T.R. Hendricks

but their second will be out on the ready line with you. Do map recons. Walk them through the AO in detail, but then be prepared to take them out with you in the afternoon. You’ll depart at 1600 to escort Lancer 6 and his counterpart on their right seat. Evan…”
“I know. Propane. Zero eight.”
Addler grimaces at the interruption but pushes on. “Right. Reverse of Tom. Hit propane first thing. Oversee the morning distribution, then do your sector recon after. Only I want you leave three behind, not four.”
The Lieutenant looks at his commander quizzically. “Sir?”
“Turns out their first platoon had to leave their platoon sergeant behind. Came down with appendicitis while in Kuwait. They flew him out to Landstuhl so it’ll be a few weeks before he gets up here. On top of that their LT is pretty green as well, so their BC wants the acting platoon sergeant to shadow you and Sergeant Avers equally. Tomorrow he’ll ride in your truck.”

Evan already knows what’s coming. “What’s the acting’s name?”
The Captain pulls out his cargo book and flips towards the back. It takes a few moments, but then he finds it. “Scibbons.”
The laughs from the other guys overshadow his exclamation of, “Fuck!”
Captain Addler looks up, surprised but then he makes the connection. “That’s the guy I’m guessing?”
Evan grits his teeth and nods his head. “Yes Sir.”
“Well just remember what I said. You keep your people in line. Ignore any stupid rivalry nonsense and get the job done.” To the group. “Questions?” When there are none, he stands up from the table. “Alright. Night gents.”

Evan goes back to his part of the hall. He confirms the 0800 mission with his NCO’s,

NCOs = Non Commissioned Officers/ SAPI = Small Arms Protective Insert

and climbs into his own rack. It’s a little after midnight, but sleep doesn’t come for at least another hour, and then it is a restless sleep at that. His watch alarm chimes five hours later. Climbing down from the top bunk, he quietly opens his locker and grabs his hygiene kit. After shaving and baby wiping down, he’s back in the room suiting up into his DCUs. The blouse is so overused that permanent salt lines from all his sweating are embedded in the fabric. Bakersfield hefts his vest off the floor and slings it over a shoulder. The ammo, SAPI plates, grenades and various other pieces of gear net a little over seventy pounds. Putting his shoulder holster with his 9mm and the sling of his M4 over his other arm, the lieutenant grabs his helmet and makes his way out of the barracks to his waiting humvee. When he had been assigned as Bandit’s first platoon leader he arrived at the barracks all eager and excited. It was finally his turn to show what he was made of. To lead troops in combat. Finding Captain Addler in the CP, Evan introduced himself and asked where first platoon’s tanks were, because he was ready to take the fight to the enemy.

“I like that fire and motivation Bakersfield. Come this way.” Evan followed his new commander out the back door, where the Captain pointed to four humvees, one of which never even made it to the paint station back at Fort Hood and was still woodland green as opposed to desert tan. In that regard it was not unlike the vests they wore, woodland green camo over desert BDUs. Honestly, why camo up at all? “Here you are Lieutenant. Go take the fight to the enemy.” With a slap on the back the Captain left him there on the steps staring at the wheeled vehicles. Turns out second platoon was the only unit with tanks in the whole battalion, seeing as Bandit was actually attached to 2-5 Cav, an infantry battalion, for the duration of the deployment.

Trucks had their advantages. Brigade and battalion orders barred them from doing night patrols in the city, meaning they typically only conducted one patrol a day, thus avoiding most of the major engagements that took place after dark. They were more nimble than the Abrams and Bradleys, so they could get in and out of tighter spots, or to wherever they were needed quickly. Still, for every positive there was a negative. Certain missions were necessary for continued operations. Resupply runs, known as LOGPAC,

LOGPAC = Logistics Package/ BIAP = Baghdad International Airport

would have his platoon out all day driving from FOB to FOB. They would escort empty logistics vehicles to one base to pick up ammo, food, water, and then have to bring them back to another. They took soldiers to BIAP for their leave and picked others back up to return them to their units. They escorted the battalion commander or battalion XO to brigade headquarters and back. Hell they even drove the chaplain around so he could say Sunday mass at half a dozen locations. All this meant that they were on the roads. A lot. Definitively the place you did not want to be. Being on the roads meant being exposed to roadside bombs, and exposure to IEDs was Iraq’s Russian roulette. It wasn’t a matter of if. Tt was a matter of when you got hit and then, how badly.

And if you weren’t doing that you patrolled sector. Got rocks and profanity hurdled at you. Handed out propane because the locals were too crooked to do it themselves. Sucked up lakes of shit. This was Bakersfield’s war on terror.

Once he is done with his inspections of the vehicles Evan pulls out his cargo notebook and reviews his patrol notes from yesterday. Based off of that, he draws up a variation for today’s patrol. Essentially they completed the same tasks over and over and over, but the order had to constantly be changed to keep the enemy guessing. If they had a set routine the hadjis would figure it out in a day and be waiting for them, or worse, dig up the road in the night and leave them a surprise of wired artillery shells under the surface. IED’s are getting more and more sophisticated as time goes on. Rumor has it that the Iranians are to blame for that.

“Damn LT. I can still smell your boots.” This from Grayson, a Specialist from a rough part of Houston. He’s smart. Smarter than he likes to let on, and will make sergeant soon enough. Bakersfield agreed with Avers when he recommended putting him behind the 240

240 = M240 machine gun/ Inshallah = Arabic for “God Willing”

more often. It would get Grayson ready for a gunner’s position when they rotated back to Hood and inshallah, their tanks.

“Grayson shut the fuck up and check your gun,” the Lieutenant says half-heartedly as other members of his platoon begin to straggle out to their respective vehicles. His footwear had become something of an anecdote around the FOB, mainly because of the nickname he carries, LT Shitboots. In his first few solo patrols as platoon leader after his own left seat right seat transition with now XO Weischfelder, Evan had noticed something peculiar about the men’s behavior whenever they were dismounted and walking alongside or in front of the vehicles. They sometimes did that so that he could converse with the village elders who were out in front of their shops, homes, or mosques.

Every time they came up to a sewage lake, these battle hardened, eat iron and shit out steel tankers would tip toe around the edges. Unwilling to step anywhere close to the standing water that contained hefty amounts of human feces. Bakersfield would watch as they all gather around a narrow portion of the lake so that they can take turns jumping across without getting their feet dirty. Or climb over a makeshift bridge of corrugated tin or scrap timber. What they didn’t realize and what he saw immediately, was that if anyone ever rolled a single hand grenade or emptied a clip into their little gatherings, it would take out half the platoon in one shot. Tactically it was unsustainable. So when they got back in he informed his sergeants that they would need to maintain stricter formations while they were dismounted for just that purpose.

Soldiers are slick though. The next day they brought him to the biggest lake in their sector, some forty five or fifty yards wide, and more than a foot and a half at its deepest to call his bluff. Bakersfield didn’t flinch. He walked right through that fucker. Right into the center. Stood their calf deep in crap and adjusted their spacing as the rest of the men came across. Grumbling. Laughing. Admiring. True, his men still tended to stay to the edges, but they got the message. Don’t bunch up. Don’t present a target. Don’t get us fucking killed. The legend of Lieutenant Shitboots had been born.

Forty minutes before departure the vehicles turn over and slowly creep their way towards the FOB’s back gate that faces west to Sadr. There they get into the order of march and shut down again while everyone dismounts and gears up. Sergeant First Class Avers and his two section sergeants, Staff Sergeant Aviles and Staff Sergeant Coronado come over to his vehicle where he prepares to give the patrol brief. For routine missions like this he trusts them to conduct their own briefs with their crews before departure. They’ve all been working together so long that he trusts they won’t leave anything out. It’s only when they have to do a LOGPAC or some other mission where they are escorting vehicles outside of their platoon that Bakersfield does a full briefing to every member of the convoy gathered around his truck. This way he ensures everyone receives the same intel and instructions, since he’s the one giving the briefing.

Evan looks over Avers’ considerable shoulders to see Staff Sergeant Scibbons and the E-5 he elbowed during the meeting last night walking up to them. “Good Morning Sir, we riding with you today?”
“That’s correct Sergeant Scibbons. You’re in my truck. Your LT can ride with Sergeant Avers.”
“Oh it’s just us this morning Sir. The LT got pulled to assist with arrival inventories.”

Evan suppresses a grimace. They would be short a man in a truck for the patrol because of the last minute adjustment. It’s too late to get one of his guys he left behind at the barracks. “Alright then.” He does quick introductions and then rolls into his brief. “Propane distribution first. Four, you take your section and secure the back gate. Then split off to reinforce the front. Once we’re done there, we’ll head south down Aeros and work our way back up Alpha into the center of sector. A couple of stops, and then we’ll bounce up into Square Town. Spend some time there and then roll quick through Triangle Town. That should bring us to right about four hours and cover most of the sector. Questions?” His noncoms shake their heads. This is straight forward stuff for them. “Alright, go brief your crews. Departure in five.”

The sergeants walk away and Scibbons’ mouth drops open. He looks back and forth at everyone leaving. Evan catches it, expecting as much. “Just so you guys know, we have set missions that have warnos and op-ords

OPORD = Operations Order

established. All of the radio frequencies, actions on contact, mission load outs, everything are contained within and have been given and executed hundreds of times. After I get our assignment each night I give the corresponding order and everyone sets up accordingly. This way we max our efficiencies and make the most out of our timelines. The only thing left to do is give the patrol layout so that we vary our pattern each day and keep the hadjis guessing.”

“I was gonna say Sir. I hoped it was something like that, because what you just did was about the most bare bones thing I’ve ever seen.” The E-5 shoots a glance at his acting platoon sergeant and the looks back at the Lieutenant.

Evan looks at him in return and then back at Scibbons. It’s going to be a long patrol. “Yeah. Well you’ll see that once you get this far into your rotation, you’ll be a well-oiled machine. Makes giving the full version redundant and counterproductive. Your men will tune out seeing that they’ve heard it three hundred times or more. This way I keep my people focused on the key tasks and locations. You guys should consider doing the same or something similar. Now let’s mount up.” He looks at the elastic band on the E-5’s helmet, reading the name tape sewn there. “Sergeant Conway, you ride with Sergeant Avers just behind my vehicle. Sergeant Scibbons, you’re with me.”

The acting platoon sergeant climbs in the right passenger side of the humvee, pulling the heavily armored door shut with a loud bang. “Mount up!” screams he screams. The men put on their ballistic eye protection sunglasses. The gunners standing in the turrets stick in their earplugs. Everyone slaps a fresh magazine into their weapon, pulling back the charging handles to chamber the first round. The vehicles turn over and rumble back to life. Evan racks his 9mm before returning it to his holster and then loads his M4,

9mm = Beretta 9mm pistol M4 = M4 Carbine a 5.56×45mm NATO, air-cooled, direct impingement gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine. It has a 14.5 in barrel and a telescoping stock. Both were standard Army issue weapons in 2004/2005.

dialing up the Red Dot sight mounted to the top rail on the weapon. He looks over his platoon one more time before climbing into his seat on the front passenger side.

The Blue Force Tracker is already up. The screen displays the map of Sadr and their current grid location, his driver having prepped the computer while he gave his briefing. Evan yells over the rumbling of the engine and the incessant whir of the supposed air conditioning to his crew, giving them the locations and routes that were just discussed. Not only does he command the entire platoon, but he also runs his truck, or what would be his tank when they get back home. As the TC, or tank commander, he has to brief them himself, just like he had dispatched his sergeants to do with their crews. Once they give the thumbs up he grabs his radio hand microphone tied to their company frequency. Bandit rarely has two patrols out at the same time, so they stays on company and battalion nets. This way the sergeant or even their CO sitting in the company CP can monitor their progress.

“All Bandit Red elements, this is Bandit Red 1. In sequence, REDCON status, over.”

REDCON = Readiness Condition/ SP = Start Patrol or Start Point

“Red 2, redcon 1.”
“Red 3, redcon 1.”
“This is Red 4, redcon 1.”
Evan keys again. “All Bandit elements redcon 1. Standby for departure.” Quickly bringing his battalion hand mic up to his other ear he keys and says, “Lancer Mike, Lancer Mike, this is Bandit Red 1.”
The radio crackles in response. “Go ahead Bandit Red 1.”
“Lancer Mike, Bandit Red SP time now.”
“Roger than Bandit Red, we show you SP at 0754, over.”
“Bandit Red 1, roger out.” Turning back to his company net microphone he keys again. “Red 2, take us out.”

The lead truck, Red 2 rolls out as the soldiers on gate guard pull the massive metal door back on its tracks to let them down a small causeway lined with 20 foot tall concrete barricades. Out another gate and they are rolling, already trailing dust behind them. The platoon goes over a small bridge that spans the lake and just like that, they are in sector. In moments they turn left onto Route Aeros, a two lane hardball road that runs parallel to the east side of the city. Not more than five minutes from leaving the back gate of War Eagle they pull up in front of the propane station. Red 2’s truck wheels to the right of the station gate while his own vehicle pulls off to the left. The drivers cut the wheels hard and throw the humvees into reverse to back up against the walls, orienting their section’s mounted machine guns towards Sadr. The Iraqi gate guards pull open the gate to the station and the two vehicles in Red 4’s section proceed inside. The gate closes immediately behind them.

Evan hands his radio mics up to his gunner who takes them and stretches out the cords so that he can hang them on the edge of his turret opening. Bakersfield still laughs at calling the three scraps of metal and a shrapnel shield a turret, but it’s better than no protection at all. Evan dismounts, observing his men doing the same. The crews work simultaneously to put out strands of concertina wire that will act as both a barrier and funnel of pedestrian traffic for the ladies trying to buy propane this morning. It’s always ladies lined up to buy propane, as this is part of cooking, and cooking is a woman’s job. In fact, most of everything in Iraq seems to be a woman’s job. Even after a year Evan is still trying to figure out just what the men are responsible for. Most of the time it looks like they sit on their asses and drank tea, all while yelling at the women for not bringing the tea fast enough. Try that with a Texas Longhorn.

Truth be told, the propane mission has become pretty mundane at this point. Early on crowds would mass at the gates, not allowing the distributors to get out into the city, all the while threatening to break the doors down and steal everything. On the flip side, the station had been making a killing on price gouging. Then there was the ever present threat of what an attack on this station would do. Not only in terms of sheer devastation, but also in local economic hardship. If they could the insurgents would blow the place up and then turn around and blame the Americans, saying it was their fault for not protecting it that the city’s kids went hungry. Call it what you would. Devious. Genius. Atrocious, but Evan bet that seeing your kid go hungry would become a real motivating factor for joining an insurgency if they promised you money, and therefore food, as a result.

So they roll in here, either them or 3rd platoon, to lay down some good old fashioned order and deterrence. Evan meets with the station Chief to confirm the prices for the day, and checks with the women on what they pay as they come out with filled tanks. His men monitor the lines, allowing only a few in at a time, so that distribution is done fair and orderly. All the while they stand at the ready against any possible aggression from the city. Every few minutes the gate opens and a flatbed wagon laden with tanks and pulled by a donkey comes out and heads into Sadr. Of course, there is nothing to stop the wagon drivers from price gouging once they get into the different neighborhoods, but Bandit can’t prevent everything. The station is the priority. A few minutes into the distribution routine his gunner, Sergeant Vandis calls out to him. “LT, Red 4 says the station is clear and the back gate secure. He’s sending Red 3 out to us.”

Evan gives a thumbs up and a few minutes later the green humvee comes out of the gate and parks next to his vehicle. The men get out and join in the security of the site. A few of the local boys show up, sons of the local baker who works right next to the station. Bakersfield pulls out two dollars American from his wallet and hands them over to one of his Specialists. “Take someone with you and go get some bread. Pass it out to the platoon. I’m sure more than a few of us missed chow this morning.”

The men walk down the street with the kids. While he is waiting for them to come back the 3rd ID buck sergeant walks up. He is all skin and bones, but there is an edge to him. A man that conveys sharpness and experience despite his young age and apparent fragility. A large plug sits packed in his lower lip and he spits the tobacco juice out every so often. “Hey LT.”
“Sergeant. What do you think so far?”
“Just another part of the same shithole Sir.” He spits again.
“That it is.” Even though it’s nice out today, and the temperature is low, it still stinks. Propane, mixed with steaming sewage, mixed with the ever present smell of decomposition. The whole city of Baghdad smells like death. The air is so thick with pollution that you can feel it pressing against your skin.
“Anyway, wanted to say sorry about Scibbons.”
Bakersfield looks over, seeing the Staff Sergeant moving about the line and speaking with his men, his rifle clutched tightly to his chest at the ready. He hesitates before answering, but then decides fuck it and pushes on. “He always this high strung?”

The E-5 shakes his head. “No. Not always. Well yeah. Kinda. He can be alright. Man knows his engines Sir. He’s a decent TC, but truth be told he’s always been a bit of a spotlight ranger.

Spotlight Ranger = One who only puts forth effort when superiors are watching.

So when Sergeant First Class Tabor went down and he got put in charge, well, it went right to his head. Man’s never been above section sergeant and you can probably guess why.”

“Yeah, I get it.” His men return with bags of the bread. Fresh Iraqi flatbread warm right out of the oven. Once he is certain everyone has gotten a piece, he takes two loaves and gives one to Conway. They chew on the bread while they shoot the shit. The typical where you from, where you been, sort of stuff. They are still speaking when Scibbons comes rushing up from behind and leaps in between them, slapping the loaf of bread out of the younger sergeant’s hand.

“What in the hell do you think you’re doing Sergeant Conway?” he bellows at the man in front of everyone. “There will be no eating of local food, you understand me? All of this bread could be poisoned!”
Evan looks at the man, still chewing. “It’s not poisoned Sergeant. It’s actually quite good. Reminds me of Sunday bagels back home on Long Island. Here try some.”
Scibbons looks at the bread, and then at him with disdain. “With all due respect Sir, we don’t approach things as lax as you do. My men won’t be eating anything that isn’t produced by Americans.”
“The dining facility is run by KBR and they hire mostly Filipinos.”

“Yeah… well you know what I mean Sir,” and with that he is off again, this time inspecting where the men stand around the other trucks. Conway rolls his eyes, and the two separate. After an hour Evan looks at his watch, gives a few more minutes, and then signals the platoon to mount up. They continue on with the patrol as planned, the Lieutenant pointing out key spots like pumping stations or district buildings. They stop and speak with elders in front of their shops, getting a feel for what is going on in the neighborhood. With each passing interaction, Scibbons seems to take less and less interest. At one stop just before they bump up north into Square Town, Grayson comes over to him.

“Yo Sir, you gotta square this guy away.”
Evan excuses himself from the elders through their translator and walks a little bit away with Grayson. “What’s up?”
“This guy is riling everybody up. He’s not watching you. He keeps coming around to all of us. Correcting us. Telling us we’re slouching. We’re holding our weapons wrong. That we’re being lazy. He’s acting like he’s running your platoon Sir. This fucker is gonna get slapped he keeps it up.”
Shit. He needs this like a hole in the head. “Alright, I got it. Tell everyone to calm down and send Sergeant Avers over.”
Grayson walks off and Avers saddles up a few minutes later. “You hearing these grumblings?”

“Yeah, apparently he’s talking all sorts of shit.”
Evan looks around. “Listen, we can’t have this. We’ve still got a job to do, and this is a major distraction to be happening while out in sector. Tell everyone to settle down and focus. In the meantime, when we stop up in Square town, pull him aside and speak to him platoon sergeant to platoon sergeant. Remind him, gently please, that he’s here to observe. That’s it.

They mount up again and jump over the lake into the first of the two standalone neighborhoods that are part of their sector. While stopped to inspect some downed power lines, Sergeant Avers performs his task. He comes over to Evan afterwards shaking his head. “This guy don’t want to listen to nobody LT. Keeps telling me that I should have you in line better. That we don’t know how to operate out in sector. Says he’s surprised we all haven’t been killed already.”

Orders or not, Evan is getting pissed. “Is that so?” He looks over to where Scibbons is berating Conway, his finger pointing between the platoon and the junior noncom’s face. Bakersfield checks his watch. A little over an hour left in the patrol. “Mount everyone up. Let’s head next door and finish this thing out. I want to be done with this guy.”

The platoon pushes to the west into Triangle Town, maneuvering through the streets to introduce their relief to the area. Evan pushes down the anger and tries to engage the man, to follow the guidance of his CO and BC. “How are you doing Sergeant? Getting a feel for things.”
The sergeant yawns before replying. “Yeah, I’ve got a feel Sir. In fact it’s probably more than that. I think I’ve seen all I’m going to need.”
“Oh yeah? That quick huh?”
The man pauses, as if exacerbated by the questions. “Well Sir, with all due respect,” he starts again. Evan hates the expression. Nothing ever good comes after it. If you have to preface what you’re about to say with it, you probably shouldn’t say it at all. “This is a joke.”

The Lieutenant growls. “A joke?”
“Yeah, it is. Y’all are running around here half assed doing half assed shit. You would’ve been smoked if you were here in 2003. And you’re doing what? Passing out chickens? I heard our first platoon is going to be pumping shit today? Y’all think you’ve got it hard? This is a waste of our time. A unit such as ours shouldn’t be assigned to things so trivial. Y’all might have settled for this, but I’m gonna have to say something to our CO. We can’t settle for this. We’re too good at what we do.”

“Short halt,” Evan says to his driver.
“Sir?”
“Pull over,” and then he yells “Short halt” into the company mic.
The trucks move to the side of the road. His men immediately begin jumping out of the vehicles to pull security but he waves them all back in. Sergeant Scibbons gets out and the LT signals for him to follow, walking a few steps away to get out of earshot. Once he is comfortable Evan rounds on the man. “Alright, I’ve had enough of your shit.”

“Excuse me?” the man says, looking like he was just slapped.
“Since last night you’ve been rubbing our face in it like you’re fucking Spec Ops or something. Let me tell you something sergeant, my men have seen and done plenty this year. We’ve lost people. Good people, same as you did. Yeah, it wasn’t the invasion combat you saw, but it’s combat nonetheless. These men have been blown up, sniped at, mortared continuously, and then had to drive on with the missions we are ordered to do outside the wire every damn day.”

“Sir, let me just stop… ”
“No you’re gonna stand there and shut the fuck up. You know what happens when you pass out chickens? It means a family doesn’t go hungry that night. That the Dad doesn’t go out looking for money or food, which the insurgents are all too happy to give him if he’ll empty a few clips at us or plant an IED. You don’t like the idea of pumping shit? Get in line, but last month we pumped out a street so a husband could have a funeral for his dead wife. You know how many people show to an Iraqi funeral Sergeant? Damn near half the city it seems like. That man was so overcome with gratitude that he promised to help the Coalition from then on. Could it be bullshit? Sure it could. But that was a powerful message that got to a lot of people that day, and that message directly counters the fucking Madhi militia’s propaganda. You think you’re gonna just kick down doors in an area of two million people and be all badass? You’re kicking the fucking hornet’s nest. You would know that if you would open your ears and listen, but no. Instead you’ve got your mind made up and you’re gonna ‘have to say something?’ Are you fucking kidding me? You’re in sector less than 24 hours but you know more than all the generals in MNF-I,

MNF-I = Multi National Force – Iraq

and you’re gonna ‘say something’? To what? Get your company reassigned? If you really think you’ve got that kind of pull, then go ahead and be my guest, because the sooner you’re outta our hair the better.”

The pasty white man is beat red with anger. “Whatever. You’re just another punk college kid with bars. You’re the one trying to act all hard, but you ain’t never seen the real shit. If you were my LT I would have squared your ass away a long time ago.”
Evan stares at the man and scowls. Slowly he nods his head and then gets nose to nose with the man. “Alright Sergeant. You think what you want, but this is my platoon, not yours. I won’t have you running your mouth, telling my men what to do and belittling everything they’ve done and gone through this year. For the rest of this patrol, and the rest of the time we’re here, if you come across any of my people you’re to keep your fucking mouth shut. You understand me?”

Scibbons stares at him. They remain locked for what seems like a long time. “Yeah.”
“Yeah what? I don’t think I heard you correctly.”
Another pause, shorter this time. The man must think better of it. “Yes Sir.”
“Go get in Red 4’s truck and send Conway up here to mine. I don’t want you anywhere near me.”

The staff sergeant rounds and storms off, ripping open the passenger door. Conway looks confused as he trots up. Evan gives him a slap on the back as he climbs into the Red 1 humvee, and then climbs in himself. It’s still too early to head back, so they patrol around Triangle Town some more. The Lieutenant spots some elders and decides it will be a good way to kill the last twenty minutes. He orders a short halt again and the platoon dismounts. Sergeant Avers comes over and stands behind him while he finishes up with the men, which is strange because he usually maintains control over the platoon while these meetings are going on. Bowing his head slightly and crossing his hand over his heart, Evan thanks the elders for their time and turns around, putting his glasses back on. He never keeps them on when speaking with the locals. It can be taken as a sign of disrespect.

“What the hell did you say to him LT?”
“Nothing much. Just a dose of reality. Why, what’s up?”
“Man…” Sergeant Avers shakes his head. “That man in there acting a damn fool. Spoutin’ all sorts of shit about us. About you in particular.”
“Anything good?”
“That you’re an arrogant prick who thinks he knows it all, just like every other officer he’s ever met. Thinks you’re a baby that needs his ass wiped. A waste of a uniform who couldn’t lead his way out of a wet paper bag. You know, the standard NCO shit we say about y’all. Except this motherfucker is hot while he sayin’ it.”

Evan looks over at the Red 4 truck, where Scibbons is standing staring daggers at the both of them. “We’re not getting through to him. Maybe we need to try a different tactic.”
“What you thinking LT?”
“Your back window still a little hinky?”
Avers face is blank. The man can bench three bills but concepts don’t come quickly sometimes. Evan actually gets enjoyment out of seeing the smile slowly form on his face as the connection is made. “Yeah. Yeah it is.”
“Mount up.”

Avers moves off and Bakersfield turns to his lead vehicle, Sergeant Aviles standing next to his door. “We heading in Sir?” the staff sergeant asks as he walks up.
“Soon. Quick detour first. Take us out and swing west and then south on Horse.”
“You want to go down Route Horse?”
“Yeah, I want to show the 3rd ID guys our western limit before heading in.”
The man is always amenable to his wishes, provided it doesn’t mean doing something stupid that will get someone killed. He shrugs. “Whatever you say LT.”
“Oh, and pay close attention to the radio. I may need to halt us there too.”

With everyone back in their vehicles the patrol moves on as he directed. The going is slow when they first pull onto Horse. The locals pretty much turned the entire length of the road into a default garbage dump so there is several feet of trash built up, making it an uneven ride. As they progress the terrain levels out, and Red 2 begins to pick up a little speed, getting them back to their normal patrol pace.

The stench is overwhelming. The rotting garbage mixed with human sewage scent wafts through the vents and the turret opening. It permeates everything, feeling like it is seeping through your clothing to nestle and cling to your skin, never to be washed off again. They don’t like coming down here, and only do so when necessary, as it’s known to be a sort of out-of-bounds area on both sides of the equation. But they were used to it. They had dealt with it in the heat of the summer at temps reaching 130 degrees. For first timers, the stench can be overpowering to the point of inducing tears and stomach spasms.

Evan checks the grid and the map, looks out the window and confirms his landmark. He keys his hand mic. “Red 2! Push it!”
A simple enough command. Get the fuck out of Dodge as fast as we can. Aviles reacts immediately, relaying the radio command to his driver, who in turn floors the gas pedal. The three trucks behind take off in response, racing to catch up while still maintaining their spacing. Red 2 hits a small incline built out of filth. The vehicle lifts and then slams down into a sewage lake, the waters splashing up high on both sides. Evan’s vehicle does the same and as the shit water cascades down his passenger side mirror, he watches as Red 4 hits the makeshift ramp.

The truck lifts up and comes down in a mighty jostling crash. As it slams down, the catch bar on the rear passenger window slips, a recent defect that the mechanics can’t seem to get corrected. The entire pane of bulletproof glass drops into its slot in the interior of the door. At the same time, a massive wash of feces laden sewage splashes up and into the cabin through the opening, soaking Sergeant Scibbons in wretched foulness. The man scrambles at the window, working to get it back into place and so eliminate his exposure to small arms fire, but his hands are so covered in shit water that the bar and glass keep slipping. Once he finally gets the window locked the realization of what he is covered in sinks in. “Oh my God!” he squeals. “It’s in my mouth! It’s in my fucking mouth!”

Instinctively he begins pawing at his tongue, only to realize shortly after doing so that he just covered it with even more sewage. Then he discovers a piece of something, what it is he doesn’t know, rolling around in his mouth. He tries to spit it out, but when it doesn’t come he swallows, and he feels it go down his throat. As this dawns on him, his stomach seizes. He gags once, twice, and then it all comes out. Five hour old, half-digested eggs and bacon. Pancakes and coffee. It all hurtles from his face in a firehose of straight nasty, blanketing the seatback in front of him. The puke is so voluminous that it splashes back onto his legs. He is still throwing up when the stench of his own vomit adds to the horrific smell of Sadr City. This ignites another bout, this time the puke landing all over the front of his vest.

“God damn!” Evan hears Sergeant Avers yelling as he is keying his mic. “Yo Sergeant, cut that shit… man… God damn stop puking in my fucking truck!” Finally the sergeant turns his attention to the radio. “Hey Red 1, we gotta head back. This guy is having a damn exorcism in my back seat.”
Bakersfield looks at his watch. Ten after twelve. He keys up. “Roger that, break. Red 2, RTB.”

RTB = Return to Base/ RP = Return Patrol or Release Point/ WILCO = Will Comply

“Red 2, roger.”

The patrol makes two quick lefts and a few moments later a right. They cross back over the bridge and as they enter the first gate Evan keys battalion. “Lancer Mike, Bandit Red 1.”
“Bandit Red 1, Lance Mike.”
“Lancer Mike show Bandit Red RP the FOB one two one eight, over.”
“Wilco, Bandit Red, one two one eight. Welcome back. Lancer Mike out.”
The vehicles stop in front of four clearing barrels Most of the platoon dismounts, one by one dropping their mags, clearing the round from the chamber, placing the muzzle of their rifles inside the earth filled barrels, and squeezing the trigger. The clack of hammers coming forward into empty chambers fills the air, signaling that they are authorized to proceed further into the FOB. The gunners in the turrets clear their 240’s and then hand their personal rifles down to their platoon mates on the ground to be cleared in the barrels.

Sergeant Scibbons gets out of the Red 4 vehicle gingerly, his legs shaking beneath him. As he tries to steady himself he doubles over and pukes yet again, this one little more than a dry heave given that the full contents of his stomach are in the back seat. A huge pink stain clings to his vest and pants. When he looks up his eyes are vacant, his glasses having flown off his face at some point in the bouts of vomiting. A long, attached line of drool dangles from his lower lip. He searches about, finds the direction he is looking for, and begins to shuffle off. When he has gotten as far as the fuel tanker parked just beyond the barrels, Evan calls out to him. “Sergeant Scibbons!” The man slowly turns around to stare at him. “You didn’t clear your weapons!”

Again vacant, the man slowly goes back to the barrels, clears his rifle and pistol, and turns back towards the fueler. Once he gets there the Lieutenant calls again. “Sergeant!” Scibbons turns. Evan checks his watch in a big show of it. “DFAC is open and serving roast beef today! Enjoy your lunch!”

The man tries to scowl but belches instead, the taste of it doubling him over yet again. Sergeant Conway gives the LT a smirk as he trots by to meet up with his acting platoon sergeant. Scibbons immediately hands the man his rifle, and the two walk off. Evan watches them go before turning back to the platoon. They are all smiles and laughs as they go about post patrol ops, refueling, reorganizing, and the whatnot. They drive off back towards their barracks while he heads over to the battalion TOC to file his patrol report. Evan will catch his fair share of hell later for this, but somehow he suspects that he’ll sleep just fine tonight.