Blessed be the dogs...

Well, It`s the start of the OP and our section has finished prepping everything we may need for the upcoming tasks ahead. We spent the day standardizing all of the kit bags and makeshifting anything we could think of that we may require in the upcoming months. I think the tanks just engaged a Taliban with their primary.... he was holding an Rpg ( rocket propelled grenade) . The other night the artillery over at Sperwengar were lobbing illumination rounds over top of our patrol base. This would have been great, except 2 outta 3`s chutes didnt open and the rounds were landing all around us. The one just missed the gate observatoion post (OP). I almost shit my pants and was ducking my head like that woulda made a difference in anything. hahah...

Fyffe (Sgt. type) a.k.a Hawk(will explain but not on this blog) and I were on gate OP a couple of days ago. He bled his heart out telling me how much he loved his dogs, and has mentioned on previous accounts on how he wished we could get one out here. I love dogs too, but I keep my cards to my chest a little more. At any rate, at about 430 in the morning I observed 2 dogs roaming across the field in front of me.....through the thermal imagery. Well, ole Hawkeye asks me for a GRIT ( group, range, type, indicator, and type of fire). I tell him 4200 mils, 500 meters, 2 times enemy dogs. He pulls out a paraflare, and these things fly I tell ya, holds it parallel to the ground and aims in the vicinity of the dogs. I`m watching through the thermals thinking hes just gonna fire one into the air..... nope, he launches it like a rocket and I watch in green technocolor the flare impact right on the dogs heels. The damn thing runs in circles and him and his buddy take off like lightning. I should explain that these dogs are aggressive and probably the biggest I`ve ever seen. We fuckin laughed like donkeys for a good half hour after that. I guess they7 shouldnt put a Sgt and a MCpl on shift at the same time. hooliganism.

Anyway, I should mention that we lost another engineer the other day. I won`t mention his name cause I don`t really know if he`d like me to. He lost his left leg on approach to a morta in a field that hadn`t exploded. He stepped on a PMN( anti pers landmine) or toe popper as we call them. He`s in Germany now and they hope to salvage his right leg. I don`t know how many people have now told me to take my time. I will, believe me......

The guys are still kickin it, and the section is jivin well. I get a kick outta the guys daily. The fire tems have been established and we`ll be working with the same person for the next little while. I`m paired with Spr Maddin... He`s a tall skinny guy, who like to be quiet. Give him a month with me.... he won`t be so quiet anymore. Oh yeah,,,, he`s also damn near blind.... figure I`ll just walk him onto objectives.... bad joke.......like I said the section is solid, and I could easily work with any of the guys.....

Anyway, got the padre today to bless our kit. He didn`t have any holy water and told me he was gonna mix up a batch. Well, he left his holy water making kit in KAF, so we settled for a tools of the trade blessing. At first he thought I was being an ass... I had to ensure him I wasn`t and that I was Roman Catholic. Anuyway, no problem after that.. I put my shotgun in the pile my kit, and he says I guess we`ll haev to figure out a way for that. Anyway, I`m rolling with holy C4 and a holy shotgun with holy buckshot and slug rounds. Everything is holy in my bag and in my hands, and I gotta tell you, it gives me a piece of mind.......

Well, thats it for now, gonna have some bbq turkey tonight... Pte. Winther is doing a wicked ass job of cooking up the grits.... used to be a cook i reckon... Oh yeah, been talking with Chandra (I love you babe) and shes mentioned that some of you have sent me some things.. Thank you very much.. The boys and I will enjoy getting some stuff from your side of the world......Anyway, love you all, and I`ll try to keep this thing updated as best I can for the next little while.......Peace