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20AUG20051915Z
Long ass day today. Our usually boring resupply mission to FOB Speicher brought us all back to reality as our trail vehicle was hit with an IED placed right at the exit of the base. I was lucky enough to be in the gunners hatch in the first vehicle, but I was worried about Blakeslee, because I knew he was bringing up the rear of the convoy today. I was ordered to keep moving to advance out of the kill zone until we received some sort of communication from Chris in the trail vehicle. Thank god it didn't take long before his panicked voice came over the radio to "get the fuck out of here" and confirm that nobody has been injured, but doubted his vehicle would survive the trip back to Brassfield-Mora. We continued down MSR Tampa for about a mile before setting up a perimeter so we could hook up Blakeslee's vehicle to be towed back to back. Needless to say, we made it back without further incident, but it pisses me off that I didn't see the IED when I passed it just seconds earlier, it almost cost my best friend his life.
Back on the base, I learned I had to supplement 3rd platoon on Guard Duty tonight, and would be spending my night at the Front Gate Tower, instead of sleeping or making my way to the computer center. The latter didn't matter so much, as we were still on a communications blackout from PFC Fuhrman (RIP Ray) and his crew, as the Battalion Commander has yet to make up a story about their death and release it to the press. So I spent my hour of downtime making my journal entry today, for lack of any better options. I haven't called home in 10 days now, and I'm starting to miss the voices of my family, and getting sick of the voices of SSG Tucker and SGT Rod. I just keep telling myself, 9 months down, 3 to go.
Long ass day today. Our usually boring resupply mission to FOB Speicher brought us all back to reality as our trail vehicle was hit with an IED placed right at the exit of the base. I was lucky enough to be in the gunners hatch in the first vehicle, but I was worried about Blakeslee, because I knew he was bringing up the rear of the convoy today. I was ordered to keep moving to advance out of the kill zone until we received some sort of communication from Chris in the trail vehicle. Thank god it didn't take long before his panicked voice came over the radio to "get the fuck out of here" and confirm that nobody has been injured, but doubted his vehicle would survive the trip back to Brassfield-Mora. We continued down MSR Tampa for about a mile before setting up a perimeter so we could hook up Blakeslee's vehicle to be towed back to back. Needless to say, we made it back without further incident, but it pisses me off that I didn't see the IED when I passed it just seconds earlier, it almost cost my best friend his life.
Back on the base, I learned I had to supplement 3rd platoon on Guard Duty tonight, and would be spending my night at the Front Gate Tower, instead of sleeping or making my way to the computer center. The latter didn't matter so much, as we were still on a communications blackout from PFC Fuhrman (RIP Ray) and his crew, as the Battalion Commander has yet to make up a story about their death and release it to the press. So I spent my hour of downtime making my journal entry today, for lack of any better options. I haven't called home in 10 days now, and I'm starting to miss the voices of my family, and getting sick of the voices of SSG Tucker and SGT Rod. I just keep telling myself, 9 months down, 3 to go.
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