I got back from Afganistan on my first *tour* (thats what I called it) and all I can say is I do not want to go back. I may sound like a pussy but when you are young and dumb like me, that kind of situation is sort of scary. I remember one night when me and my friend were on fire watch / guard duty, we heard loud explosions not more than 300M away from camp. So of course, our camp was put on alert and everyone was on duty. The explosions got to within 100M and we were getting ready to retreat but they suddenly stopped. The second scariest moment was when we were patrolling through a village. Just the thought that anyone here could easily pull out an AK and mow down your entire squad without a regret made me uneasy. Anyone else serve in the Afgan?

Hey fellas, just an update. I returned from my second deployment last week and it feels good to be home. Afghanistan hasn't changed at all since I was last there, we didn't get any real confrontation and for five months I basically patrolled, drilled, and relaxed. One of my friends I made there during my first deployment apparently got sent to Germany because he took a nice little fall and broke his leg and ankle. But other than that everything was good and quiet. I'm up for my third deployment coming up in mid-september so until then, it's time to get my hobby on!!

Didn't mean to start anything, guys. Of course, I have my own party preference, my own political ideology, to which I cling tenaciously. Don't mistake my desire to remain apolitical on this forum for apathy or ignorance! It's just that I prefer an apolitical forum, so we can focus exclusively on modeling, the hobby that unites us.
For the record, I honor and look up to all soldiers, from every era, from every country, even those who fought for causes I don't believe it. I think all of them deserve my respect.

Didn't mean to start anything, guys. Of course, I have my own party preference, my own political ideology, to which I cling tenaciously. Don't mistake my desire to remain apolitical on this forum for apathy or ignorance! It's just that I prefer an apolitical forum, so we ,we certainly can focus exclusively on modeling the hobby that unites us.
For the record, I honor and look up to all soldiers, from every era, from every country, even those who fought for causes I don't believe it. I think all of them deserve my respect.

And another thing, Aleksey, I almost forgot to say, have a happy Belarus Independence Day. Isn't it funny, yours is today, and ours is tomorrow.

Thanks guys, I'm sorry if I sound like a sissy, but like I said, it was my first real combat experience, so I suppose that is expected. But I'm home now, so lets celebrate!! lol

Anyone who says he was in combat and wasn't scared, is either lying about being in combat or lying about being scared.

Ghazni, Paktia, Paktika, and Parwan in 2010. B TRP 1/172nd CAV, We lived with the Polish Army at FOB Vulcan for awhile, including when that ANA soldier shot the Polish MP on our FOB. Never saw anyone look so angry as that Pole, not that I blamed him. I guess we were doing green on blue before it was cool.

First time I got shot at I was so excited I didn't really feel like I had time to be scared, just looking for the jackass shooting at me so I could shoot back. When he got away I was pissed. Small arms fire and IDF never really scared me, IED's however, those suck. I've told him this before, but Tankfixxers products saved my life and the lives of my friends many times.

My sister company is currently in Kunar. There are many days I wish I had gone with them when I had the chance.

... While we ate, some of my rice fell on the ground. One of the children who often was around to pick up our brass picked the rice out of the dust (this was in 2002 before the 9 year drought ended) and began to eat it. I was so moved by this I gave him my plate, and did so every day that we were there, provided he share it. To this day, I do not waste any food, nor do I allow my kids to. It sickens me to watch people, overweight ones especially, leave enough food on their plates in restaurants to feed a kid like that for a week.
Thankfully my daughter learned from that experience and is at ten years old, is truly one of the most generous people I know, even more so than I. During this holiday season I would love for others to remember this story. Muslims practice this as one of the five pillars. What I love about their tradition is that it is done anonymously - the recipient never knows who the benefactor is. It often seems here that when a celebrity makes a donation it has to become a newsworthy event.

At any rate, no guns, no terror, no bravery, just a little Afghan kid who I hope will remember that some of us really were there to help them.