The other war
The other war: note from a buddy in Afghanistan the evening after an attack on Bagram Air Base:
All,
I'm OK.
I'm not really thinking straight right now, I'm very tired as I spent the day in a bunker when I would normally be sleeping. Then couldn't sleep due to being all amped up - I got maybe an hour or so. They said they'd let us nap tonight at work but I have too much on my plate to even think of that.
Everyone was impressed with how I handled the attack. My LT and I were at the post office (buddy system we call being a wingman) on Camp Cunningham so he could mail a package before bedtime when shit hit the fan. We were isolated from our unit and our emergency rally point. I was maybe a mile from the attack, and not far at all from where Cheney was. I was about a quarter or half mile from my assigned bunker in Camp Dragon.
Hearing a real-world alarm red (attack in progress) come over the PA system changes any desire to go to your assigned bunker when there's another one right next to you. Anyway, the bunker I was in was ankle deep in water and crowded. As I'm a combat communications guy I got to do a lot of "communicating" for personell acountability for the 25 or so of us in the bunker.
You'll be happy to know that the training payed off and kicked in immediately. Although I'm not sure if I heard the bomb or not (I hear bombs all day every day and am completely numb to it) the rest of the noise was phenominal. The F-15's immediately did a "show of force" with lots of high-speed, low level fly-by's that probably scared us more than the attackers.
Most of the casualties and dead are local children who hang out at the gate area to beg from the truckers as well as the soldiers who go out to escort the truckers on base.
So, now I'm at work as usual, up to my ankles in mud. My life at least goes on. I'm sure we will have a "Fallen Comrade" parade in the next few days.
Until then, there is no water on base for the toilets because all of it gets trucked in - and we are locked down.
Take care,
Todd
All,
I'm OK.
I'm not really thinking straight right now, I'm very tired as I spent the day in a bunker when I would normally be sleeping. Then couldn't sleep due to being all amped up - I got maybe an hour or so. They said they'd let us nap tonight at work but I have too much on my plate to even think of that.
Everyone was impressed with how I handled the attack. My LT and I were at the post office (buddy system we call being a wingman) on Camp Cunningham so he could mail a package before bedtime when shit hit the fan. We were isolated from our unit and our emergency rally point. I was maybe a mile from the attack, and not far at all from where Cheney was. I was about a quarter or half mile from my assigned bunker in Camp Dragon.
Hearing a real-world alarm red (attack in progress) come over the PA system changes any desire to go to your assigned bunker when there's another one right next to you. Anyway, the bunker I was in was ankle deep in water and crowded. As I'm a combat communications guy I got to do a lot of "communicating" for personell acountability for the 25 or so of us in the bunker.
You'll be happy to know that the training payed off and kicked in immediately. Although I'm not sure if I heard the bomb or not (I hear bombs all day every day and am completely numb to it) the rest of the noise was phenominal. The F-15's immediately did a "show of force" with lots of high-speed, low level fly-by's that probably scared us more than the attackers.
Most of the casualties and dead are local children who hang out at the gate area to beg from the truckers as well as the soldiers who go out to escort the truckers on base.
So, now I'm at work as usual, up to my ankles in mud. My life at least goes on. I'm sure we will have a "Fallen Comrade" parade in the next few days.
Until then, there is no water on base for the toilets because all of it gets trucked in - and we are locked down.
Take care,
Todd
posted by KAB at 9:04 AM
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