words......

Merry Christmas and all the best in the new year. I guess thats an appropriate start to this entry being Christmas eve and all. I don't know where to really begin the accounts of the last couple of days out here. I am sorry for the Nuttall family and their terrible loss.

I can't even recollect right now how the days events even began. We were tasked with clearing areas acres upon acres filled with graperows. As previously detailed, these things are at times over 8' in depth and too far to jump across. It was up and down all day long, searching for weapons caches and explosives. We made our way south, row after row, field after field, and we were exhausted. Lt. Nuttall and his men were due west of us doing the exact same thing. An all day affair which ended with our platoon occupying and searching a compound in the southern tip of Panjwaii. The ANA had found a 105mm round in the compound and we were deciding whether the collateral damage was going to be severe or not. As we were discussing the bIP an explosion rocked the area. The radio erupted in chatter and a 9 liner was being prepared. (9 liners are protocol when someone is injured) 2 extremely serious priorities and one not so serious. An interpreter broke his leg in the blast and an ANA suffered an upper body injury. Lt. Nuttall was not so fortunate. I cannot speculate on what exactly happened and I feel it would be dishonourable to go into detail, so I won't. They were air lifted out.

These events led to a section of men remaining at the blast site to preserve the scene. An ANA vehicle moving in to support the remaining soldiers and subsequently hit another IED. This resulted in a mobility kill and a need for recovery. Everyone in that vehicle was okay. Hawkeye and Bergeron left our PH to aid in the cordon set around the site. Maddin, Riley, Dorner and myself returned to camp after a long days work. We were exhausted and everyone was on edge. Early this morning EOD deployed and were headed to the blast sites. At about 0600 I woke up, at 0615 I had coffee in hand, and at 0630 another explosion rocked our PH. EOD had hit another IED disabling their vehicle and rendering it useless. All personell okay. One section plus Lt. Nuttalls men remained on the original IED site. An American EOD team was called in from KAF and airlifted to their position. The remainder of our section was sent out with 2 other vehicles to pick up the men that were down south as air assets were unavailable. We mounted up at 1300 to get them. Dorner driving, Riley as air sentry, and myself crew commanding. We came across a vulnerable point and dismounted to search it. Riley got his face into the culvert, and found himself staring into a DFFC IED (direct focused fragmentation charge). Well, EOD was already pretty close as their vehicle had blown up about a km away. They didn't have the robot on this one though. EOD was approaching with good ole Capt Hachey (he's everywhere) and in my panoramic view of EODs approach yet another explosion. The recovery vehicle picking up the ANAs vehicle hit yet another IED. Yes, this place is dangerous. All okay, just another vehicle immobilized. So EOD moves into position on our IED and it turns out they only have 20 minutes to deal with it. I got good footage of EOD placing the charge and running like hell toward our vehicle. So the thing goes up, and we move to the site of the vehicle blast. We pick the men up and move them back to their respective PHs.

During the mayhem of the last 24 hours, ole Hawk went down with a severely sprained if not fractured ankle. A victim of the treacherous wadis. We need ya back Hawk...........

He's bound for KAF and x-rays.

I apologize for the way this was written, but it truly is an indication of how fucked up its been here for the last 36 hours. As it stands now, I am going out with Maddin tomorrow to pluck yet another one of these things outta the ground. The next week or so will be busy.......

Whatever it is you're doing back on the homefront please keep it up. It's working and we need all the thoughts and prayers you can send. I still go through my routine prior to patrolling and I still look into my helmet at your picture and tell you I love you............From my heart to yours.........my condolences to the Nuttalls......RIP