On Christmas day of 2009 during a return convoy from Bagram, Afghanistan the communications rang out "Oh s---! I just hit a guy, we need a medic! We need a medic!" That statement was the start of a very emotional day for many everyone involved in the event. The vivid picture of the surroundings that is fired into an individual's brain after an event like that has just taken place will remain with everyone involved on that beautiful day in December. .
It all started out as a routine that took place prior to any convoy that rolled outside the gate on a mission; breakfast, convoy brief, checking gear, and arming our weapons. "Alright everyone lets round up and roll out." stated SFC Collier after all the checks were accomplished. As we exited the gate heading back to Camp Eggers I had a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach and couldn't pinpoint why. As the convoy was progressing on the planned route, we had already passed thru a few villages with no issues so complacency started to kick in. As the unit started to come into a town named Bagrami that peculiar feeling had returned but since we hadn't had any problems up to this point I moved past it and kept my eyes on the road. All of a sudden while in between two buildings that looked to be like some type of market, you hear the radio chatter start and smoke rolling off of the tires from a couple of trucks up ahead. After realizing the events that had just taken place, all the personnel on the mission stepped up the security while the casualty was cleared of any explosive devices or weapons. .
Once determined that the individual did not have any lethal weapons the pace changed to setting up for an ambush. During the time that combat medic was stabilizing the casualty while everyone else on the trip was scanning the roof tops and surrounding areas, out of the corner of my eye I caught the glimpse of a beat up car that was coming towards me so I yelled "STOP!" the driver did not adhere to my commands.
In the morning his face was of a fine florid hue, but after twelve o"clock, meridian time - his dinner hour - it blazed like a grate full of hot christmas coals, and it continued to blaze a red Page 5 hot glow until it was time to go home for the day. ... He made an unpleasnt racket with his chair; spilled his sandbox; in mending hes pans, impatiently split them all into pieces andthrew them on the floor. ...
