thedrifter
09-03-07, 11:23 AM
31 August 2007
Still A Gunfight
Badger Six over at Badgers Forward
0600 Tuesday - computer booting, coffee ground and brewing, into the the TOC - what happened over night? The board that was so often blank, filled with five events and a sixth being written.
"What? Did First decide they need to make up for doing Convoy Security the first part of this rotation?"
"I guess so, Sir," replied one of the Battle NCOs.
"So what do we have?"
"Six finds , Sir. One with det."
The battle NCO using our slang indicates one detonated while being interrogated.
"Anyone hurt?" The answer should be "no" as they should have woken me if someone was hurt, but it is a reflexive question.
"No Sir."
"Good. Keep me informed."
"Roger that."
I check both my .mil emails. Nothing else remarkable going on here in western Iraq. I reflect though as I walk back to my room; we are still in a gunfight.
IM with Mrs. Badger 6, get dressed and then off to the DFAC for breakfast.
Back in to the TOC just after 0800 to get ready for the morning meeting.
"They found another one Sir."
"What? Are they going for the record?"
I study the list of ordnance. This is not small stuff. We knew they were crawling around out there. We are back in familiar territory too. An area we are are always ready to extract a little bit more from the enemy.
"Oh, and they have a detainee."
"What are they doing? Why don't they let the landowner take care of that? Send them a message and find out what is going on."
"Roger that."
If they really have captured a trigger-man, I admire their pluck, but that is not really what we are set up to do. I have a thousand different questions about that, and I know that my boss will have a thousand more. We need to find out what is going on.
No more news from them and its time to go to the morning meeting. I depart Badger Main, make the left turn down the boardwalk and follow it down and to the right, crossing the street to Task Force Headquarters.
Up the stairs and to the left I walk down the long hall, past the Task Force Conference Room and into the main Battle TOC. I finish double checking the status Task Force has for Team Badger. Seeing that it all matches I get ready to wait.
"Badger 6," calls the Battle Captain, setting down the phone, "First was just attacked."
I grab the phone and call Badger Main.
"Badger Main, how can I help you sir?"
"It's Badger 6, what's up?"
"First was just attacked, not reporting any injuries. Evaluating the vehicle right now."
"Roger. Back in a little bit."
The meeting starts and when it gets to me I give my report. Eight events since the patrol left at 2300 the night before. Questions about the detainee and the attack all of which my only reply is "I'll find out and get back to you Sir."
Done, we are back at Badger Main. It turns out the detainee has been taken in by the landowner, we just helped spot him. I also receive word that his buddies have met their end courtesy of a 500 pound bomb dropped by Blue Air. The damaged vehicle has had minor repairs made and is moving again.
Three more finds. One with det. It's lunch time. So strange. Going or not going to lunch will not make a difference to the mission. How can I be so detached? We have had eleven events, three of them have gone off. I vow to make it quick.
It's still a gunfight up there.
Back from lunch they have found another. Twelve events. They have tied the mission record for Team Badger. In a far shorter time and in a much smaller area than the previous one.
The minutes tick by as they creep along. After 1400 another message comes in. Another attack. Two events. They have unconscious personnel and they need MEDEVAC. I grab the secure line and call the local landowner.
"Hey, it's Badger 6. Just got a message from Badger 1. They need MEDEVAC."
"We copied that. The blades are turning."
"Roger. Thanks. You get anything call me."
"Will do. Same back there."
"Roger. Out."
The next 90 minutes are very long. There are many questions about what is happening, but first and foremost in my mind is the evacuated men. How are they? Where are they going? I also need to know about the equipment and the rest of the patrol, but for now I decide to let my leaders on the ground evaluate and make the decisions they need to and then ask questions.
Soon the message comes that they no longer have the equipment to continue the patrol and will need help recovering equipment.
The recovery mission is quickly spun up and ready to go. The remainder of the original patrol is now cut off from the damaged vehicle. They have to turn around and go back the way they came. They are half way back to the main road when they find another one. Must have been put in behind them. Fifteen events. A new record.
Soon they are on the main road and quickly back on the camp. It's almost 1800. Not the longest mission, but long and busy enough. By this time I have talked to the Combat Support Hospitals. The evaced Soldiers are in relatively good shape, they were knocked out by the blasts but other than that there were no further injuries. I have had enough Soldiers sent home because of blasts and concussions, its not minor. But it could be far worse.
The have left a security force from the landowner watches over the damaged vehicle as Badger 2 leads recovery efforts. They find one and are attacked with no serious damage to a vehicle. They move up the road very slowly and recover the damaged vehicle. They are back finally by 0530 the next morning.
Team Badger had seventeen events with the items we hunt in a nine-square-kilometer area over a 24-hour period.
A day later I receive a report form one of the landowners in that area. It includes all the details of the cell we helped root out out including a visual of a sniper's work on one of the bad guys.
Seventeen events; only one which did any real damage; evaced Soldiers who will live to fight another day, six dead terrorists; and a pretty clear road.
Badger 1 and Badger 2 did fantastic jobs out there once again proving their mettle, but as I keep telling them - -
It's Still a Gunfight.
Ellie
Still A Gunfight
Badger Six over at Badgers Forward
0600 Tuesday - computer booting, coffee ground and brewing, into the the TOC - what happened over night? The board that was so often blank, filled with five events and a sixth being written.
"What? Did First decide they need to make up for doing Convoy Security the first part of this rotation?"
"I guess so, Sir," replied one of the Battle NCOs.
"So what do we have?"
"Six finds , Sir. One with det."
The battle NCO using our slang indicates one detonated while being interrogated.
"Anyone hurt?" The answer should be "no" as they should have woken me if someone was hurt, but it is a reflexive question.
"No Sir."
"Good. Keep me informed."
"Roger that."
I check both my .mil emails. Nothing else remarkable going on here in western Iraq. I reflect though as I walk back to my room; we are still in a gunfight.
IM with Mrs. Badger 6, get dressed and then off to the DFAC for breakfast.
Back in to the TOC just after 0800 to get ready for the morning meeting.
"They found another one Sir."
"What? Are they going for the record?"
I study the list of ordnance. This is not small stuff. We knew they were crawling around out there. We are back in familiar territory too. An area we are are always ready to extract a little bit more from the enemy.
"Oh, and they have a detainee."
"What are they doing? Why don't they let the landowner take care of that? Send them a message and find out what is going on."
"Roger that."
If they really have captured a trigger-man, I admire their pluck, but that is not really what we are set up to do. I have a thousand different questions about that, and I know that my boss will have a thousand more. We need to find out what is going on.
No more news from them and its time to go to the morning meeting. I depart Badger Main, make the left turn down the boardwalk and follow it down and to the right, crossing the street to Task Force Headquarters.
Up the stairs and to the left I walk down the long hall, past the Task Force Conference Room and into the main Battle TOC. I finish double checking the status Task Force has for Team Badger. Seeing that it all matches I get ready to wait.
"Badger 6," calls the Battle Captain, setting down the phone, "First was just attacked."
I grab the phone and call Badger Main.
"Badger Main, how can I help you sir?"
"It's Badger 6, what's up?"
"First was just attacked, not reporting any injuries. Evaluating the vehicle right now."
"Roger. Back in a little bit."
The meeting starts and when it gets to me I give my report. Eight events since the patrol left at 2300 the night before. Questions about the detainee and the attack all of which my only reply is "I'll find out and get back to you Sir."
Done, we are back at Badger Main. It turns out the detainee has been taken in by the landowner, we just helped spot him. I also receive word that his buddies have met their end courtesy of a 500 pound bomb dropped by Blue Air. The damaged vehicle has had minor repairs made and is moving again.
Three more finds. One with det. It's lunch time. So strange. Going or not going to lunch will not make a difference to the mission. How can I be so detached? We have had eleven events, three of them have gone off. I vow to make it quick.
It's still a gunfight up there.
Back from lunch they have found another. Twelve events. They have tied the mission record for Team Badger. In a far shorter time and in a much smaller area than the previous one.
The minutes tick by as they creep along. After 1400 another message comes in. Another attack. Two events. They have unconscious personnel and they need MEDEVAC. I grab the secure line and call the local landowner.
"Hey, it's Badger 6. Just got a message from Badger 1. They need MEDEVAC."
"We copied that. The blades are turning."
"Roger. Thanks. You get anything call me."
"Will do. Same back there."
"Roger. Out."
The next 90 minutes are very long. There are many questions about what is happening, but first and foremost in my mind is the evacuated men. How are they? Where are they going? I also need to know about the equipment and the rest of the patrol, but for now I decide to let my leaders on the ground evaluate and make the decisions they need to and then ask questions.
Soon the message comes that they no longer have the equipment to continue the patrol and will need help recovering equipment.
The recovery mission is quickly spun up and ready to go. The remainder of the original patrol is now cut off from the damaged vehicle. They have to turn around and go back the way they came. They are half way back to the main road when they find another one. Must have been put in behind them. Fifteen events. A new record.
Soon they are on the main road and quickly back on the camp. It's almost 1800. Not the longest mission, but long and busy enough. By this time I have talked to the Combat Support Hospitals. The evaced Soldiers are in relatively good shape, they were knocked out by the blasts but other than that there were no further injuries. I have had enough Soldiers sent home because of blasts and concussions, its not minor. But it could be far worse.
The have left a security force from the landowner watches over the damaged vehicle as Badger 2 leads recovery efforts. They find one and are attacked with no serious damage to a vehicle. They move up the road very slowly and recover the damaged vehicle. They are back finally by 0530 the next morning.
Team Badger had seventeen events with the items we hunt in a nine-square-kilometer area over a 24-hour period.
A day later I receive a report form one of the landowners in that area. It includes all the details of the cell we helped root out out including a visual of a sniper's work on one of the bad guys.
Seventeen events; only one which did any real damage; evaced Soldiers who will live to fight another day, six dead terrorists; and a pretty clear road.
Badger 1 and Badger 2 did fantastic jobs out there once again proving their mettle, but as I keep telling them - -
It's Still a Gunfight.
Ellie