9/01/06

We received terrible news again. Another soldier on our camp lost his life to an IED out on patrol. There are those I can't console, it hurts I can't do anything to help them with their pain, other than listen to their personal stories of him..
..dammit...

I wrote this entry below 2 days ago and decided to send it anyway, the last few days have really sucked.

Last night lady luck was on our side. Around 2100 hours our early warning system, (they call it the "Big Voice" which sounds sacrilegious and alittle Big Brother at the same time), announced "INCOMING" and about 3 seconds later, (long enough to do what??), there was very loud boom, very close to where we work.

Everyone scrambled to the bunkers, and after the "all clear" came over the radio we walked our immediate area to inspect for any damage.

After turning the corner on our tent, we noticed that where we have many conex's, (shipping containers), one was billowing smoke. As we walked around to the side that was smoking, we observed a rather large hole where a rocket had hit it. Operations was called out, and after emptying the contents of the conex, they retrieved fragments that were left of the rocket for the analysis they do of weapons used against us.

We can only surmise that they didn't like the contents of the conex anymore than we do. Because all they destroyed with their rocket...was a conex full of MRE's, (Meals Ready to Eat).

The attached pictures are of the conex, and of a happy worker, knowing that they weren't standing right there, when the rocket hit, and of the MRE's we were able to salvage. Which now have shrapnel embedded in them. They will have to be gone thru individually, to ensure they are...well...as much as they are....edible. Picture 1; Picture 2; Picture 3

Standing where it hit, we all just kind of looked around at each other, but no one really said anything. But you could see it in everyone's eyes. Damn that was close.

One doesn't think about this part of being here for too long though, you just continue on with the job. If you start to think about stuff like that here, it will make you nuts.

I spotted a soldier tonite that was standing with his head cocked to one side. After inquiring if his neck hurt, he told me his eardrum had been blown by an IED the day before, and it hurt less for some reason, if he cocked his head like that.

He told me they were on a convoy driving down the road, and no one saw anything lying in the road. These guys on patrol are always looking for ANYTHING, and I mean anything in...next to...driving down...walking down...hangin down by...(I think you get the idea)...the road, that could be hiding an IED.

Lord knows these insurgents have an outstanding R and D department when it comes to new ways to kill people with these IED's. If they could only focus this creativity somewhere else...

Anyway...on this convoy he said the reason that the IED wasn't spotted is because they had embedded the bomb in the concrete curb. He didn't know for sure if it was a painted foam piece or if they actually put the IED in the curb and plastered over it so all you saw was a normal curb.

Several vehicles in the convoy passed by this spot of the curb, and no one noticed anything before it was detonated right when his vehicle arrived at that point.

Luckily, other than his eardrum, (which may or may not heal), that was all anyone got hurt. Their vehicle on the other hand, was a total.
War or whatever you wanna call this sucks...

I will try to find a good story for the next time...ht