Rifles/Carbines

M16A4 Rifle

Several US Army soldiers can be seen armed with M16A4 rifles fitted with Aimpont red dot sights.

M16A4 - 5.56x45mm - with ACOG scope, AN/PEQ-2 IR designator, and RIS foregrip

On the left, SPC Matt Fisk (Ezekiel Z. Swinford) armed with the M16A4 rifle in "Black Sunday (Pt.1)" (aka "The Road to War") (S1E01).

The rifle is fired in "Black Sunday (Pt.1)" (S1E01).

An M16A4 is held by PFC Tomas Young (Noel Fisher) in "In the Valley of Death" (S1E03).

M16A4 rifles are seen during a memorial in "Abandon Hope" (S1E07).

M16A2 Rifle

Several US Army soldiers can be seen with M16A2 rifles during a flashback to the War in Bosnia in "Into the Unknown" (S1E03).

M16A2 - 5.56x45mm

M16A2 rifles during a flashback to the War in Bosnia in "Into the Unknown" (S1E03).

M4A1

Some NCOs and officers can be seen carrying the M4A1 carbine.

Colt M4A1 SOPMOD with Aimpoint CompM2 reflex optic, Knight's Armament RAS railed handguard and vertical forward grip - 5.56x45mm

Lt. Shane Aguero (E.J. Bonilla) is armed with the M4A1 in "Black Sunday (Pt.1)" (S1E01).

The M4A1 carbine is used by SGT Eric Bourquin (Jon Beavers) in "Black Sunday (Pt.2)" (aka "The Eye of the Storm") (S1E02).

An M4A1 is held by SGT Robert Miltenberger (Jeremy Sisto) in "In the Valley of Death" (S1E03).

AKMS

An AKMS is among the weapons used by insurgents.

AKMS - 7.62x39mm

An insurgent armed with an AKMS is seen through an M16A4 scope in "Black Sunday (Pt.2)" (S1E02).

AKM

Insurgents, militiamen and Iraqi police carry the AKM.

AKM - 7.62x39mm

An insurgent with an AKM is seen firing on the convoy in "Black Sunday (Pt.1)" (S1E01).

An Iraqi policeman holds an AKM in "Black Sunday (Pt.2)" (S1E02). Note the inverted muzzle brake.

Machine Guns

Browning M2HB Heavy Machine Gun

Some of humvees and M1A2 Abrams are also armed with Browning M2HB heavy machine guns mounted on the roof.

Browning M2HB heavy machine gun .50 BMG in vehicle mount

SGT Eddie Chen (Kenny Leu) uses the M2HB in "Black Sunday (Pt.1)" (S1E01).

The Browning M2HB is fired by SGT Eddie Chen (Kenny Leu) in "Black Sunday (Pt.1)" (S1E01).

The Browning M2HB is fired from an M1A2 Abrams in "Always Dream of Me" (S1E07).

M240B Machine Gun

The M240B Machine Gun is mounted on US Army Humvees.

M240B with newer style lower handguard (designed to attach RIS rails via hex nut) - 7.62x51mm NATO.

An M240B Machine Gun fitted with an Elcan M145 Machine Gun Optic is mounted on a US Army Humvee in "Black Sunday (Pt.1)" (S1E01).

RPD

An RPD machine gun is mounted on an insurgent technical.

RPD Light Machine Gun - 7.62x39mm

An RPD machine gun is mounted on an insurgent technical in "Into the Unknown" (S1E03).

M240C

The M240C appears as the coaxial armament of the M2A3 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle and M1A2 Abrams tank. Unlike in many live-action productions these are real military vehicles, something made possible by most of the production being shot at the Fort Hood base in Texas.

M240C vehicle coaxial-mount version - 7.62x51mm NATO

The M240C appears as the coaxial armament of the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle in "Black Sunday (Pt.2)" (S1E02). This is an M2A3 variant, a package first introduced in 2000, with the main distinguishing feature being the CIV (commander's independent viewer) on the rear-right (left in this shot) of the turret.

The M240C seen at left on the turret of the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle in "Black Sunday (Pt.2)" (S1E02).

M240D

The M240D is seen as the loader's weapon on M1A2 Abrams tanks.

M240D vehicle and aircraft-mount version with spade grips - 7.62x51mm NATO.

Loader's M240D machine guns with transparent gunshields can be seen mounted on the M1A2 Abrams in "Black Sunday (Pt.2)" (S1E02).

Other

M242 Bushmaster Chaingun

The M242 Bushmaster chaingun appears as the primary armament of the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.

M242 Bushmaster - 25mm

M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles are armed with Bushmasters in "Black Sunday (Pt.2)" (S1E02).

The M242 Bushmaster chaingun appears as the primary armament of the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle in "Black Sunday (Pt.2)" (S1E02).

BGM-71 TOW

In addition to the aforementioned Bushmaster chaingun, the M2 Bradley IFVs that arrive to reinforce the unit are also armed with twin BGM-71 TOW launchers on the side of the turret.

BGM-71 TOW mounted on Bradley IFV - 152mm

M2 Bradley IFVs that arrive to reinforce the unit are also armed with twin BGM-71 TOW launchers on the side of the turret in "In the Valley of Death" (S1E03).

RPG-7

One of the insurgent crew of a technical is seen carrying an RPG-7.

RPG-7 - 40mm

The insurgent technical crewman holds an RPG-7 in "Into the Unknown" (S1E02).