the end

After a decompression in Cyprus, a 36 hour plane delay and over 30 hour plane trip back into Canada, the crew is back on Canadian soil. I have never been more happier!

We had to jump from Cyp to Spain, refuel, then to Trenton, Winnipeg and finally back into Edmonton. It was 30 some odd hours of stewards waking us up and letting us know our headphones had to come off for landing. Or, our boots had to be put back on for take off. God forbid you had your seat reclined during the descent into an airstrip. I really do not like the petty airline rules and at times I may come across impolite. I am convinced that the stewards pick and choose who they will torment throughout the journey, as on multiple occasions my knee was bashed by the drink trolley or my elbow by the meal tram. Myself, Riley and Dorner would begin our own defiance and begin pasting 3 Tp. stickers to the onboard brochures on what to do in case of evacuation. The it was the waiting in the airports.... proceed through security for the 5th or 6th time and then wait for hours to board the plane we'd been travelling on for the last 24 hours. Aggghh... frustration is an understatement.

At any rate, we finally arrive into Edmonton and the feeling is great. The paperwork for our return is finalized and we board a bus that will take us to the base and our loved ones. EPS and the RCMP provide us with a police escort right through the heart of Edmonton. Fire department crews line the streets as well as EMS, saluting our buses as we cruise by. All intersections for blocks ahead are blocked by cruisers and often people are outside of their temporarily blocked vehicles waving at our buses as we go by. I witnessed people on balconies waving and jumping as our buses moved by and couldn't help but smile. This city made us feel great on our last leg of a 7 month journey. I found myself with a stuipid smile on my face the whole way knowing that Chandra was waiting alongside my folks at the base gym. So we arrive and of course I see Chandra right away next to my folks, with her beautiful eyes scanning the crowd for me as I get off the bus. I'm pretty sure all she sees is a tanned face full of teeth when she looks at me, but the recognition is there and the next thing I know she's in my arms and my head is next to hers and a few tears might escape my eyes because inside I am the happiest man in the universe. Then its my parents turn. I love them so much and I get to hold them and hug them and there truly is no greater feeling. I have the privelage to intorduce them to some of the guys as they walk past and retrieve their kit. Fortin disappears without a trace and Maddin is gone with a flash. Rediger was dropped off in Winnipeg, however I'm sure I will look him up while I'm there in the next few weeks.
So, it ends. I will not powder it in any way. I have never been so stressed out for a sustained amount of time in my life, but the remedy is here at home in this beautiful country I have been so lucky to be born into. I'm sure a lot of guys may have changed during these 7 months, but I assure you I remain the same. I live, laugh, I love more than ever and I reckon there are many adventures ahead.
I will be put into a training cadre within the regiment to train up the next rotation going over. There are a lot of important lessons inside my head that have survived Cyp and I would not be doing my job if I did not pass them along. So with that, I will now pull pin on this grenade and chuck it into the bunker I've lived in for the past 40 plus blogs. Hope you've enjoyed and until next time......... Vando. out

#'s

After a night of waiting, sleeping on floors, benches and numerous dirty places, I am officially out of Afghanistan!

Everyone is now on their way to Cyprus for a few days of decompression and relaxation. I would much rather be at my sisters wedding however the powers that be denied my request to leave theater early. She gets married in 2 days in southern Alberta. I wish I could be there.

So without blowing too much smoke up our asses we completed our job and are all coming home safe. The final numbers are in:

Total IEDs for D COY - 165-170
Total IEDs for our platoon - 83
Total close calls - ??
Total weight of yours truly kitted up - 310lbs
Total weight of yours truly buck naked - 201lbs
Total weight lost throughout tour - 28lbs
Total estimated kilometers patrolled - 800-1000
Total bug bite scars - too many to count
Total fallen for D COY - 5 ....rest easy boys
Total battle related injuries D COY - too many
Total non battle related injuries - dunno, but i think the best one was a chipped tooth on a stale smartie.
Total front page exploits of yours truly - 1, Toronto Star
Total # of times I thought of my friends and family - everyday
Total # of times I thought of Chandra - too many to count
Total # of times I looked at your picture in my helmet - every time I put it on
Total # of times I asked God to guide my feet - every step of the way

I find myself running out of time yet again on this 30 minute computer... So until I'm back on Canadian soil I'll leave it at that for now..... Of to CYP to do a little golfiin, cigars, and just a leeetle bit of beer.

One more post to go.......Koobayashi...out
l

E1*& together

I find myself sympathizing with yet another family of the fallen. I just do not know what else to say.... Mickey had 2 days left out here and then he was homeward bound. Fragile times to say the least....They struck an IED at the bottom of a stairwell as they were moving to the top of the roof. Composition of the patrol I cannot really elaborate on, however I can say they were hit during the ealry night and the dark offered no help during initial first aid. There was one uninjured soldier who provided first aid to # individuals and called in the air medevac. From accounts on the ground one of the injured, having 2 broken wrists, aided the initial first responder. I cannot even begin to imagine what those guys went through that night. All I know is that the soldier who provided first aid to his comrades deserves a medal......



I found myself watching Pte Todds repatriation video last night and my eyes began to well up with tears. That Highway of Heroes is one of the most humbling and heart wrenching strips of tar in our great country. I reckon one of the worst feelings is watching family members saying good bye to their sons or daughters and dreading the thought of my family saying good bye to me......

However....... not on this tour! On a much brighter note E1*& is evicted from our modest dwellings and pushed east, making much needed room for the new guys on the ground.... Handover is complete and I reckon we did a good job of it..... The rest is up to them....on that note, I do not wish this tour on any one of them.. They have their work cut out and I'd ask those of who blanketed us with prayer, extend the same courtesy to these good ole boys.....

The last week out here has been haywire.... almost everyday now an IED has been found or initiated. Looks like summers coming early..

Hawk and Riley completed their last patrol this morning, pushing into a small town to our north, in a way showing the new crew around for one last time.... As sure as dirt turns to dust the ANA found an RCIED on the footpath leading into town.... another one yesterday on the range where we frequently test fire and sight our weapons..... and the 13th when another D soldier lost their life......I can say with certainty that this place is a ticking bomb.... I was saying the other day that I would not want to know how many of these things failed to go off under my feet......

So, we've stepped up in accomodations.....well, not really... we head to KAF sometime in the next little while... There won't be any showering until then as the diesel truck opted to dump his fuel in our fresh water supply.... I managed to squeeze on in before the debaucle....

The assessments have been written up fo rthe guys... The section did in incredible job this tour!
I had a very simple task of writing this crew up and I've said it before, the section made it very simple as it ran itself....... I just hope that I'll get the chance to work with these guys back in Edmonton as I'm heading off to the training cadre of the regiment to spread my infinite wisdom.. haha.....anyway.... I figure I'll wrap this blog up back on Canadian soil.... I long for home and fiancees beautiful smile... one more blog to go from the bunk of chunk..........

ass pain

We completed yet another patrol into one of the more dangerous towns NW of our position today. It was considered by some to be highly unnecessary and errant, however off we went, boots popping dime size chunks of mud and dirt all along the way. The temperature was well above 40 today and the heat shimmer off the desert offered a 360 degree translucent field of view. I'm not sure if it was the heat, the fact that it was $@B s last patrol, or simply 6.5 months of patrolling, but the guys were tired out there today (myself not to be excluded). I reckon it was more psychological than anything, an equivalent to what runners might refer to as "the wall" or what an author may refer to as "writers block". At the end of it all everyone made it back in one piece shortly after lunch. One of our 2 sister platoons would not have it so lucky these past 2 days. 4&* occupies a position to our SW on the southern edge of N*******. They'e been out there for around 2 months now and patrol primarily to the south. This is where my good friend and future best man Yan Fortin is located. To emphasize the threat we face daily is to encompass every type of IED that can be used against us. Well, in those not to southern parts, it seems as though the pressure plate IEDs are the flavor of choice these days. The insurgents have been using a variant with a command wire safe to arm switch to ensure local nationals do not trigger these bad boys. When they observe our approach a power source is hooked up and the damn thing is ready to blow with a little help from a boot.
Like I said, 4&* got a wee bit lucky. 2 days ago they were patrolling in their AO and the dog handler John happened to step on one of these things. John is a 6'4" yankee who happens to be one of the better handlers. Well, he was sent into orbit while his dog remained grounded. Apparently he's in Germany now with not much more than a shattered leg, a broken arm, and a few frag holes in his frame. Came out in pretty good shape for a guy who stepped on a bomb. The next day another patrol. One of the guys (will refrain from using name as I know only his last) stepped on yet another bomb. This individual was extremely luck as he too was sent into orbit, however the only injury he sustained was a bruised ass from when he came back to earth. Upon completing the post blast, it turns out that only a fraction of the 5gl. pail of explosives had initiated resulting in a significantly "weaker" detonation. To regress to my previous blog I had mentioned that I figured there was a new bomb guy in the area. This certainly is indicative of my theory. I think an officer said it best today...."It's about time we got lucky." Yeah, no doubt about that.
So we got back and Hawk as well as Rediger headed down the road for some administration. Well I'd be damned if they didn't bring back 3 out of our 7 replacements. I guess my first thoughts were that this tour is actually going to end. We've arranged a few activities for the new guys to run through, attempting to bring them up to speed in the shortest amount of time. Not sure when the rest of their posse is getting here. I wish I could deposit my brain and what I've learned over the last 7 months into their heads. There are some things they are simply going to have to learn on their own.
The guys are all good to go. Spirits are high as the new guys start to trickle in. I will leave it at that and keep yas posted.... until the next....out

quick clearance

The last 5 days have seen the section back together as previously stated. It is certainly difficult not to count the days we have left out here, as it seems to slow the passing of the hours. I've been pretty good at ignoring the date as I have no idea what day of the week it is. All I know is what we will be doing over the next little while to finish off this job.

We got back to the PH after a final clearance of a village north of our position. There were people everywhere in the town and it is considered one of the more friendly villages. The kids were everywhere bummin water and anything they could get their grubby little hands on. I had one piece of my jerky and next thing I know an elder is distributing it among the wee ones around him. I simply gave it up to him. Then I was acting village quaff mixer. I brewed up some Gatorade for the wee ones and began handing them out. I usually do not give anything to them, however it is the last time I will be in that particular village. So I give them all a half a litre, except one little guy. All I had left was half a bottle so he got that. I did not have to speak their language to know what he was saying (unappreciative little bugger). We moved on and continued the clearance. On two occasions I had to boot the door in and on two occasions the same guy came out of nowhere and said I had demolished his door(s). We are not to go into any occupied compounds so we are quite often waiting for the ANA to confirm the occupancy. Well, these yahoos tell me on both doors that the buildings are empty. Wrong and wrong. The first one my foot went right through the weak wood.. Upon entering a cow greeted me and around the corner theres a group of women cookin something up. Whoops. We got outta there and were met by the owner and his kids. They were all scowling and stating that the ANA had already cleared it. Anyway, the very next compound, again, unoccupied I kicked a door in to the chagrin of the same guy who had just finished giving us shit. I quelled the situation with a little banter and a few cigarettes.

My group consisted of Red, Dorner, Maddin while the rest of the crew was pushing through the south side of town. Ole Hawk was ramroddin that side of the town.

We spent about half the day going through every compound finding a couple of uxo's and a few rifle magazines. Not much else was expected here as we've deemed it Taliban free from the start. Just one more task off the list of things to do in this last push.

The rest of the BG is already pretty much home and we still await the end. Soon enough I guess......

Not too much else on this end...for now..... out

new guy retires early

After a brief 11 day excursion down the road I am now back with the good ole boys. My good friend Chuck Baird and his crew replaced us on the 3rd and I spent the better part of an afternoon briefing him on what to expect and what to look for over the next few days. They've spent the majority of their tour conducting mounted operations all over the countryside while we have been pounding soil since day one. They were a touch nervous but who can really blame them.. I did the best I could with the time alotted to take him through our sop's (standard operating procedures) and how we've been adapting throughout this tours entirety. All the while trying to minimize redundancy.

They certainky hit the ground running. This morning I woke up to hear "BIP in 5" as their platooon had set out at 0430 to conduct clearances of multiple grid squares. The next few hours would yield another 3 explosions, all within their box of operations. Not sure as to what they've been finding, but if it BIPs I reckon it was explosive in nature.

So I got back to the PH last night to finally see the whole crew of E##$ back together again. This has not happened since we all first arrived in theater back in October. Every one of the guys is doing fine. Blencowe is back with some hearing loss and strutting around in suspenders of all things. Rediger remains the same quiet and reserved individual, (still waiting for him to explode)Upon rereading this explode is not the appropriate term... sorry Red. Bergeron suffered from heat stroke yesterday, due to the 50 degree heat and a full day of clearance operations. He's good to go today. Maddin and Dorner are currently in no mans land conducting search operations within our AO for 36 hours. Riley is still hard chargin and good to go as he was the first day... Last but not least, ole Hawk is racked out in his cot next to me right now, I reckon to escape the heat through unconsciousness. Props to Sgt. Fyffe and the boys while I've been gone. Yesterday they found the elusive 82mm recoilless rifle that we've been looking for since late Oct. It was buried in the ground within the little town to our south. This thing can send a molten slug through any armour and it remains the weapon of choice for insurgents to do just that. Another HUGE find for our platoon on the verge of a fighting season, which, if we continue to find all of htese weapons, will be a heavily one sided fight.

The IEDs continue to blow up all around our AO and beyond. I offer my condolences and symapthies to the family of the latest Canadian soldier killed in this God forsaken country. Details are unknown and speculation is disrespect. 2 others were injured very badly. Word is, it was their 3rd call. This happened well outside our AO. I am beginning to think they have a new emplacer in the area that we patrol. In the past 5 days, 4 IEDs have exploded. The last 2 a donkey was killed and the latter was an explosion that rocked the backside of an ANA pickup truck. All okay. This leads me to beleive that whomever is triggering/emplacing does not have much experience. Perhaps we nabbed the regular guy... dunno... Last night the air erupted in heavy 25mm fire and machine gun just down the road from where we live. Apparently my suspected rookie emplacer was digging in an IED on our MSR. The *** crews observed and engaged killing the newbie. Upon the BDA (battle damage assessment) we recovered a complete up and running IED, a tac vest full of insurgent goodies, and observed the hole he was going to put it in. A veteran IED emplacer is a little more careful.

Today it looks like rain. The clouds are heavy with dirt and water and the thunder is moving in overhead. Not much goin on for the rest of the day. Hopefully Dorner and madiin don't get too wet.,... until the next.... peace

quick sitrep

Sitting here next to ole Hryniw, pronounced Herandyou, (a.k.a the Jew)..... So I ask him how he got the tag the "Jew". He tells me that at first it started out with his brother on a previous tour as H-Jew then Horrendous Jew, and then when he got to regiment his brother was H1 and he was H2. This morphed into his brother becoming H-Senior and he was H-Jewnior. Being that us army folk would rather not spit out more than 2 syllables when jacking someone up, Jew was the simplest way to shorten the 3 syllable pseudonym. Anyway, we all remain intact during our transition into the last few weeks of an already extended tour. Although we're tired and ready for home we remain focused and diligent in finishing this thing off.

The explosions and random pops in the surrounding area continue. The past 2 days has seen 2 different IED detonations. Yesterday, just after a patrol stepped off we heard and felt a large explosion that rocked our platoon house. Everyone had there kit on in minutes and we ready to respond. The call sign that was out responded that they were all okay so we waited nervously for the other platoons response. It turned out everyone was ok and that the thing had gone off just north of our position. We figured perhaps a local national had triggered an IED just in the town that neighbours our position. We set off on foot through a maze of graperows and began questioning the locals in the surrounding area wher it had gone off. One Afghan pointed out that it had gone off further north than we had expected along a prominant route we use all the time. Whatever had gone off was big considering the sound and shock wave it had emitted. The crater in the middle of the road would measure 4m in diameter and 1.5m deep. No injuries and noone in sight. The command wire had extended into a compound just south of the road. This thing was intended for our vehicles and I'm assuming when the insurgent had gone to hook it up he accidentally high ordered it. Too bad he hadn't high ordered it while emplacing it.

So today we hear another blast just after lunch. The sound of an IED blast is now a familiar one sad to say. It detonates and it sounds like an piston ramming against a sheet metal door. They were targeting a road move and there were only minor injuries. The crew had just gotten into theater. Welcome to Afghanistan.... It seems as though things are beginning to heat up in these last few weeks.

I haven't heard much from my section down the road. I know ole Hawk has bought a new home in the mountains and he's eagerly anticipating getting home. He'll have been here for almost 9months by the end of it all while the rest of us are verging on 7.

Dorner and I just got back from a 2 day operation where we squatted in a compound south of our position. I brought my bug net this time. We scoured grapefield after grapefield searching for weapons caches but found nothing. We were attached to $1W and things were pretty laid back. The first day had us searching for about 5 hours. The sun was baking my brain inside my helmet and we shut it down shortly after noon. The next day we would begin the task at 0600 and work unitl around 1000. It would be around 28 degrees when we finished. Currently the temperature is reaching the mid 30's and it seems as though the winter/spring is hanging on out here. It has been raining intermittently and for very short periods. The prevailing winds are from the west, however when the wind shifts from north to south we know somehting is on the way. Rain isn't so bad. It keeps the dust down and offers a few clues to where an IED may be lying.

Not to much else to report from this end of the world.... Again, we're pushing hard these last few weeks and trying not to count the days... Love you guys... until the next...out

The picture is of an ied in the lower left corner oriented in a way to target dismounts approaching the wadi bridge..... we were lucky on this one.... RCIED (remote control) that for some reason failed to detonate.......this was 2 weeks ago...

J$$$$

Last night I had the oppurtunity to talk with one of the interpreters during a patrol which had us occupying a compound as the night took over the day. I wanted to absolve my curiosity about the whole opium and poppy crops, the processing of the drug, as well as the way people used it. So I flat out asked him about it. Turns out we would discuss more than just opium.
His name is J$$$$ and he comes from a northeastern village that borders Tajikistan. I cannot remember the name of his home town however I did ask him if the Taliban operate in his neck of the woods. He replied no, his village is relatively peaceful, however the 2 provinces out of 4 which surround his are currently occupied by the Taliban. I asked him if he has seen a change in the people around this area and he explained that he has seen a significant change due the the fact their are security forces here. I should explain that I am now currently located with another platoon to once again augment their requirement for engineer support. This should be a very temporary situation, at the most 10-14 days. Ergo, I was not familiar with this particular interpreter. I began asking him about opium and how it is used and processed. My curiosity is sparked of course by the field upon field of poppies that grow in this area. He explained that the opium is obtained by scraping the bulb of the flower prior to it blooming. The plant seeps a brownish sticky substance which is in fact opium. The farmers, every evening are tending to their fields and scraping off the opium and collecting it in a plastic sheet. Apparently the shelf life of opium is many years as long as it remains in the plastic. The farmers then move their opium into Kandahar and sell it off to the many heroin factories inside the city. I asked him how he knew so much about this crop and he explained that his brother was into opium use and had learned everything from him. He told me his brother used to be athletic and into weight lifting, pressing 150kg and now could not lift 20 lbs. The drug "takes the life out of the body" is what he told me, turning it to a mushy state. The drug can only be harvested anywhere from 10-14 days each year and then the flowers bloom and do not continue to yield their drug. A very short time for the farmers to get the most out of their crop.
I was wondering how the drug is used. He explained that you can use it a multiple of ways. One, you can eat the poppy seeds, but once you eat one you become hooked. People who get hooked on the seed must continue to eat the seeds all day long or else they become extremely itchy and irritable. Much like a junkie I reckon jonesin for a fix. The next way to consume is to use a spike and drive it into the bulb. You then put that spike into a fire or briquettes and scorch the opium onto it, turning it into a black sticky substance. You then scrape the opium off the nail and into a pipe. These were the two ways he explained to me... I then questioned him about the factories. He told me they are hastily put together and easily torn down. Afghanistan produces 85% of the worlds heroin and judging by the amount of poppy fields I can see why. 7 kg of opium is used to create 1 kg ofheroin. Because of this ratio is why the drug is so expensive he explained. Karzais brother was arrested ( no time frame was given, I think in the 90's) inside one of these heroin factories. The bust was swept under the rug and in the end the Minister of the Interior at the time was forced to resign. He now teaches in the United States. Keep in mind this is coming from an interpreter and may not be factual in any way. So anyway, these factories are busted on occasion and from the words of the terp the arresting authorities can be bought for a price. The same goes for an execution. Things seem to get swept under the rug for a little Afghan currency. He explained the mafia in Afghanistan is verfy powerful and organized crime is at every level. Government, police, politicians. Big surprise there.
At some point his childhood got raised in the conversation and how his brother was killed when he was 7. His eldest brother had a disagreement with their neighbours but I cannot remember why. I did not ask until later how he was killed but I did ask if there was any retribution. He explained that his mother would not allow it. They wanted the killers blood but the mother talked them all down. In the end, his late brothers friend took out the vengeance on the neighbour. This was when everyone had Ak-47s in this country. His brother was shot with this gun 30 times and the revenge was exacted in the same manner. Pretty heavy shit.
Lastly his pay as an interpreter was brought up. The man makes 600 american dollars out of 1800 dollars that his contractor gets a month. The special forces pay a lot higher and this is where he hopes to go. In the end he would like to obtain Canadian citizenship for the work he has done here. He said its about 60/40 that he will get it. I'm not sure as to how that all works but I wished him the best in his pursuit of our beautiful country.

who's counting

After 5 days outside of our humble dwellings, 2 brushes with extreme danger, 500 sand flea bites, 2 close encounters with scorpions, and multiple days of flourescent urine streams, I am back and not so fresh.

We left 5 days ago on the 15th of the month to conduct "section house" taskings WNW of our current position. Essentially, we squat in a compound in a village for any number of days and conduct patrols out of it. We were driven to a suitable position in the middle of Panjwaii and dropped off with 3 days supply of water and rations. (resupply would come on the 3rd day) My rucksack was unbelievably heavy. I had inadvertantly packed 36 litres of water and rations as well as my kit required for the job. You see, Fink had told me to pack 36 waters when I had already packed 24 litres. What I had failed to understrand was that he meant to pack 18 litres and not 36 litres. When he told me to take more water I asked Are you sure man? thats gonna be heavy", he goes, "ohhh its not that bad" Yeah I guess it wouldn't have been if I had packed 36 bottles instead of 72, (500ml bottles). So we hump our kit into the house after myself and Riley had cleared it and got settled. We were put to work within an hour of our arrival. Someone had found an IED in their field and we were the only friendlys in the area. We stepped off and came to a grape hut with the ANA surrounding it. The 4** crew set up their security and we moved in to take a closer look. Cleared up to the suspect device and took our time ensuring it was safe to do so. Dug into the dirt after locating the bomb and uncovered a 5gl plastic container full of frag and a 105mm shell full of crap as well. We took care of the situation and pushed back to the house. The bugs would begin their assault on yours truly.

Most of us failed to bring our bug nets, thinking the critters wouldn't be too bad. We were wrong, so..... very...... wrong. The first night I fell asleep with only my lower half in the sleeping bag. The heat was so uncomfortable, one would literally perspire lying down at 10 pm. It wasn't until around midnight when the temp became a little more tolerable. Well, I woke up covered in bites from head to toe. I was already messed up but now it looked as though I had the measles. For some reason the sand fleas liked the taste of my skin better than anyone elses. At any rate, I was itchy as hell and very uncomfortable.

The next day the ANA showed up once again. Their commander opted for the blue sweater look and the smoke the hashish all day routine. He was highhhhhhhh! We stepped off and began checking things out in the village. It wasn't long before a civilian approached and let us know that the Taliban had ran off when we arrived and had dropped a bag of goodies for us in a field. We patrolled to the location and discovered a burlap sack full of IED components. The ANA was pretty stoked as well as our section and we returned the the house. Another presence patrol would be conducted simultaneously with ours without engineer support. It was somewhat of a meet and greet with the villagers. It would turn out to be a very lucky patrol.

Day 3
We stepped off early in the morning and were drenched within 10 minutes of departure. We pushed north, Morrison at point, Riley and I 3 men back. The ANA led the patrol through grape rows and difficult terrain. They could move a lot easier because of their lighter loads and freedom of fashion. We proceeded south down a walkable route, progressing into the town center. I stopped after passing back a large gap in the wall and turned around. Months out here has given me somewhat of a spidy sense of my surroundings and I checked out the gap a little closer. I dug into the earth and located a command wire running away from the gap and into a field. Everyone was pushed back, and I began searching further for the charge. Turned out to be a 105mm casing right under the path that about 10 ANA soldiers, 3 Canadians and yours truly had just walked on top. Our EOD buddies were called up and exploited the scene further.
It wasn't long after that when our patrol stepped off to another possible IED location. We approached from the south and moved toward the town mosque. The ANA commander pointed into a field off to our west and began throwing rocks at a suspect IED. Riley began approaching and I looked off to my right at a wadi running north to south. I pulled out my detector and swept the side of the wadi. Immediately the thing began to beep and I knew there was somehting big under the dirt and scrub. I brushed off the top layer and saw 2 large pvc pipes, 12" long and 12 " in diameter, chalked full of explosives oriented in a wayt to blast at our approaching patrol. Riley finished the excavation and found the battery, receiver and the antennae all hooked up and ready to go. I'm not sure why we are alive, but am very relieved that the thing didn't go off. This would have killed everyone in the vicinity. The ANA were running around taking pictures of the thing and didn't fully understand the danger they were facing. We pushed back and waited for EOD to make their way to us.
The day finally came to an end and I tell ya the sun never looked so good coming through the clouds.
Again, night falls and the bugs come out. The heat is unbearable in our light sleeping gear, so I opted for the fully clothed, cap over the face posture until my OP shift. They still got me. At one point my proximity sense went off. I turned to my side in the middle of the night, flicked on my headlight and there was a scorpion, the size of a small chicken egg chomping its claws and scurrying for my face. I was up in a flash trying to catch the damn thing. It crawled under my air mattress and dug in. I finally jammed him into a container and took him over to the critter killing floor. We had quite the collection by the end of it all. The ants would eventually come and carry the critters away.

Day 4
A slower day as we pushed east to a more open area of the towns exterior. We checked out various compounds, our ANA counterparts doing the same. Pretty uneventful for a change and one of the shorter days. We spent most of the time in poppy fields, pushing through different objectives and providing security for the ANA. They would do the same for us. The weather began to somewhat cooperate and the temperature was a lot cooler. We hoped this would keep up for the night ahead. It did and I had one of my better sleeps of the 5 day stint.

Day 5
Time to get out of there. Well, that was the original plan. We were suppose to leave at 0800, back to the PH but stopeed short when word came around another IED was emplaced and ready to go. Shit......A local had informed our call sign the night before that there was something suspicious on one of the routes we had frequented in the last few days. He was asked to provide more information on the device nad he insisted he would meet us in the vicinity the next morning. This set off alarm bells in my head. Well, at 1000 we stepped off, monitoring our local helpers progress toward our position. We met up with him under a tree well outside the towns core and he gave us more information on the device. He told us where to go and what to look for. Riley, Sankowski and myself pushed off toward the direction of the IED. We were looking for a black string running through a field toward a grape hut. The grass was 3 ft high so I told the guys to high step it thorugh the field so as to not set off the device. Something was lost and long gone through the translation. We finished the sweep and found nothing. It was getting hot by the second and I decided to approach the possible location. Riley would look at the walls and I would look at the road. The informant said it was right inbetween the two of us, yet we found nothing. It wasn't until we turned around and began clearing toward our rear elements that Riley found the "black string" coming out of the wall... It turns out it wasn't a black string at all and instead was a battery, a recevier, an antennae, as well as 2 DFCs oriented down each way fo the road I was standing on. DFC ( Directional Fragmentation Charge) This task had scared me to begin and now I was shitting my pants. We got out of there right quick and gave our friends EOD another call. At the time they were tied up with another IED that ole Hawk had found in the vicinty of our PH. We spent all day waiting for the team to get to our location. They would end up never showing up. The American EOD team showed up at the end of the day and took care of our business. It was theri first call in theater, and they were amped up. Guns up, all hurt locker style. They were pretty switched on and by that time we were switched right off.
The device was handled and we would finally return to our platoon.

The guys had a hell of a week while we were gone. Well, the two guys. Red is back in KAF for a rest and Blencowe remains there for more testing on his noggin. So that left ole Hawk and Dorner leading the charge on this end. We had good int. that there were weapons caches in our AO. Well, the int was bang on. The guys ended up unearthing an arsenal of weapons, ordnance, 2 suicide vests, mortars, baseplate, optics, radios, IED components..... you name it..... 6 weapons caches in a field striking a huge blow to the insurgents at the start of their fighting season...... D Coy is getting the job done out here, there is now no doubt about it. Our platoon alone has found and taken care of 76 IEDs since the start of tour out of D Coys 120 plus finds.........

1 month left.........but who's counting

The bird keeps coming back and paying me a visit..... xoxo

1 month misery

If the scowl on my face is indicative of my level of misery it fails to truly give the appropriate level of my duress. I have been in the sun all day, and I have been getting eatin alive by unknown bugs every night for the last 3. They itch and are all over my back. I'm only hoping that the culprits aren't laying eggs under my skin because I am not ready for that type of responsibility. Hard work continues on the development of a new piece of infrastructure. We spent the day doing construction work and hammering together floor boards. Riley decided to take the nail gun and shoot a spike into his hand. He looks over and holds his hand up with a 3" nail sticking out the top of it. We laughed our asses off. He'll be alright after a few days. My deepest sympathy to the Todd family as he was lost to our platoon 2 days ago. It's still a very hard pill to swallow being that it happened so close to us going home. Blencowe, by the grace of God escaped unscathed even though he was right next to the explosion. Drews took a chunk of frag throug his shoulder that left a hole you could see air through. Last word, he got out of surgery and will be alright. Needless to say, once again we find ourselves frustrated and angry. Blencowe has since gone back to KAF to get his hearing checked and for a couple of days to relax. This was his second IED incident in the last week, of which, one of our sister platoons lost another one of their guys to a bi-latteral amputation to both of his legs. Rediger seems to be doing okay as he too was on scene of the latest strike. The boys all performed professionally and profficiently in their drills and got the casualties out of there in good time. The inf. guys speak extremely highly of the responsiveness of our guys.
The mercury level is spiking around the mid 20's in the evening and upwards in the 40's during the day. The terps say its going to get about 20 degrees hotter before we get out of here.
I am doing my best to maintain a positive outlook out here, but often find myself in a miserable state. I'm not sure as to why I'm so pissed but have a pretty good idea, the IED state around these parts.
Maddin and Bergeron are down the road right now, augmenting another platton for 2 weeks, which leaves Dorner, Riley, Red, Hawk, Blencowe( currently in KAF) and yours truly holding down our end. A month left, and a busy one at that. Theres a shopping list of tasks upcoming, none to savory. The replacements will be a sight for sore and weathered eyes.
Anyway, gotta be wuick once again as we gotta get back. Love you all, and Todd buddy, we will remember ya pal...........out

quick update

It's been a while since my last post and I'll try to fill you in real quick like because I don't have much time on the internet. Our wireless in our platoon house suffered an electrical malfunction and we've been without ever since.
Things are happening fairly quick these days. Bases are expanding and preparation has begun for the change over later this spring. Serialized kit checks are an ongoing matter and our kit has begun to thin out. This is not a problem as the winter kit we had is definitely a thing of the past. I'm not sure how hot it gets but I am sweating while I sit here and type these words. I think its around mid 30's early 40's.
The guys are doing fine and still working hard as ever. Early this morning we finished a 800m long type 1 concertina fence and over the past 5 days have laid the equivalent in Hesco Bastian.
the fence was quite the job and ole Hawk opted to work throught he night last night to stay out of the heat. This was an excellent idea, 1 because no one would bother us, and 2 the nights are significantly cooler. We were covered in dirt by the end of it all and exhausted. Blencowe of all people jumped into the shower after it was all said and done. He was covered the most in moon dust and it looked like he had been dragged behind the LAV by his ankles with his face in the sand. Anyway, I apologize, I gotta keep this short and get going. Hopefully we get this internet problem fixed up and I can frequent my blog more often..... I love you guys and we'll see you soon!..........out

back in the heat

So here I am, back with the crew in the middle of sunny Afghanistan. All apologies for not posting sooner, however there was a little hick up that had me stressing over the last week or so. The main change since I was on holidays is the heat. It now reaches mid 40s during the day and this is just the beginning. I was on patrol the other day and drank 5 litres of water in 5 hours. With the heat, more of the guys are outside now hitting the few weights we have and getting in shape for the summer back home. I forgot my running shoes in KAF so it looks like I'll be running around our HLS in my worn out boots. I offered the guys tonight to be their personal trainer for 50 bux a month promising a body like mine in no time. Blatch was the only one who took me up on the offer, however I did sense a little bit of sarcasm in his voice. A big change from before I left, the atmosphere is a little more lively around here and the guys are hanging out in the frsh air a lot more. The whole area has turned green. The birds are chirping each morning and today I saw the first mutant wasp returning from the winter hiatus. Even the locals are out more and working their fields.
We have a couple of busy months ahead and everyone is looking for that end of the line when we all go home. We have a little more road to walk but it certainly is in our sights. Red and Stink are currently down the road doing the same thing we're doing over here. We have a couple of additions to the section fo rthe next little while. Ripley and Johnson are now with us. The rest of the crew is all doing fine, minus the gastral that is flaoting around the camp. Everyone is down witht he sickness and theres no end to it. Riley is now in the sick tent, quarantined due to the fact he was puking up his meal tonight. Ole Hawk ahd the squirts for a couple of days but it seemed to have passed. I'm doing alright and after the food poisoning in Cuba, I reckon I can handle a little gastral if I happen to get it. Bergeron worked his abs a little to hard the other day and was moaning all last night, but seems to be doing better today. I thought for a minute he may have appendicitis, but now it seems to be fine.
With the increase in man power, our patrol schedule has eased up so to speak. This is a blessing as the heat drains so much more out of you when out. Everyone is good in D COY and as I said, we're all looking forward to the return back to Canada.
I'll try to write more often and keep you all posted on whats up.... til the next.. out

Cuban living

After a week in the somewhat sunny Cuban sands we are back in Edmonton, one of us with a little more red spots than the other. It was a great trip but obviuosly too short and with a couple of minor inconveniences. I reckon we got into Cuba around 1500 last Sunday and made our way through Cuban customs. I was a little nervous about our encounter with the federalis being that I had declared that I had been in Afghanistan in the last 15 days and had to mention this on their health questionaire. We weren't sure if visitng a malaria infested country would have any impact on us getting through the border. Turns out it didn't and the Cubans were more concerned with H1N1 than anything else as they were all equipped with face shields and wearing them stylishly. They took our little health sheets and ran off and next thing we know we were off to our little resort.

Sandals is located in Varadero on the Hicacos peninsula which runs West to East along the North shore of Cuba. The place was beautiful! Palm trees everywhere and a nice treeline seperating the resort from the shoreline. This would prove essential as the northern winds were uncommonly high for this time of year. We had heard there was a constant breeze in Cuba, but we did not expect 20-30km gusts all week long. Some days were better than others, but all in all the weather for the week was somewhat disappointing. Chandra babe and I made the most of it and did not let it ruin our little vacacione.

After a quiet night at the main bar, sipping daiquiris and mohitos, smoking delicious cigars, and making small chat with other vacationers we made our way to the room and kicked back. The next day we were up bright and early exploring the resort a little better and making our way for breakfast. We learned that you have to get up early to put a towel on the beach chair you would like to use that day, but that did not stop us from finding 2 poolside chairs after some grub. The sun cooked us all day long and at 2 we met up with our agent from Air Canada. He gave us a few tips on Cuba and asked us if we wanted to book any tours. We booked 1 and we paid for a bus into Havanna for a day trip. A couple we had met the night before had just arrived on the flight prior to ours and had suggested we go on the catamaran tour which we would be offered the chance to swim with dolphins. Steve or rather "Scuba Steve" and Sara would become good friends over the next few days, truly enjoying each others company.

That night we had a few drinks and busted a groove down at Club Varadero. There were only a few of us in the bar and the bass was thumping off of hollow walls. When we arrived YMCA was hoarding the air and up on stage were two dudes, one with his shirt tied into a bra type thing doing the arm motions to the beat. They muckled onto me so I figured what the heck and did a little shaking of my own. We spent an hour or two there, watching old men go bizzerk with their wives, and doing a little grooving of our own.

The next day was pure beach...... we spent the day in the sun and water. It was too murky for snorkeling but we swam around all the same. The drinks kept a coming and my little feminito came strutting back from the washroom with a couple of coconuts in each hand, each filled with cocnut milk and rum. We skipped lunch and were kept hypnotized by the constant sounds of the waves crashing into the shore. That night we met a Scottish couple, Lenny and James ( for some reason I kept calling him Dave). Scuba and Sara came along shortly thereafter and the 6 of us went to the club to do some ass shaking. We made it until about one. Steve I gotta say had some pretty cool dance moves out there. Chandra and I made our way out for a late lunch at the Italian restaurant. I checked out the salad bar and brought back what I had thought was cheese curds. Popped one in my mouth and decided that the curds were bland and I wouldn't be eating those anymore. Chandra asked for a bite and abruptly spit the chunk out. She said " its margarine." I guess it was, however I had never seen margarine covered in ice on display in a buffet. Lesson learned.

Havanna bound the next day. 0730 departure from the resort with a guide named Fidel and Felix for a driver. There was another Cuban "camera guy" on the bus sporting a red and white track suit. Gangsta.... So we head off and Fidel just wouldn't shut up.. yack yack yack...... kept saying Ju kno? My head was nipping and I wasn't in the mood for Cuban English blaring over the overhead speaker system. At any rate, I thanked our stars we had decided not to do the tour and were only in it for the ride to Havanna. Half way to the city we stopped for a bathroom/rest stop. Everybody gets off and there are two Cubans standing sentry by the outhouse/washrooms by the shore. They wanted pesos for our deposits. We had brought our own toilet paper so no pesos for them. We reached our destination and set off on our own for the day. We weren't too interested in seeing Havanna and we spent most of the day sniffing out cigar shops and little nick nack shops. I felt bad at one point, a little old lady was trying to get Chandras attention and I turned around and said "whatever it is you're selling, we're not buyin." Turns out she was asking for candy for her baby... whoops......The gringos were hounding me to buy cigars and I would tell them not so politely that " I wanted to get them out of the country." They'd go " no banana, no banana" and I'd reply " not worth the hassle." Relentless....... Shortly after noon a waiter came out from a restaurant and asked us if we wanted to have lunch in his diner. He showed us his menu and we ended up sitting upstairs in his joint. This would turn out to be a BIG mistake. I had the beef and Chandra had the fish.

Now had I realized at the time we were eating at an Irish Cuban restaurant called "O'Reilly's" we probably would have never walked through the door. It wasn't until later, upon looking at a characature which a Cuban did of me in protest, representing me shaking my finger saying "no thanks" that I saw the name of the restaurant in the top right corner. Now, I started feeling a little gassy about an hour after eating and let Chandra know I wasn't feeling all that well. The day carried on and we continued to peruse the shops and buy cigars. We got to the link up point where we were to meet the bus to transport us back to Varadero. It was a large scale flea market on the port filled with Cubans punting their wears. By this point I knew something was up but figured my cast iron stomach would sort itself out. My stomach would let me down on this one. We got to the bus about a half hour early and I lied across two seats. The bus driver was on the bus when we got there but soon after got off. The feeling of impending vomit was coming on strong about 20 minutes before leaving. I ran to the front of the bus and the damn bus driver had locked us in. I ran to the back of the bus and the bathroom was locked. I was stuck but the feeling had passed. Chandra was not happy. My guts were killing me and I was dying. The tour got on the bus and we began the journey back. The motion of the bus was what did it, because 20 minutes in I was hurling into a tobacco bag. The only evidence of what was going on was the odour of my juices wafting into the air...Totally stealth like. I don't think anyone but the few folks sitting in our vicinity knew I was throwing up. Now that I was finished losing my lunch Chandra was paking the bag up and asking the bus driver to put the bag in the bathroom... He said, " just throw it in the garbage." nice smell coming out of there I reckon. I thought the worst was over...............nope. I'll spare you the details, but as soon as the bus hit the rest stop there was no pesos for the toilet paper lady and I think I went through a whole roll. Got back into the bus and had to shit yet again. This time there would be no rest stop. I was frozen, sweating and had my head between my legs. I recall thinking how anyone wasn't saying anything about the frigid air conditioning spewing forth from the vents. Afterwards Chandra would say the bus was cooking and everyone was sweating. I was messed up. Needless to say the night was a write off. I spent the next 12 hours sweating through the bed sheets and freezing my ass off. Not to mention, making a trip to the toilet every 30 minutes or so. The next day I was feeling a lot better, but the frequent trips to the toilet would not cease. Spent the day by the swimming pool with our friends watching some sort of Cuban dance show and taking in the sun.

I was certainly making the best of a terrible situation. I was NOT going to let some sort of sickness ruin our vacation. Thursday blew right by with another quiet night and onto Friday for our catamaran trip and swim with the dolphins. Scuba Steve and Sarah met up with us by the pool and we made our way to the bus. The day was colder than the rest of the week had been and the constant strain of the wind kept everyone in a chill. It did not stop us from jumping on the boat and commencing our day excursion. I'm pretty sure everyone was in survival mode on the way out to sea. That is, except for a few Ruskies who got into the vodka almost immediately after boarding. The four of us had a few drinks and huddled up under our towels. It wasn't long before I as back into the toilet. What a chore. Probably should have just taped a colostomy bag to my leg and went with it. As I said, made the best of a bad situation and soldiered on so to speak. The dolphin thing was somewhat of a let down. I had envisioned us hanging on to their fins and ripping around the sea. Well, as it turned out, it was a open water pen with about 10 dolphins swimming around. The only swimming we did, was wading on an underwater platform in front of the fish and making contact that way. Still, pretty cool stuff. I, nor Chandra had never seen a dolphin before. Lunch was spent on a beach front in the middle of the water. They served up lobster, chicken, and some other fishy items. I was reluctant to eat anything but figured how much worse could it get. The food was pretty good and we had a couple of hours to kill on the beach. Saw a stack of chairs and went to get one. The guy was like "one pesos for each chair", pfft... no pesos for chair. We layed our towels out and chilled on the sand. Made our way back to port, stopping along the way to do little Cuban party dances. By this time, the Russians were hammered...........and obnoxious....... but he was freekin HUGE and there would be no snide remarks from this guy. We had intended to goi out dancing that night, but I still wasn't feeling up to snotch. Chandra babe hung out with me the whole time during my internal eruptions....what a sweetheart..

Saturday..... what a beautiful day.... on the beach the entire day.. from 0900-1600 in the sun and loving it. I felt 100% better and got back to smoking cigars. We both loved it. That night Scuba, Sarah and us went for dinner at one of the restaurants. Had a great evening with them and hope to one day link up with them again. Sunday came inevitably and we scored a few more hours out of the beach before hitching our ride to the airport.

Needless to say, the trip was well needed and a barrel of fun and laughs. We will be going back some day, but next time for 2 weeks......... 5 more days in beautiful Canada and then back to the other side....... keep ya posted... out

model Canadian

I am officially back on friendly soil and have never been happier. The woman I love and adore has said yes to my proposal and I have to admit the deed itself could have not gone any less gracious. At the end of the day I guess it didn't matter how it got popped, however I think Chandra thought I was ready to start VPSing (vulnerable point search) the QE2. hahaha......
Anyway, transitioned well through Canadas "secrety military" base somewhere in the sand, spent a day and a half relaxing and doing a little engagement ring shopping. I found what I was looking for and much, much more. I ended up buying a little more than anticipated but did not for a second experience buyers remorse. If you're reading this Mom, I got you something! but you're gonna have to wait til your little road trip to see me. Okay, so i bought all of these things and then the paranoia set in. I will not get into details on my customs endeavours, however nothing got seized and at the end of the day I did the right Canadian thing, which is *** &* #$@ *&&.
I find myself reciprocating thoughts I had of Chandra and home to the guys still out in the shit. I reckon I found myself last night at about 0330 wide awake and eating some delicious meat pie thinking about the boys coming back from patrol. I know ole Hawk is now back with the guys. I ran into him in KAF and discussed how things were going. He was very eager to get back out. I can't say I don't blame him. Dorner and Maddin are still on vacation, but I reckon Maddin will be returning shortly.
Prior to leaving the guys had their hands full of IEDs. Rediger, the day I left, found himself dealing with a daisy chain of DFCs just north of our position. It's assumed that they were dug in months ago, while the french were still patrolling that section of terrain. Then, minutes before my ride came, they had found yet another one right in front of our platoon house. Again, placed months ago and just missed. I can't imagine what they've found since I've been gone..... Stink... if you're reading htis tell the guys hey and be safe........ Vando...out

grave diggin.......

Well, as it turns out, today was not in fact my last patrol. I assumed I had ended on a high note today, however when I returned to camp the guys had told me I'm not leaving for another 3-4 days. Which means I'll have one more walk before leave.
Today we were escorting our OC, Maj. Nevin to an objective we have been occupying for about a week now. Elements of D Coy Recce platoon, a rifle platoon and Forristalls section have been staked on on a high feature in the middle of N******** holding ground in the south west. We patrolled through the town and made our way to the objective. Good to see ole Forristall and his small det of engineers. They had built a par 3 hole with tee box, flag stick, and yard sign just in the front of their mud hut. It's pretty checked. I think Yan is bound for HLTA now so he wasn't around. We hung out for a small while and then it was time to step off.
We made our way to a graveyard just to the north west of their position and began searching the area. We had been in the cemetary on a previous occasion and had found nothing. Today would prove different. About halfway through our search I noticed a large area of fresher dirt around 10 or so graves. This struck me as odd, as the whole area ( about the size of a football field) was all hard packed undisturbed earth. I began sweeping the area, and then moved on to the graves. The second one I searched was the size of a small child ( the graves in Afghanistan are mounds of dirt with small rocks and flags as decor). This one yielded a large metal hit about the size of the grave. I called Browny and the Warrant over explaining that this could be either a small tin coffin or a significant weapons cache. They gave the go ahead to start digging. I was unsure as to what we were uncovering, however such things as metal coffins or metal of any type to Afghans is valuable, therefore I found it unlikely that they would have buried a small child in one. I got Riley to stick his bayonet in the side of the site first and it went to the hilt. I then moved to the shovel, explaining to him to be careful and begin digging a trench into the side of the mound. Well, Riley digs right in about 2 feet down and uncovers the edge of a tarp. He puts his entrenching tool in the grave again and strikes what he thought was to be bone. I got the detector in the hole and the thing lit up in its familiar chime. It was at this point when I realized that we were uncovering something metal. It was no holds barred at that point and we began digging the whole thing up. Eventually we unearthed the top of a 45 gal. drum with det cord protruding from the top. It was sealed shut and the detonation cord was running down the side of the drum into the earth below. I reckon it was rigged for anti-handling (booby trapped), however we went ahead with a pull anyway. 3 of us on the line and the thing did not budge. At this point we called EOD assets and waited for tehm to get on site. They arrived about 2 hours later and the little guy was all in a huff. I explained the situation and it was as though he couldn't be bothered with what I was telling him. This particular EOD operator hasn't made too many friends since they began working with us. At any rate, Riley and I moved further north to let them do what we could have done and began prepping a wall breach required for our exfiltration. The EOD guys were working for ahwhile trying to get it out of the ground to no avail. They ended up blowing the thing up in the graveyard. Riley and I were perched on a rooftop approximately 200 meters away and when this thing went off it sent a plume of smoke 200 ft in the air which quickly dispersed due to the wind. The crack was deafening and it began to rain chunks of shrapnel all over the area. Riley got a bolt in the leg and bits were flying everywhere. By far, the best BIP on tour. I went back to check out the hole. It was a massive crater and I asked the guys how many blocks they used.. "only 4" was what they replied. This would not create a hole of this magnitude. I assume the drum was filled with HME, presumably Aluminum Nitrate, and the thing was rigged for anti tampering. Pieces of rebar were stuck in the ground everywhere and I'm sure a few bodies died again, launched as dust into the atmosphere. There was really nothing we could do about the collateral damage to the other graves and we certainly do not take pride in a situation where this action was the only option. Digging in the graveyard was bad enough and I'm sure we'll hear about it from the locals in the next meeting. We certainly took another HUGE cache from the insurgents and yet another small victory was celebrated.
Shortly after the BIP we blew our hole in the wall and exfilled out of the area. Made our way north to a prominent route and back into camp. An excellent day and one hell of a way to end my patrolling for 3 weeks...... or so I thought. I got back and Red informed me that my ride out of here was delayed for another few days. No big deal, one more patrol..... one more time..... I reckon I'll have yet one more tale from the next one..... standby..... out

one more patrol.......

One patrol left before I can get outta here. Needless to say I am very excited at going home for a few days and then off to Cuba with my beautiful girlfriend. Things around here have definitely changed for the better. The locals are interacting with us more and more and our efforts seem to be paying off. A fine example of this is a couple of days ago our patrol stepped off for a routine trip down a familiar route. We knew something was suspicious about this particular route, as we had been informed a couple of times of the threat that awaited us. We had looked and searched this route previously and had found nothing. However this day would prove different. We approached from the north and made our way down a long and winding foot path, flanked by two walls, with a wadi running down the middle. On the westren side of the trail, there lies a goat path that skirts the foot path. We made our way down cautiously, stopping to investigate combat indicators and moving on when nothing was found. Myself and Rediger had the pleasure of this little patrol. We were a small team of 6 as our primary objective was to locate and exploit this potential IED threat. The platoon commander, Capt O'neil, Laforce, Johnson, *******, and the 2 chimos made our way to a turn in the path. Laforce, being point stopped and advised us he observed a small flag sticking out of the ground. Red and I pushed up. We began our search of the area to find nothing on =this side of the wadi. I jumped across and got into the prone position with metal detector in fornt, leopard crawling while sweeping up to the flag. At this point the small crew of us adopted an all aorund defence in the outlying fields. This is when the locals began to pipe up, letting us know to stay clear of the area we were exploiting. Sure enouogh, when the head of my detector hit the ground beneath the flag a large chime went off. I let Red know "I got it" and began uncovering a large cylinder. Inch by inch of dirt I began to realize how big this thing was. I had the thing totally exposed, well, I guess the top part of it, and it measured 3 ' long and almost a foot in diameter. I wanted to confirm it a little more, all the while thinking I am not gonna die before going on vacation. I exposed the end of it, and then exposed the other end. There was det cord coming off the back side of it, and the tube was oriented in a way that would have forced the blast and shrapnel right into the point man of any patrol passing by. I had enough and informed the platoon commander we had an "Directional focused IED" on our hands. EOD was called and moved in dismounted a short while after. They made their way down and had sufficient security so we got to go back to our PH.
Meanwhile in T********, the interpreters were carving up a sheep they had purchased for our dinner that evening. Hamilton seemed to have a great interest in the things head, and could be seen posing for pictures as he walked it around by the hair. No, I don't think he's going crazy. We sat around and waited for the EOD team to get back to our location. Turned out it was what I had first assessed. A DFC IED hooked up and ready to go. It was activated by pull and what seperated me from going up was a clothes pin with a small piece of plastic acting as an insulator. Good thing I didn't look any further for wires coming off it. They ended up detonating the device and found evidence of fragmentation enhancers in the post blast ie., spark plug pieces, bolts, nails, etc. One thing we learned is that the locals do in fact want to help and this was made apparent by their warnings. Like I said, one more patrol and then vacation............ I need it.
Ole Hawk should be getting back in a few days, while Maddin is probably singing Japanese Karaoke as I write. Dorner is in Mexico eating Enchiladas and drowning in Corona.
As a side note, we've been playing poker every night and I now have won 4 games in a row. I let the guys know I would buy a box of cigars with the earnings, so they haven't taken it that bad. At one time I was down to 10 bux, now I have 250$$ Chaching biatch......
I gave away a golf club today to my favorite Afghan kid. He calls himself John Goose mainly because he had learned it from the guys out patrolling. He was pretty stoked when I gave him a 5 iron. A future Malik I reckon. I also smoked a van that was driving along the route that runs across our frontage. It bounced first so no damage. I reckon it would have been a hole in one on a 150yd par three. Played my slice decisively........ Anyway, off to bed, gotta go walkin sometime soon....... out

Stinks back

Okay, when I say it rained in the last few days, it came down hard. I'm surprised we still have a compound left, being that they are all made of mud. Today it finally cleared up and the wadis have started to recede. But 2 nights ago the lightning show and torrential downpour made for a wet night on OP. The locals constantly repair their dwellings with the changing of the seasons and this is something we didn't really train for. We're making due with creating our own mud and straw mix and some of the guys have started doing their own patch work. Hopefully we won't have another rain storm like that or i reckon there won't be much left.
Dorner has officially gone on leave and we drove him down to a pickup point earlier this evening. With that, ole Stink has returned from leave and I'll be damned if he still has his moustache from before he left. I don't know how in the hell he convinced his girlfriend to let him keep it but leave it to ole Stink, he's still got it. With that, Capt Hachey has shaved his off too. They stuck the legendary facial piece to a strip of duct tape and I'm not sure who the keeper is. It is extremely haggard.
The patrolling is endless but thats nothing new. The other day we were searching a culvert as we moved down a prominent route in our AO. I could not get good eyes into the culvert so I went about it from the road. I leaned over the side and there went a magazine. 30 rounds into the wadi. I started to haul my ass back up and there went the second magazine. They were falling out of my Tac vest and I couldn't do a thing about it. Horvath said he'd try to get them out and rolled up his sleeves and dug down. The water was too deep. I said forget it and opted to fill out a lost report. We moved down the road and set up our vehicle check point. Spent a good 4 hours in location searching vehicles and people as they passed. I was back to my old antics telling locals that certain items were contraband and pretending to pocket their items. I had a wrench from one guys car and had the interpreter tell him that the Taliban weren't allowed tools so why should the local nationals have tools. The guy insisted it was to repair his vehicle and I let him know i was just messing around. At the end of the day we went back to the wadi where I lost my mags. I put the metal detector in the water, which by this point had receded to a manageable level, and located my mags. Fished em out and got a little wet, but no lost report to fill out.
I know I've said it before but I am like an Afghan Elvis walking throught the village that neighbours our compound. Even the old guys have taking a liking to me and try to teach me Pashto everytime I walk by. The kids continue to call me moustache and retrieve my golf balls. I'm now committed to giving one 5lb bag of candy for one golf ball. I just don't want to negotiate with these little buggers anymore. So, they chuck me a ball, and I chuck them a huge bag of candy. Now when I walk through town, they hold up the balls and ask me for candy. We don't really understand eachother but I tell them to come by the tower later and I'll make the trade. They understand the gestures, so all is well.
Anyway, holidays are getting close and I'm trying very hard not to shut er down before i go. I will be very happy once I'm on that C-130 outta KAF. Until then, I'll keep putting the best foot forward and do the job..... until the next.... peace

slippery trails.......

Its been raining for the last 2 days here, off and on throughout the day and night. It starts as abruptly as it stops, and it hasn't rained for more than 20 minutes solid. Yesterday was a "maintenance day" and a well needed one at that. A few days earlier an Operation S***! commenced which saw the complete clearance of the town just to our West. It was the first time we had cleared it, as the battle group prior hadn't searched an inch, and no other Coy had attempted the clearance.
We had kicked off bright and early on the 3rd and made our way down to the entrance of the town, deliberately clearing every compound along the way. We didn't find much in the outlying compounds, but when we entered the town proper I figured it would be a long couple of days. The guys had found a grenade in the first compound they searched, and this was followed by an RPG in the second. The day was only 1 hour in. We continued to push into the center of town, compound after compound which yielded no other finds. It was labour intensive for everyone, especially the chimos. We were broken into two 3 man dets and Red was in command of the other det. We would search everything, including the "yards" and all that came up was empty holes, freshly dug. It seemed as though someone may have let their brother know we were coming, and their brother had let their friend know, and his friend had let his brother know, and well, you get the picture. There was nothing to be found in any compounds after the first day. Everything had been moved and all that was left were traces of det cord, and other bomb making materials. At 1700 we ceased searching for the day and took up camp inside an old schoolhouse long since abandoned. The teacher of this particular schoolhouse had been executed by the Taliban a few months prior to our arrival and the insurgents had been using his house as a shelter. Well, on this day we took up shelter in it and the guys got a chance to catch up with their sister platoons and our guys got a chance to caqtch up with the engineers from Delta section. Everyone was asleep by 1830. We woke up at around 0700 and began our clearance OP for the second day. Again, we searched everything and more empty holes. Somebody had known that we were coming. We broke into two teams on day 2 to speed up the process. I think by this point the higher ups figured what we were all thinking. There would be nothing to find on this OP in this town. We pushed it until noon, when all the compounds had been cleared and deemed free from weapons/bomb caches. The job was done and we made our way back to the PH. The rest of the day was spent unwinding and cleaning our kit.
As previously stated, yesterday was spent milling around and getting our kit ready for another onslaught of patrols. Red nad I ensured we had all of our serialized kit and the rest of the crew took the gator out front and chainsawed a huge tree down. It had been blocking our view since we got here and the Platoon Commander gave us the nod on the chop. The locals scooped that wood up faster than they were cutting it down.
Today, we were back on patrol. Bergeron and I went out this afternoon with Capt. Oneil and the Alpha boys. Browny took us down a route where a suspected RCIED was emplaced and our job was to clear the route. IEDs are bad, but remote control IEDs are flat out shitty. Especially when you have no idea where the receiver is, or the bomb for that matter. We took it slow and checked every orifice on that route. We didn't find it, so either the enemy had moved it or it had never been there. Along the way the rain had picked up yet again. This made walking on the paths borderline impossible. We were all sliding everywhere and wiping out on every incline. At one point I couldn't stand up without sliding toward a wadi. Johnson came to my aid and hung on to a wall and extended his arm. A 4 hour patrol turned out feeling like an 8 hour one, simply due to the stress on our bodies trying to keep balance. If we would have came under contact, or for some reason had to run anywhere, it would have been bad. Anyway, we all made it back and the patrol was successful. Tomorrow is a new day, and if the rain doesn't stop it should be another slick one.....
As a side note.... I've found strength when I needed it and comfort when I asked for it....... Keep us surrounded by your prayers... Thank you.....

need a holiday.........soon

The last few days have been memorable ones to say the least, and at the same time, days I'd like to forget. The patrols have been exceedingly longer, and the days have been getting hotter. It's hard to piece the last couple of days in order, let alone the last week, but I'll give it a shot.
I had known about 99ers visit and aspiration to patrol through Nakhonay for about 2 weeks now, and the pressure had been building for the full 14 days. It wasn't until 2 days prior to the patrol that I really started to feel the stress. The route we would take passed through one of the most dangerous canalizing areas in the area and it was up to me and Riley to ensure there were no IEDs in the ground. We would be the 2 front men in this patrol for the clearance. The catch was that the clearance would not be deliberate, but instead quite cursory and hasty. Needless to say, when the day came, I found myself digging into the road with my bayonet more frequent than usual. The last thing I needed was the General of the task force to step on an IED after we had passed right by it. Well, it didn't happen and the patrol continued on into the heart of darkness. We toured General Menard through the whole town and into the surrounding area. The pressure was felt until we had made it back into our PH. He took off as quickly as he came and the patrol was a success.
The next day was one of transition. Bravo section was taking off on leave and Charlie section was arriving back. The guys were pretty stoked on getting out of here for 3 weeks and you could hear them hootin and hollering as their LAV pulled away. Basically, the remaining soldiers on the ground cleaned their weapons and prepared for the upcoming tasks.
Yesterday, was a complete success, however not nearly as morale boosting as today, but I'll get to that. So, on 31Jan, we stepped off to perform an engineer recce on an important piece of ground in the south. I cannot divulge details because of OPSEC, but I had the four of us on this task. Dorner, Riley, Bergeron and myself stepped off with Alpha section and moved deliberately to our site. We spent a good hour gathering information on the features in the area and proceeded north to recce yet another objective. The day was very long and by the time we got back the night had set in. I then spent the next 3 hours compiling information and labelling photos for my report. At 2100 we drove to Capt Hacheys location and I presented the findings. They weren't expecting me that night but instead the next morning. They were eager to find out what I had to say, and were extremely satisfied with the product I had produced with the help of the guys. Looks like the whole plan will go ahead despite several concerns and our recce was the start point. A great job well done by E$%C.
So today was a whole new day and yet another task which required the 4 of us out on patrol. Our objective was to clear the route where Toast was killed by an IED. Our clearance was deliberate, safe and thorough. Half way down the route I got a hit in the ground outside the walls of the route. I investigated to find a sandbag filled with 2 4L jugs of 7.62 AK47 ammunition and 7 60mm mortars. Not a bad little ammo cache, so we prepped and got ready to BIP. Well, HQ gets on the horn and decides that we should salvage the ammo and give it to the Afghan security forces. Easy for them to say, they didn't have to carry it back. So, we destroyed the mortars and moved on. We didn't find anything else on the route so we pushed on to our next objective. A compound where it was thought a weapons cache was hidden. We moved intot the compound and began our search. Not long after we started, I cleared up to a piece of ground with some thatch over top of it. I moved the twigs outta the way and began sweeping the area. I thought at first it was simply reinforced concrete that was giving me a hit, but when I began my excavation I found it was soft dirt. I ended up uncovering a mortar filled with ball bearings and bolts and pulled it out of the ground. I continued to uncover the dirt and uncovered a 155mm round with detonation cord coming out the top of the fuze well. At this time I called HQ and asked if they would like me to continue. They decided to send EOD in and further exploit the site. We linked up with EOD shortly after at a crossroads and walked them into location. They continued the job I had started and ended up uncovering 15 155mm artillery shells, all packed with explosives and det cord coming from their fuze wells. They were prepped and ready to be dug into the roads where we frequently walk. This was a HUGE find and needless to say I am still pretty pumped about it. This means 15 less IEDs we have to worry about while we operate in the area. We got the okay to BIP it in the compound and waited for the ROZ to go hot. Myself, Bergeron, Costall, and Riley all perched on a rooftop about 50m away to watch the thing go up. Well, I'll be damned if that explosion did not register on the richter because the whole building we were standing on shook and quivered when it went up. After the dust settled a crack could be seen in the middle of the building we were on top of. The explosion rocked the area and sent debris flying everywhere. It was getting late and we had to get out of there. While exfiltrating the area a local approached and had a massive chunk of artillery shell in his hands. He was saying it landed in his compound and complaining. I'm sure he wasn't the only one who would find chunks of metal in their yard after this one. I mentioned that perhaps this guy was stalling us so his buddies could finish digging one in and we took off on that cue, leaving the old man wondering what we were doing. We made it back after a good 10 hour patrol and supper was served. What a day.
Rediger is back for a couple of days to help with the upcoming tasks, as well, we have now attached Spr Rider. So it'll be the 6 of us charging into Feb along with the good old Delta crew. Looks like the days ahead should be interesting.
The phone here lately has been acting funny and I haven't been able to call when I've had the time. Its frustrating but theres nothing I can do. I love you guys, and I love you sweetheart. You truly keep me going and I know you are here with me giving me strength from home. Til the next........out

Beautiful distraction

My apologies for not keeping you in the loop for the last week. We've been extremely busy with patrols and after every day I could not find the energy to post. Last night I fell asleep with my arm crooked and my hand on my cheek. The guys came in from shift and thought I was looking at a blank screen. The workload is gonna get a little less strenuous with the return of Bergeron and Riley. They got back on the ground today and I haven't really got the chance to talk to them about their vacations. Tomorrow is a relaxed day around here and I'll get the chance to catch up with not much going on. A few small scale tasks that should be done pretty quick.
We've got a few trees to chop down along the route that parallels our PH. They've been a visual impedence since our occupation and we can finally get rid of them. The locals will get the wood, but we'll have an open field of fire down the road. This particular stretch has been polluted with IEDs since we've arrived. It seems almost everyday there is a new one planted. This part of the road is crucial to our movement in and around the area and its about time we get good eyes on.
The patrols have been long range and a lot of work for the engineers. We're bringing the shotgun on patrol now for locked doors, and ole JTDollah has been busy blasting locks and kicking in doors. We pay the locals for new locks if we don't find anything. The shotgun is a handy tool and Dorner has decked his out with a custom sling that his Mom built. He told her to sew elastics about the size of her thumb all along the length of the sling and then paste an Iron Maiden sticker on it. Its pretty checked. Not much in the IED finds lately, however I talked with Yan today and he's plucked 3 out of the ground in as many days. These things are a menace. All around we're finding RPGs and munitions moving into the area. Another call sign stopped a vehicle the other day and found 25 RPGs in the trunk. It looks like its gonna be a haywire spring. I don't know if I've mentioned it but our PH is the furthest front on enemy lines. We patrol and have sets of eyes watching our movement from rooftops and from behind mud walls. It seems as though their very interseted in our movements and our SOPs. Go figure.
My Pashto vocabulary is expanding daily. I seem to get along with the locals in our area pretty well, however its hard to know who to trust and who your friends are. Who wants your help and who doesn't. The kids all holler "moustache" at me even without one, or "beard". They get a kick out of me trying to speak their language. Even the old guys get a chuckle out of it. I think Dorner has a pic of me wearing a locals hat, and the local wearing my helmet. It took me some convincing but I finally broke. Again, maybe he was just busting my balls, but he sure did get a kick out of it. He had his cigarette hanging out of his mouth like a soldier and was looking all hard. It was kinda funny.
So, ole Hawk is back home by now I reckon and should be back in mid to late Feb. We are 5 now and like I said this takes a lot of strain off hte patrolling. I never thought I could feel this stressed but its right there in the back of my head at all times. There is a tonne of things you need to be thinking about when you're outside of the confines of the PH. LIke where and where not to step, what to clear and what is just normal ground, rooftops and eyes watching, enemy movement, and where you're gonna fire from if contact occurs. At times in the middle of fields, there is nowhere to adopt a firing position. You find yourself thinking that you'll adopt the prone and fire from behind a small mound of dirt no more than 6 inches high. The mental aspect is worse than the physical. Our packs are heavy and at times a guy can get distracted at the weight on his back and forget about the threat environment. Sometimes I start daydreaming about Chandra at home and what you might be doing. I gotta snap out of it from time to time and remember what I'm doing. They're great distractions but very dangerous.
Well, time to unwind and enjoy a slower day tomorrow. Til the next..... out

IED crap shoot

The last few days have been a little hard on everyone. However, despite the loss of one of our guys, Bravo is now back and the platoon is right back into the fire. I can't really get into details but I can say there is a new approach around these parts that I think will have a productive outcome. We continue to patrol long into the day looking for insurgents, caches, and IEDs. Yesterday Alpha section was gone from 0800 until 1800 patrolling in, around and generally everywhere. Red and Disco were on this one. On their way back the ANA decided it was time for a break. This was around 1600. Well, I'll be damned if one of the ANA soldiers didn't scuff his foot across the ground when he went for a seat and uncovered a wire. Turns out, they were sitting right on top of a 155mm artillery shell all hooked up and ready to go. Red and Maddin pushed forward to investigate and they ended up uncovering a receiver, a battery pack, and a wire that extended for 100 meters. I'm not sure why it didn't go off, but I reckon it was incredibly lucky. They ended up dealing with it by blowing it in place. It sent a plume of smoke into the air which I could see from the rooftop of our PH. It is truly an IED crap shoot out here. Everyone here is motivated to get to the bottom of this persistent problem and we made significant progress today.
Our patrol left early this morning and was cut short. Dorner and I were attached to Bravo with MCpl Johnson leading his guys. Winthers was on point and talking to him later tonight, he mentioned that his ass was puckering around every corner. He was second in the order of march when Sgt. Faught got hit. Solid job on getting right back into it. This is what we do and this is whats expected. So we made it into the village and Capt Oneil began questioning a few locals standing around. We pushed on further and the last few guys in the patrol mentioned someone was shadowing our move through town. We stopped, turned around and questioned him. He wasn't making much sense so we GSRd his hands. Well, turns out, our Afghan shadow had HME all over his hands. Needless to say, off he went to a place where he gets 3 warm meals a day and a barrage of questioning. The kids all went crazy as we moved with him through town. His nieces were balling there eyes out. Meanwhile, about 500m away, the guys in the tower spotted a guy on his cell phone as we left for patrol. They thought nothing of it, until he gave the phone away as we approached. We passed right by him not knowing he was talking on a phone. Well, they went out and GSRd him as well. Turns out he had HME all over his hands too. So they GSRd the teen he gave his phone to. Guess what? Yep, they had traces of a certain acid used to make homemade detonators all over their hands. Busted. Off they went too. We then proceded to test everyone in the vicinity of the shop that sits in front of our PH. No more detainees, but it definitely sent a message.
Myself and Dorner have been working together for the past week or so, Red and Maddin made up the other fire team. Gonna switch it up in the next couple of days. Dorner will be working with Red (acting 2 IC) and I with Maddin. Looking ahead, all of us will be busy and patrolling non stop. We're looking to get a different type of explosive to try on the mud walls. Dorner and I were experimenting with det cord the other day, trying to see what amount is required to blow through a wall. Well, it took a lot of det cord and c-4 isn't always the best alternative. We requested an explosive with a lower velocity of detonation to see if it will heave the wall away, instead of violently blasting holes. Should be a good test and will let you know how it went.
I have a month to go until vacation. I am in need of one right about now. Riley should be back in the next little while, and Bergeron shortly after. The next to go is Maddin and he'll be off to Japan for saki and sushi and who knows what else. Sgt Fyffe ( Hawk) is still in Bela**** and nursing his ankle back to health. I've talked to him a few times and he's anxious to get back out here. Who could blame him? IEDs, insurgents, not to mention a plether of wells to go into.......He's on vacation in the week or so. Anyway, thats about it for now.......its starting to really warm up now in these parts and I think the winter is slowly making its way out......gonna be a hot spring in more ways than one........ until the next, out

Toast

It is with sadness, anger, frustration, and trepidation that I write this next blip. Sgt. Faught a.k.a "Toast" was a war horse and respected by all within this platoon and every other platoon in this battle group. It was by choice that he took point in every patrol, leading his section from the front. I would often find myself wondering, after patrolling well into and over 10km, how he dealt with his kit hanging languardly off his back and sides. I mean, everyone is uncomfortable on patrol after a long day, but it never seemed to bother him and he never complained. He just marched on, kit rubbing off his mid-thigh, often calling the chimos forward to check out a suspicious area. He was careful and deliberate and unfortunately this country took him and his dreams for the future away. He mentioned after tour, and once retiring, that he was to open a pub somewhere in Ontario. Once in awhile, he'd have Winthers stop by and be a guest chef in his pubs kitchen. Winthers was always behind Toast in patrol and I feel for all of the section and htis platoon. Needless to say, we are angry at everything and want some form of retribution. Sadly, this is not how it works here and we will maintain our professionalism.
They were on their way back from a 5 hour patrol, about 700m away from the platoon house when the IED hit. Rediger and Maddin were on this one and they seem to be doing okay. They did their jobs ensuing the blast and got the good Sergeants body away in good time. They were on a well travelled footpath and I am certain the population knew what was waiting in the dirt for us. This is the sad reality. The people know, but are afraid of Taliban backlash if they cooperate.
Needless to say it was a sombre day yesterday and our heads were hung for most of it. There is no choice but to press forward and try to make this thing work. That is exactly what we're going to do. Faughts section is now in KAF for the ramp ceremony and should be back in a day or two. Not sure who will take the reigns, however his 2IC, MCpl Johnson is more than capable.
I often wondered why he took point on all of his patrols. He didn't for the first while, but began after a month in theater. Something in me says he did it just in case this sort of thing happened. I don't know forsure, but I can see it in him to do something like that. The man spent his whole career on tour in foreign war zones, I think he had 9 in total. He was ready for retirement and was prepared to come back in 2011.....respect. He did not suffer and died a soldiers death. On his two feet, in a foreign country, serving the flag that he fights for. I'll throw a box on the fire for you tonight Toast.........out

Don Moustache

The sun is just starting to set in this part of the world, which means one more day through, and one day closer to you. Another day full of explosions and IED finds. It wasn't long after we stepped off when the first of six blasts rocked our area. Half the time we have no idea what it was or where its coming from. I guess you could say, if it wasn't threatening us, then we just carry on with our mission. We pushed south this morning, varying our routes as always, and found ourselves on the edge of the Red Desert. This stretch of sand spans from Pakistan to Iran, and its commonly known that insurgents use it as a transit for explosives and weapons. I have yet to step foot into it, and don't know if I ever will. I may one day soon enough fly through its stratosphere, but until then I reckon we can leave it to the Bedouin and insurgents.
Capt Oneil (Pl Cmd) is back from leave and put his boots back on the ground today. We did about 15km crescenting our area and pushing back north. In one compound we came across yet another UXO and took care of it, this time in fine Red Dragon fashion. JT Dollah had his camera in hand as we nailed the flag to the wall, shout out to Ellis, and popped smoke. Then transition to me, with my back to the bomb, flinching as I wait for the blast, expecting a chunk of frag to take me in the back. You'd think this place is dangerous enough without standing 30m from a bomb going off, yet there I was, for the sake of the camera. Maybe I won't do that again. Word came over the net a few minutes later, that the platton Yan is attatched to found 2 IEDs in our town, in the culverts. IRF (immediate response force) spooled up and found another 2 more on their way to the site. I am more than impressed at our ability to find these things before they hurt anyone. As of late, more and more locals are stepping on them, or driving over top. I reckon the Taliban have stopped letting everyone know where they are due to this increase.
The kids in the area have started calling me Breitawalla, the terp, as well as the ANA. They holler it at me as I walk by and I can't help but smile. This thing is outta control. I'm waiting fo rthe jacking that I'm gonna get one of these days, but until then I will be known as the "moustache." We've managed to dodge the haircut bullet out here, citing poor hygeine as a reason for our defiance of dress and deportment. Unitl we get proper Barbisil and haircutting tools, we stand united. It looks as though its worked, as the wings that extend from under my hat remain unscathed.
Rediger and Maddin were out yesterday patrolling out in the area. They are both doing fine, and working hard. I reckon Maddin is learning more and more each day he spends with Red. Before, I was very concerned that he may not return with all of his appendages, however he looks like he's getting the hang of the power tools. Red is a good teacher and has accomplished a lot of projects since his return. Stairs are the next big job, as well as a bridge for the locals. Initially, SIMIC was suppose to build the damn thing, but they've long since left and noone knows when they'll return. Ole Hawk is still in, well, further east, and is expected back in mid Feb. He goes on leave shortly, and if you're reading this Hawk, you are not E**C on the radio. I am E**C. You are not E**A, Capt Hachey is E**A. You are E13Fyffe, this is your new callsign. Use it accordingly....hahahha........see ya in a couple........
I hope everyone is starting off the new year great in Canada and everyone is healthy. I think about home all of the time and the good times ahead. Love you guys........out

my ankle is Fyffed

Another gate OP, another hour of pure paranoia. That was last night, but the hour went by quickly. Through my night vision I could see the halo of a car approaching from the south. It parked, I heard a door shut and minutes later a fire burning just over the wall where the biggest threat is assumed to present itself. I thought forsure I was getting shot at in the minutes that ensued. I had it all planned out, however it would have not been pretty. You see, earlier in the day I Fyffed it and rolled my ankle on a stone jutting out of the road we were building a fence on. I immediately started sweating and got light headed for a few minutes. It wasn't until later last night when it stiffened up, I realized how bad it was. At any rate, I'll get it wrapped and carry on. So my plan was, once the bullets started flying, to fall to the ground, and roll over to a chunk of wall offering protection. There would be no running in this scenario. But, thankfully the bullets never flew and my shift ended without incident.

We've accomplished a lot over the last few days. If the engineers aren't on patrol we've been hammering away at various projects around the platoon house. The gravel has finally arrived and now we are waiting on heavy equipment to spread it for us. The fence we built offers a bit of stand off in the event of a suicide bomber driving into our walls. This is a serious threat right now. While we were building it, the local kids were perched on the side of the road saying "Breitawalla." So I started saying it back in an exagerated tone and it went back and forth like that for the rest of the build, tongues rolling and everything. I asked the interpreter what it meant to which he replied "moustache." Hahaha.... They were saying other more slanderous remarks to the other guys providing security for us but I won't get into that.

It's the four of us right now. Dorner, Rediger, Maddin is what we've diminished to because of HLTA and ole Hawks demised ankle. I talked to him yesterday and he's eager to get back out with us. It looks like that will happen in mid Feb as he's going home in late Jan. His ankle should be back together by then. Riley is off to Thailand, Blencowe (Stink) is going back home, as well as Bergeron. We should all be back by mid March.

The patrolling continues and the kilometers are adding up. We spend all day roaming the streets and checking things out. The other day we came across an Afghani scared shitless. Not of anything other than our presence. We questioned him and his buddies were making excuses for him. This, after we had credible int. that there were Taliban in the area and were equipped with an RCIED ( remote control). I never have seen an Afghan sweat like this guy was. He was biting and fidgeting with his fingers and I thought forsure we had one of them. Well, it turns out, the powers that were on this particular patrol decided not to GSR him and let him carry on his daily routine. I hope I get a chance to see this guy again. I snapped a pic of him and we moved on. Rediger and Maddin are out on patrol as I type this. We started calling Maddin "Dis­co" because he always has his earphones in and I guess we've envisioned him bobbin his head and groovin when he's sweeping for mines/IEDs. Maddins a tall, lanky fella who enjoys the heavy bass beat of dance music and such, so I reckon its a fitting name for him. Rediger has proved himself invaluable to the section. His construction background is a huge boost when framing structure and in planning future builds. We call him Red, aptly.
Dorner and I venture out sometime later and lets just say we'll be packing our warm kit. Gonna be one of those again. *&^%. Oh yeah, I guess I should mention Dorners nickname. JTDollah. I dunno.
I should throw out a big thank you to the ANA. The guys were all sandbaggin yesterday and probably really tired of it by completion of a wall. Then the ANA, out of nowhere came screaming into our wall in their Ford Ranger. There goes the wall, there goes the piss point, here comes more sandbagging. Apparently, they were teaching one of their new guys to drive, and evidently the training circuit ran threw one of our walls. Again, thank you idiot. Relations with the crew next door are spotty at best thus far. They have refused to patrol with us until we provide them with power. Needless to say, we've been patrolling without them. It's up to their chain of command to provide them with basic necessities. For the most part they are good to go, or I should say whenever Mohammed wills them to go. At times they become somewhat of a liability, for example, starting a huge bonfire in known Taliban territory at 0300 in the a.m. in the middle of an open field. Uhhhhhh.... not cool? At any rate, they're learning but stubborn.
Today is pretty quiet for me. Nice to sit on my arse for a change and rest this daft ankle. Later, I reckon I'll be asking the guy up top for a little strength to push me forward and guide my feet. Til the next....peace