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
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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...