Greg Laffitte
April 23, 2008 11:07 am
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The network of roads in Southern Afghanistan are a crude conglomeration of rutted trails mixed with barely discernible camel paths. I know this because I have seen them from the air in a helicopter and have personally traveled over them in an “up-armored” military vehicle.
Some time ago, I happened to hitch a ride back to my home fire base in a tactical convoy made up of U.S. service personnel. I can’t tell you locations or unit designations due to operational concerns, but I can describe what it’s like to travel through this part of the country.
I was forward deployed as a medical augmentee to a location where insurgency activity had increased. Once the operation was over it was time to return to my home firebase. The weather was not cooperating, so instead of flying back in a helicopter, I found myself crammed in the back seat of an “up-armored” Humvee.
Most of you have seen television video from Iraq of Humvees blowing up when they hit IEDs, so I’m fairly certain you have an understanding of the type of vehicle I was riding in.
Humvees are extremely heavy and with the threat of roadside bombs being so common, additional armor plating has been added to afford the occupants greater protection. The doors are extremely heavy with thick glass so the simple act of opening and closing one can seriously hurt a hand or finger if you’re not careful.
Prior to deploying from Moody, I was required to go through Humvee “roll-over” training designed to acquaint me with the necessary skills to exit the vehicle should the need arise. The “roll-over” training device is a full-size mock-up of an actual Humvee, which is mounted on a frame. This permits the operator to roll the vehicle completely upside down.
IEDs produce powerful blasts which have resulted in numerous “roll-overs.” Understanding how to quickly exit the vehicle offers a higher degree of survivability. The first time the training device rolled over, I found myself suspended upside down with the shoulder strap stretched tightly across my throat!
It didn’t take long for me to figure out that next time I would not allow that to occur again. Wearing body armor and a helmet adds a considerable amount of weight to a person making it even much more difficult to release seatbelts for a rapid exit. The next “roll-over” training event went a whole lot better with a quick release and rapid exit of the “overturned” Humvee. My degree of confidence was now sufficient should the need arise in an actual combat scenario. Training never stops!
As we were preparing to depart our location for the return trip I was remembering all of the training I hade gone through making sure that I didn’t leave myself in a position that could compromise my exit.
The night sky was lit up with stars the likes I have never seen. The convoy moved slowly through washed-out river beds negotiating deep ruts and the occasional large hole. The diesel engine growled under the hood as it powered this heavily armed vehicle through incredibly rough terrain. Tactical driving at night through an insurgent-controlled piece of terrain dictated complete adherence to strict discipline. Coalition forces such as these control the night. We had the advantage and the Taliban knew it.
I couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of the night sky and the irony of the activity I was participating in. Without cultural lighting, I could easily pick out all of the usual constellations and could not remember a time when I had seen such astronomical brilliance.
Driving along at a moderate pace, I was informed by the driver that on a previous trip up to the “forward location,” they had come under fire by Taliban fighters hiding in the high ground along our current route of travel. Those insurgents had made a terrible mistake by underestimating the “fighting spirit” of this group of hardened veterans and immediately found themselves on the receiving end of overwhelming and pin-point accurate machine gun fire.
Tonight we were re-tracing the route where the fire-fight had occurred only a week earlier. I was clearly motivated to have my weapons locked and loaded at the very possibility that a repeat event might break out at any moment.
Combat operations generate a degree of stress for most people. Grown men have a way of dealing with the stresses of combat in a variety of ways, but the most notable coping strategy seems to be that of telling jokes and relating stories having to do with family. Here we were driving in the blackness of the night over IEDs suspected trails deep in Taliban territory not knowing what might happen next.
Along for the ride was a black lab “bomb” dog who was sleeping soundly in her handler’s lap. When she woke up, I slipped her a couple of pieces of beef jerky and a Pop-Tart but let’s keep that our little secret!
The convoy proceeded without incident through the blackness of the Southern Afghanistan night with guns loaded and hard charging Americans ready at the defense. We arrived at our destination five hours later with all of our personnel and didn’t receive a single incoming round.
I can’t remember a time when, as an American serviceman, I have ever felt as proud as I did that night. I was with your fathers, your brothers, your sons, your husbands, and your friends. That night I did not have to put my “roll-over” training to use. The Lord is my shepherd!
Thanks to all who have written to me!
Keep em’ coming
E-mail him at greg.laffitte@gmail.com
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