cdog
08-06-2004, 08:25 AM
This is from a friend of our's that's in iraq. Read it. It makes you think. Here we are worried about our next river trip. :rolleyes:
Okay I am going to give you an update of the most recent events. I
can't give you all the details because itis all classified so what I give
you is all I can say. I had a close one yesterday. We have a sniper
in our AO nad he is well trained. He might not even be from Iraq. The
sniper is two for three and that third attempt that he missed on was me
adn one of my guys. We were so lucky it isn't even funny. We were
about 1 inch from not being here. I am telling you all this so you have
an idea what we go through here on a day to day basis. We got this
mission two days ago and it was an easy one. I had to go into a meeting
with the ING. I was going to go in with Alpha Compnay becauase the
meeting was in there AO. So I planned everything out and I decided to take
a vehicle with two other personnel. A driver and gunner. We also had
my interpretr with us. I could of went by myself and just jumpeed in a
vehicle but I wanted some support from my own guys because shit i
n this AO has been crazy in the last two weeks. My guys were very up
tight about going into this area. I understood because it is like being
hunted with no protection. You don't even see it coming. Well we went
into town and things were great. The meeting went well and everything.
We were leaving when the first thing went wrong. We were splitting up
into sections to go pick up the LPOP's that were in place to cover our
positions and try to find the sniper if he a appeared. Well we were
supposed to go with the fourth section but the commnder of Alpha company
changed his mind at the last minute and sent us out with the third
section. The only problem was that we were the rear vehicle because he
told us as the rear gun truck was pulling out. We should of not been in
the rear because the rear gun truck is an uparmored HUMWWV wit a turet.
My HUMWWV is a cargo so we don't have much protection because it is
open in the back like a truck bed. We tried to get in front of t
he truck but we couldn't. At this time we tried to go and pick up the
LPOP guys but we ran into a ditch and couldn't get across. So we had
to turn around and go back to the road. We didn't have to turn around
because we were the rear vehicle and we didn't make it in that far. So
we stopped and waited for them to turn around. We were stopped for
about a minute. Right when we started to take off we took sniper fire.
It was one round. We didn't hear the shot go off. We just heard it
when it hit the vehicle. Shrapnel flew all over and sparks were thrown up
into the cab. We hauled ass out of the line of sight and cut down the
snipers angles so he couldn't hit us. I checked to see if everyone was
all right. My gunner was sucked up into the cab. I mean he was almost
sitting on the radio. Then I asked if the Interpretor was all right
and he said yes. When the round hit I felt heat onthe back of my neck.
It was weird and then I saw the windsheild was cracked. I got
hit in the back of the neck with shrapnel. My interpretor got hit with
a small piece in the left shoulder where the IBA doen't cover. We went
to the aid station when we got back and he was just fine. SO when we
got back to the FOB my gunner finally got back up and started pulling
security (what a wimp. It was a scary situation. We checked the truck
when we got to the FOB. The round hit the gun pedestal. This gun
pedestal is a round pipe but it is slid steel and the round went half way
through it. The sniper is using AP rounds. Armor piercing rounds. So
if it would of hit anything else on the truck it would of went right
through it. The other thing is if the round would of been a inch to the
left it would of went right through my gunners head and mine. The
Sniper was going for a double kill and he always goes for the head shot.
The funny thing is that pedestal that saved our lives isn't even
operatinal yet. We are waiting for a part. It doesn't have the pintel.
Also my guys bitched when I told them to mount it in the truck because
they said we couldn't use it yet so lets just wait until we get the
part before we put it in. I told them no lets just put it in, which was
like four days ago. Well know they are thanking me for making them put
it in. So it was a very crazy day yesterday. I am all right and so
are my guys so don't worry. It is just another day in our AO. I just
wanted to tell you this because it gives you all an idea of what my guys
go through. There is no feeling like when you are gearing up to go out
and you know that a guy is hunting you, but you don't know where he is.
You just have to say **** it if it is my time it is my time and drive
on with the mission. Snipers are the worst let me tell you. Well I
just wanted to let you know what is up and that I am doing fine.
Oh yeah thanks to all of you who were involved with those six boxes
that were sent to me. You know who you are and I really appreciate it.
You are great friends. Grandma, Grandpa, and Elsie thank you for the
box.
Well I gotta go because we have a lot of work to do. I have all my
normal stuff which is nonstop and now we are trying to find and kill a
sniper. So I got to go to some briefs and an oporder. Love you all and I
miss you. It has been two months and now I just have eight to go on
the short side and ten on the long end. Time is going by fast so I don't
mind it and we are doing some cool shit so it is great over here. I am
enjoying this place.
Jay
Okay I am going to give you an update of the most recent events. I
can't give you all the details because itis all classified so what I give
you is all I can say. I had a close one yesterday. We have a sniper
in our AO nad he is well trained. He might not even be from Iraq. The
sniper is two for three and that third attempt that he missed on was me
adn one of my guys. We were so lucky it isn't even funny. We were
about 1 inch from not being here. I am telling you all this so you have
an idea what we go through here on a day to day basis. We got this
mission two days ago and it was an easy one. I had to go into a meeting
with the ING. I was going to go in with Alpha Compnay becauase the
meeting was in there AO. So I planned everything out and I decided to take
a vehicle with two other personnel. A driver and gunner. We also had
my interpretr with us. I could of went by myself and just jumpeed in a
vehicle but I wanted some support from my own guys because shit i
n this AO has been crazy in the last two weeks. My guys were very up
tight about going into this area. I understood because it is like being
hunted with no protection. You don't even see it coming. Well we went
into town and things were great. The meeting went well and everything.
We were leaving when the first thing went wrong. We were splitting up
into sections to go pick up the LPOP's that were in place to cover our
positions and try to find the sniper if he a appeared. Well we were
supposed to go with the fourth section but the commnder of Alpha company
changed his mind at the last minute and sent us out with the third
section. The only problem was that we were the rear vehicle because he
told us as the rear gun truck was pulling out. We should of not been in
the rear because the rear gun truck is an uparmored HUMWWV wit a turet.
My HUMWWV is a cargo so we don't have much protection because it is
open in the back like a truck bed. We tried to get in front of t
he truck but we couldn't. At this time we tried to go and pick up the
LPOP guys but we ran into a ditch and couldn't get across. So we had
to turn around and go back to the road. We didn't have to turn around
because we were the rear vehicle and we didn't make it in that far. So
we stopped and waited for them to turn around. We were stopped for
about a minute. Right when we started to take off we took sniper fire.
It was one round. We didn't hear the shot go off. We just heard it
when it hit the vehicle. Shrapnel flew all over and sparks were thrown up
into the cab. We hauled ass out of the line of sight and cut down the
snipers angles so he couldn't hit us. I checked to see if everyone was
all right. My gunner was sucked up into the cab. I mean he was almost
sitting on the radio. Then I asked if the Interpretor was all right
and he said yes. When the round hit I felt heat onthe back of my neck.
It was weird and then I saw the windsheild was cracked. I got
hit in the back of the neck with shrapnel. My interpretor got hit with
a small piece in the left shoulder where the IBA doen't cover. We went
to the aid station when we got back and he was just fine. SO when we
got back to the FOB my gunner finally got back up and started pulling
security (what a wimp. It was a scary situation. We checked the truck
when we got to the FOB. The round hit the gun pedestal. This gun
pedestal is a round pipe but it is slid steel and the round went half way
through it. The sniper is using AP rounds. Armor piercing rounds. So
if it would of hit anything else on the truck it would of went right
through it. The other thing is if the round would of been a inch to the
left it would of went right through my gunners head and mine. The
Sniper was going for a double kill and he always goes for the head shot.
The funny thing is that pedestal that saved our lives isn't even
operatinal yet. We are waiting for a part. It doesn't have the pintel.
Also my guys bitched when I told them to mount it in the truck because
they said we couldn't use it yet so lets just wait until we get the
part before we put it in. I told them no lets just put it in, which was
like four days ago. Well know they are thanking me for making them put
it in. So it was a very crazy day yesterday. I am all right and so
are my guys so don't worry. It is just another day in our AO. I just
wanted to tell you this because it gives you all an idea of what my guys
go through. There is no feeling like when you are gearing up to go out
and you know that a guy is hunting you, but you don't know where he is.
You just have to say **** it if it is my time it is my time and drive
on with the mission. Snipers are the worst let me tell you. Well I
just wanted to let you know what is up and that I am doing fine.
Oh yeah thanks to all of you who were involved with those six boxes
that were sent to me. You know who you are and I really appreciate it.
You are great friends. Grandma, Grandpa, and Elsie thank you for the
box.
Well I gotta go because we have a lot of work to do. I have all my
normal stuff which is nonstop and now we are trying to find and kill a
sniper. So I got to go to some briefs and an oporder. Love you all and I
miss you. It has been two months and now I just have eight to go on
the short side and ten on the long end. Time is going by fast so I don't
mind it and we are doing some cool shit so it is great over here. I am
enjoying this place.
Jay