Another thankless job

According to the New York Times, in Baghdad "route clearance teams have been working to keep the streets free of bombs that the militias keep trying to sneak into trash heaps, wedge against curbs, or otherwise hide in the ample debris in the streets. Most of the time the soldiers find the bombs before they explode, but sometimes the bombs find them, producing powerful blasts that rock their armored vehicles and reverberate through the streets." "The bland job description is 'route clearance', but it is one of the most unglamorous and dangerous missions in Iraq. Creeping along the scarred streets of Sadr City, the soldiers search for roadside bombs around the clock, using bright spotlights at night that make them a big, bright target." "...a night mission during which his platoon found two bombs, or IEDs as they are known by the military, avoided the blast from a third bomb, took gunfire from an alley, and eluded two mortar rounds." "As Specialist Pavon searched for bombs he listened to music on his iPod."

Rico says now there is an Apple ad...