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highlander90210
New member
All,
DISCLAIMER: Not for childrens eyes
First of all, I would like to thank all of you who have sent care packages. I can't even begin to describe how nice it is to receive mail from home. So again, thank you. On that note, if you are considering sending care packages the cut off date for me likely receiving them is xxxx. So if you don't get it in the mail by then, I will most likely not get it before I go home.
Shockingly enough, we are still busy here. Apparantly the Taliban have stepped up their game before this fighting season comes to an end and have launched a number of attacks (on us and other locations). One of the largest was about a week ago at the main FOB nearest to us. We sent a patrol to the FOB earlier in the day prior to the attack and just as our guys arrived and were taking all their kit off the TB attacked. It is called a complex attack because of the multiple weapons systems and fighting cells involved. They initiated the attack with a VBIED (vehicle born improvised explosive device) that had about 3000 lbs of HME (home-made explosive) in it. The VBIED breached the outer wall and about 15 or so insurgents flooded through the hole in the wall wearing Afghan Army uniforms wearing suicide vest armed with AK47s, grenades, and rifle fired 40mm grenades. The VBIED rocked the entire FOB and tore off the roof where my guys had just dropped their gear. Immediately everyone ran to a wall to fight back. The insurgents began firing and throwing grenades in all directions. A 40mm grenade landed in the area where my guys were at and sent shrapnel flying in all directions. My Team Sergeant was struck in the left thigh severing his femoral vein and knicking his artery. He was dragged to cover and xxxx (my senior medic) went to work on him controlling the bleed in less than 45 seconds. If xxredactedxx had not been so Johnny-on-the-spot this might be a different story. As it played out though, our team daddy was just fine and was medevacd to higher care quickly. Aside from a nasty scar on his leg, he will be just fine. During the confusion, the only soldiers on the entire FOB to respond to this whole ordeal were none other than United States Army Special Forces. My bretheren quickly responded to the scene of the initial explosion and began dropping would be bombers like bowling pins. Once the insurgents were shot in the chest region their suicide vests would detonate and ensure that they were extra dead. There was a secondary attack that was squashed before it even got started from another angle on the FOB. Several insurgents had set up on a neighboring building with mortars, RPGs, PKM machine guns, and AK-47s. Our SF buddies in the compound over quickly spotted them and laid waste. There was 1 US KIA and approximately 4-6 US WIA. In the grand scheme of things, it could have been much worse. Lucky for that FOB there were about 50 SF soldiers there that day to take care of business.
Following that attack on the FOB, we recieved intel that another similar strike was planned on us. We quickly responded with men on the walls and guns in every direction. Since then the enemy has fired 107mm rockets, RPGs, and mortars at our base. I'm not going to lie, the small arms fire, machine gun fire, and RPGs don't really scare me. However, when a Chinese made 107mm rocket is fired in my direction; it gets my adrenaline flowing. You can literally hear from 3 Kilometers away when it is fired, the round flying through the air, and obviously the impact. When it is flying through the air it sounds like a VW Beetle is hurtling toward you. I definitely do not like that shit!! Whoever is firing these rockets is a pretty damn good shot too. The first one hit about 20 meters in front of our base and the second one slammed directly into our Hesco perimeter. We rapidly responded with a barrage of mortar and heavy machine gun fire. We had snipers on all 4 towers (including myself) shooting at bad guys. On one occasion I fired 4 of our own shoulder fired recoiless rockets back at the enemy showing them that if they fire 1 we will hammer their ass with all that we have.
Aside from the attacks and missions here lately, we have just been doing our inventory and prepping our stuff to come home. It has been a long deployment; even though it was only for 6 months. When you work long days and go hard it will wear you down.
I look forward to enjoying an ice cold beer VERY SOON. I hope all is well on your end and look forward to seeing you all again soon. Take care.
DISCLAIMER: Not for childrens eyes
First of all, I would like to thank all of you who have sent care packages. I can't even begin to describe how nice it is to receive mail from home. So again, thank you. On that note, if you are considering sending care packages the cut off date for me likely receiving them is xxxx. So if you don't get it in the mail by then, I will most likely not get it before I go home.
Shockingly enough, we are still busy here. Apparantly the Taliban have stepped up their game before this fighting season comes to an end and have launched a number of attacks (on us and other locations). One of the largest was about a week ago at the main FOB nearest to us. We sent a patrol to the FOB earlier in the day prior to the attack and just as our guys arrived and were taking all their kit off the TB attacked. It is called a complex attack because of the multiple weapons systems and fighting cells involved. They initiated the attack with a VBIED (vehicle born improvised explosive device) that had about 3000 lbs of HME (home-made explosive) in it. The VBIED breached the outer wall and about 15 or so insurgents flooded through the hole in the wall wearing Afghan Army uniforms wearing suicide vest armed with AK47s, grenades, and rifle fired 40mm grenades. The VBIED rocked the entire FOB and tore off the roof where my guys had just dropped their gear. Immediately everyone ran to a wall to fight back. The insurgents began firing and throwing grenades in all directions. A 40mm grenade landed in the area where my guys were at and sent shrapnel flying in all directions. My Team Sergeant was struck in the left thigh severing his femoral vein and knicking his artery. He was dragged to cover and xxxx (my senior medic) went to work on him controlling the bleed in less than 45 seconds. If xxredactedxx had not been so Johnny-on-the-spot this might be a different story. As it played out though, our team daddy was just fine and was medevacd to higher care quickly. Aside from a nasty scar on his leg, he will be just fine. During the confusion, the only soldiers on the entire FOB to respond to this whole ordeal were none other than United States Army Special Forces. My bretheren quickly responded to the scene of the initial explosion and began dropping would be bombers like bowling pins. Once the insurgents were shot in the chest region their suicide vests would detonate and ensure that they were extra dead. There was a secondary attack that was squashed before it even got started from another angle on the FOB. Several insurgents had set up on a neighboring building with mortars, RPGs, PKM machine guns, and AK-47s. Our SF buddies in the compound over quickly spotted them and laid waste. There was 1 US KIA and approximately 4-6 US WIA. In the grand scheme of things, it could have been much worse. Lucky for that FOB there were about 50 SF soldiers there that day to take care of business.
Following that attack on the FOB, we recieved intel that another similar strike was planned on us. We quickly responded with men on the walls and guns in every direction. Since then the enemy has fired 107mm rockets, RPGs, and mortars at our base. I'm not going to lie, the small arms fire, machine gun fire, and RPGs don't really scare me. However, when a Chinese made 107mm rocket is fired in my direction; it gets my adrenaline flowing. You can literally hear from 3 Kilometers away when it is fired, the round flying through the air, and obviously the impact. When it is flying through the air it sounds like a VW Beetle is hurtling toward you. I definitely do not like that shit!! Whoever is firing these rockets is a pretty damn good shot too. The first one hit about 20 meters in front of our base and the second one slammed directly into our Hesco perimeter. We rapidly responded with a barrage of mortar and heavy machine gun fire. We had snipers on all 4 towers (including myself) shooting at bad guys. On one occasion I fired 4 of our own shoulder fired recoiless rockets back at the enemy showing them that if they fire 1 we will hammer their ass with all that we have.
Aside from the attacks and missions here lately, we have just been doing our inventory and prepping our stuff to come home. It has been a long deployment; even though it was only for 6 months. When you work long days and go hard it will wear you down.
I look forward to enjoying an ice cold beer VERY SOON. I hope all is well on your end and look forward to seeing you all again soon. Take care.
