It's been 37 days since I left Germany for Wisconsin. 37 days, and today is my last here. It has certainly been an experience, and one I needed to prepare me for the coming months; but I can honestly say that once I leave here, I will probably not look back.
I'll be leaving here tomorrow, to fly to Chicago, and then back to Germany. It looks like I'll only be in Chicago for an hour and a half, but I'll be with some other Airmen flying back with me, so I won't get much personal time. That means you don't have to make the drive, since I'll probably stay with them inside the airport so as not to miss the plane. If you want to make it, we should arrive around 11:55am. If not, I'm okay with that. I'll call when I get to Chicago to let everyone know I made it...I'll do the same in Germany.
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I've already written about what I've been doing, much to the amusement of others. What I didn't write, I will now share:
- How I found myself -
The day at the FOB when we were practicing base defense (that's the FTX I wrote about, but never explained) I was assigned as security for the front gate, and the vehicle search area. Basically, when a vehicle drove in, we were to check the vehicle for explosives, and keep control of the driver until (s)he could be taken away and searched personally, then we searched the vehicle. Our mission was:
You are assigned duty at Forward Operating Base: BADGER. While there, you will provide security for the vehicle search team. SECURITY ALERT. The area around BADGER is home to known insurgents, including patronizers, suicide bombers, and snipers. You and your team must keep an eye out for anything suspicious, and deal with any threats according to base and AOR Rules of Engagement. Use of deadly force is authorized for those presenting an immediate threat to the lives of your team. Use discretion. OPERATION ALERT. Many insurgents have infiltrated the base using local national employees as information gatherers, or by posing as local contractors assigned to the base. Be sure to challenge any and every individual approaching your position, and make sure their credentials match the approved list (see attachment).
So that's what we got from the higher-ups. What we didn't know, was that the opposition force (Americans dressed up, acting and talking like Iraqi and Afghani locals) were told to "give it your best shot." We'd find out later what that meant.
So at first, we were pretty on edge, doing what we were told, and making sure we checked everyone. Then the fit hit the shan. Our interpreter (an actual Iraqi national) was called outside the gate by one of the OPFOR dressed as a woman. He left the compound, and returned a few minutes later. The gate security let him through because he was part of the team. As soon as he was within range, he blew up one of the guard towers with a simulated bomb vest. The scenario was; insurgents had kidnapped his daughter, and the "lady" that had come to the gate brought him the vest with a note saying that if he didn't wear the vest, and kill Americans along with himself, they would kill her after ... well, let's not get into that here. So he, acting like a protective father, did as he was told. He took out four of our people - killing one, and severely wounding the others. We called in the medical crew to take the wounded and dead away, and they said they'd be at our location in 15 minutes.
Since one of the guard towers was gone, some of the personnel and vehicle search team members were called on to provide gate security. Luckily, I was not in that number. Remember, the paperwork we received at the start of the day told us about the security threat outside the base. So about five minutes after the interpreter blew up the guard post, we started getting attacked (simulated bombing and rocket propelled grenades). They took out one of the security personnel who, had this been a REAL attack, would have been ripped in half. The problem was, when we heard an explosion, we were told to hit the ground, and if possible, evacuate the area at least 500 meters. That's quite a distance. So there I was, 600 meters away (just to be on the safe side) when I heard what I thought was the second (now primary) guard tower yelling something about there being a man down (we'd heard the "explosion and taken off as instructed, but had no idea that there was a casualty). Without thinking, I just reacted. Some might call it a lapse in judgement, but I ran. I ran past f my fellow Airmen (who had grouped together at the 500 meter line - they tell us groups are dangerous, that's why I was further back) and towards the gate. When I got there, the instructors (who were supposed to be invisible and silent) started shouting "There's a man hit, on the ground, what are you gonna do tower?!?" The tower people were scared, and lost it, they were yelling at each other, and not letting anyone else know what was going on (thus, we'd had no idea that there was another casualty). I don't know why I did it, I'd been warned in the letter that there were snipers in the area, but I ran out, weapon blazing, to the guard's position. I continued shooting at the treeline across the street (simulated city buildings) while getting a good position to take over for the downed guard. I called up to the tower that there was a man down, and I was taking fire (another instructor would shoot off blanks around me to simulate machine gun fire coming from the local area). The guard tower was still fighting, and not being much help - the instructors would later berate them for this, but we're not there yet. Back to me. Deciding it was too "hot" to maintain my security position, I started to run back to better cover (the only cover at the front guard area were concrete barriers about 3 feet high). Then something in my head clicked, and I remembered that an ambulatory crew was on it's way. So I grabbed the back of the fallen Airman's body armor, and pulled him away, occasionally shooting back towards the "town" to keep us both covered. When one of the other guards saw this, something in her clicked, and she ran up, and helped me pull the guard to a safer position. The ambulance showed up 3 minutes later, and the instructors halted training.
Here's what came from the After Action Report (a little what did we do wrong, what did we do right thing the Army is well known for...we did a lot of them in Korea) It's pretty much verbatim, since I was the scribe:
ITEMS TO IMPROVE:
1) Not checking the interpreter when he re-entered the gate. No matter who it is, always do a physical security check when ANYONE comes through the gate.
2) Something as harmless as a pack f cigarettes can be a disguised explosive. When searchers are looking through the vehicles, check everything. They spotted a decoy IED under the hood of one of the trucks, but missed the "smokes" bomb inside. Security would not have seen it, as it was on the floorboard.
3) Communication. If your position is hit, let others around you know what's going on. Don't sit there and argue about who's fault it was, or who's in charge now, get on the comm. and get the information out (it was because of this that the guard was hit).
4) QUIT YOUR BITCHING! If your position is hit, don't just yell and scream at each other, DO SOMETHING. You had a man down and bleeding to death, and someone from way the hell out in BFE had to come running in to save you a**holes. If he hadn't done that, we would have hit you guys again and again.
5) (this one was for me and only me) Security. If you're moving under fire to help out a buddy, throwing up a hail of bullets is good, but be careful where you're pointing. Remember that civilians also live in that "town" and they could get hurt. Also, popping a smoke grenade for concealment when you move is a good idea.
6) Medical team. This wasn't your fault, really, but get all the information before you enter a hot zone (meaning an area still receiving fire). The tower SHOULD HAVE called you to update you that another person was down, and that they were under fire, but THEY were too busy BITCHING AT EACH OTHER to get on the horn.
ITEMS TO REPLICATE:
1) Personnel Search. Good job with your detainees. Remember that only guys can search guys, and only females can search females.
2) Casualties, great job playing dead or injured. Scream, yell, make noise. People that are hurt don't just sit there and say, "I'm hit."
The next one is word for word what the two instructors said to me - I didn't write it down like that, but I remember it vividly.
3) IN1: Security. Where's the guy that came running? Oh it's you. How far back were you when you came running up to the front.
me: back about 200 meters from the safe zone.
IN2: And how did you know to come running?
me: I heard the tower yelling something about a man being down, and since I was a security detail, I thought I was supposed to.
IN1: (looking at the two in tower 2) That WASN'T the tower, that was us.
IN2: Still, that was good, way to be there for your team.
IN1: Did anyone else see him running up and think, maybe I should be doing the same? Who else was on security (hands reluctantly go up). Where were you guys?
Airman: I thought we were supposed to stay where it was safe.
IN1: Now that's a good point.
IN2: But when you saw your battle buddy, excuse me, wingman, running up, did any of you think to ask him why, or to see what it was about (No answer).
IN1:(looking back at me) So when you got up here, what did you see?
me: I looked over and saw that Airman (name withheld) was down, and there was no security at the front gate, so I ran up and took his position. Sorry about the random firing, but I guess I was thinking about covering myself, and not about the "town."
IN2: I wouldn't worry too much about that. You know now. It's better to make the little mistakes here, so you don't make them downrange, right?
me: Yes Sergeant.
IN1: Now for all of you that (yelling)COULDN'T SEE, THIS (looks at my sleeve, then asks me) Sergeant, right?
me: Yes.
IN1: (yelling) THIS SERGEANT NOT ONLY RAN UP FROM A GOOD DISTANCE AWAY TO PROVIDE SECURITY WHEN HE HEARD SECURITY WAS DOWN. BUT WHAT DID YOU DO NEXT SERGEANT?
me: I returned fire?
IN2: After that. What about your injured guard?
me: I grabbed him and tried to get him to safety. Then Airman (name withheld) ran up and helped out.
IN1: (still in yelling mode) HE PICKED UP A FALLEN COMRADE UNDER FIRE AND BROUGHT HIM BACK TO SAFETY.
me: With help.
IN1: With help.
IN2: That's the kind of NCO's we like to work with. That's the kind of NCO's that make a decision that can be the difference between life and death. (To me) What's your job? Are you military police?
me: I'm a broadcaster. I work for AFN. I'm a cameraman.
IN1: AFN?!? You work at AFN? Man!
IN2: I've known some seasoned Infantry NCO's that wouldn't have done what he did.
IN1: Yeah. That's a good job there, Sergeant.
me: Thanks.
Later on, I got to talk to the two instructors, and found out that they both just returned from their second deployments to Iraq, that they're Airborne, and that they've seen some serious stuff during their time in country. These guys are National Guard, so playing Army is only a part time gig for them, but for them to tell me all they did, and compliment me on how I acted meant a lot. We talked more about what it's like over there (it felt like I was interviewing them at one point because I had a lot of questions), but our group had to return to the FOB for the end of the day.
So that's the story of how I "found" myself during training. I realize that it was only a simulated event, and that things might (and probably will) be different if there are real bullets flying. Either way, it's good to know that I did something right in the eyes of the guys that have "been there, done that."
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Below you'll find three photos.
The first is from our fourth day at the FOB, after I went to the dentist about the abscesses above my tooth. If you look real close, you can see the braces I had put on before I got here. The second is from the day after the dentist removed my tooth. And the third is the day I got my new tooth. It's a Maryland Bridge (whatever that means).
Night Time @ FOB Freedom
The Tooflesssss Wondther (spelled the way I said it)
Able to smile (and speak) again.
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ULI
