After resting at Bagram Air Force Base it was time to depart to Forward Operating Base (F.O.B.)Shank. Bagram was big, impersonal, depressing and a wasteland for Soldiers who joined to fight but instead ended up pushing paper or walking around aimlessly. After a 5-day wait I was on a plane and headed to Shank. When the plane landed I noticed we were higher in the mountains on a much smaller base, Shank was the size of the Glebe without the fancy homes.
I was met at the Airport by a 47 year old Staff Sgt. named Cobbeldick. He was all Sir this and Sir that, I thought "oh great one of these guys". It wasn’t long after he and I were doing impersonations of the Drill Sergeant from Full Metal Jacket and Al Paccino. Cobbeldick was going to be my handler here in Shank, he and his boss Lt. Col Gilleran would find me a mission, and for my sins they did. That night Cobbeldick insisted I drink 6 bottles of water and get hydrated for the mission so I did, at 3am I got up to go outside and go to the washroom but I noticed I had been locked in the hut, I was now in a panic and really had to go, I danced back to my room and found 4 empty water bottles, in desperation I filled them up to the last milliliter and prayed that was the last time I had to go. The next day I would fly to Sayad Abad by Blackhawk. On flight, I met Lt. Hall a former Canadian and now the leader of Attack Company that would be the driving force in the mission. Lt. Hall was a natural leader he showed me around Sayad Abad and briefed me on “Operation Purge,” he was young maybe 29 thin with a shaved head and lacked the Hill Billie accent that the other soldiers have. Lt. Col. McFarlane was the man in charge of Sayad Abad and Operation Purge. Some younger NCOs were uneasy with his firmness and hands on approach but others saw that as his strength, McFarlane is a tall well-groomed West Point man who looks and speaks like an officer. Purge was a multi group effort but it was as sure as shit McFarlane’s show.
Operation Purge was to be run out of a much smaller base called Sayad Abad, the stars of the show were to be the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Afghan National Army Commandos and various specialty elements, in total 340 men would be brought in by Chinook helicopters and 2 Blackhawk helicopters. We would leave at midnight by helicopter under the cover of darkness and land 30min later high in the mountains in a small town called Chak. Chak was along a highway in an area where Taliban have always had free reign, it was nestled in a green, orchard-laden valley between two long ridges of mountains. The Taliban terrorized the town and kidnapped Elders for money and prevented Afghan Police from delivering ballot boxes back to Kabul to be counted. There was intelligence that big wig Taliban were stationed in Chak and this was a tempting prize.
After finding me a room in Sayad Abad I wandered the base looking for advice and direction in regards to midnight’s operation. I would need food, water and Night Vision (NVG). I asked and received all three. Under Cobbeldick’s advice I took my cheap small backpack and 1 camera, the small backpack would become a serious issue later on in the mission. With very little sleep I donned my helmet and heavy body armor and headed to the HLZ (helicopter landing zone) as usual I was late and with all this gear and water I was huffing and puffing like mad, I thought I was going to faint, the vest was tight and the high altitude was causing issues. I arrived at the HLZ and lined up, I was wondering what had I got myself into, should I bail out, will I slow these young fit kids down, am I going to fall behind and get captured? I remained calm and reminded myself that this is what I wanted, but yet unlike these kids I didn’t have years of training, psychological and physical conditioning or 50 of my friends along to back me up, I would have to gather my own strength from within.
Through the full moon lit sky 2 large Chinook helicopters appeared, blades smashing the air with a deafening slap, the troops on mass turned away from the blizzard of dust and small rocks in the HLZ. There was no turning back; we bolted for our designated chopper, and through the warm air of the exhaust run up the ramp of the big bird, I did my best not to stumble as I looked though the NVG goggles and found my seat. This was it, too late to turn back, I am sure the others onboard were nervous too, this was to be the biggest mission of their deployment and enemy contact was assured.
We flew over the mountains and I looked out the gun pit window as we passed by mountain peaks and dove through valleys, after 30 min or so the helicopter landed and the crew screamed, “go go go.” We ran out and dove to the ground to avoid the flying dust, rock, and possible gunfire. We were on top of a big hill miles away from our objective that we called the City Centre. We would have to hike through the hills to the green zone and then through the town to get there. We were now at 8500ft and the air was even thinner then back at the base, my heart sank as I noticed each breath was fruitless. McFarlane then ordered Attack Company to head down to the near by group of Collets. Collets are the walled compounds that you see on the nightly news, these Collets were huge like mini castles and villas, their size makes you question the notion of poverty here, these homes would cost a fortune to build in Canada if they weren’t so simple. While Attack Company went to the Collets, Battle Company was to head to a dam built by the Nazis, yes the Nazis. The dam was impressive and grand by Afghan standards, to get the dam online would mean electricity for everyone from Chak to Kabul. I was with Tactical Command and proceeded through the hills to a better position where we could over look the town before we dove into the orchards of the green zone and possible ambush.
We started our trek down the steep, sharp broken shale slope, no one dare fall for risk of injury and ridicule, I was slow and cautious, I wasn’t use to the NVGs and I am naturally not a fast walker. Even walking down hill was exhausting, my heavy ceramic plates sat on my chest and hampered what little air I could muster, that damn backpack was packed to the rim and hung too low and unevenly, there was no time to fuss with it I had to keep moving or be lost in the night. I desperately tried to keep up with the 60 or so men I breathed at an alarming rate yet too little oxygen to cause hyperventilation, my helmet tilted and teetered with the heavy NVG goggles and any semblance of cool or ego disappeared really quick, this was not my chow hall stroll, I was in hell and there was no way out. Reprieve came 30 min later as we took a break along a dirt road near a farm. I panted out “thank god” and sat down on the dusty embankment, finally a place to rest or so I thought. I had sat on a small thorn bush, fuck it hurt so I lifted myself up and moved over only to put my hand on another thorn bush and sat on a third one, “God Damn It! Shit, did anyone else sit on a thorn bush, what no one, you have got to be kidding me.” With thorns in my ass and hand we continued our journey through the hills and stopped at a grave yard on a hill, at this point I was really bad and they sent a medic to make sure I was ok he asked me how long I was at this altitude I told him 2 days, he was shocked and told me it took him almost a month to acclimatize, the medic looked at me and told me I was actually doing well considering they had been there for 9 months and I was keeping up. We rested for 5 min and got up to move out of the grave yard and over to our first over-watch point, as I stood up I realized I had sat on another thorn bush, this time the thorns were up and down my pants and in my ass. I tried to walk and fruitlessly pull thorns out.
McFarlane took the lead and told me he wanted me to stay in the front, oh ya I was purposely staying in the rear because the conversation was better, he then said we were going down hill as we climbed a steep slope, I was praying for death now and wondering if I could just hide somewhere. Fatigue was only offset by my determination to continue on and not be the last in the group we mounted the hill where someone beckoned we would be stopping for 4hrs, thank you Jesus… err Allah. The sky was still dark but the sun was coming soon and we would be exposed to attack I tried to rest but thorns were all over me, I even had one in my neck, as I went to pull it out I was horrified to find they weren’t thorns this time, I had sat on a Ant hill and these giant ants were in my pants and vest. I jumped up and started doing the jitterbug while soldiers from the US and ANA looked on, “fucking ants in my pants.” After my little show I sat down next to a guy with a belt fed machine gun and watched the sun come up. Lopez was a big, very soft-spoken guy from the South West and had a girlfriend in the Philippines, Lopez kept watch as we got organized to make our decent into the green-zone. I was finally able to take photos and video, just then we heard large explosions and gun fire, McFarland and Captain Shin got on the radio and started talking to the guys on the ground and circling Apache gunships.
Attack Company had finally cleared the Collets and freed a captured Elder and found an American bulletproof vest. We were now clear to proceed down to the Green Zone. We walked for another 30min and stopped outside another farmhouse. I noticed there were now 5 helicopters overhead, I asked what the delay was and McFarlane told me that General Townsend was coming in to see how we were. I laughed and said it would be funny if the General got shot, they didn’t think it was funny. Townsend arrived in a Blackhawk amidst a storm of brown dust out of the dirt blizzard appeared this 60 yr old tall man, friendly and curious he questioned McFarlane and handed out special coins to the men, the coins were an old tradition. The General hung with us and we talked for a bit but I felt it was important that he get face time with his men and not me, so I stayed clear for a while. I was a little disappointed that he didn’t wear pearled handled Colt 45s or a silver helmet. Apparently the Generals of old were gone. General Townsend left the same way he arrived in a storm of brown dust.
While the General was there Sgt Beauchamp a well liked man in Sayad Abad had time to talk to me, he pointed to one of our ANA partners who took it upon himself to stand guard in a defensive position to protect the General, he said “see that’s progress, right there we are making headway with these guys.” The ANA had a reputation for being undisciplined slobs with unlaced boots and a slack posture. These Afghan soldiers were making an effort.
We now headed out to the base of the valley called the Green Zone for its trees and irrigation ditches. The feeling of impending doom increased as we received word over the comm. that the Taliban knew we were there and moving in. Tension was high as we entered the terraced orchard. We tried to space out and looked around like startled cats yet there was this peaceful calm that contradicted the moment. Each plot of land was outlined with irrigation ditches or 7ft walls of dirt, these were energy draining obstacles for the troops laden with almost 100lbs of ammo and weapons for myself I greeted each ditch with a hesitation and a prayer not to break my ankle while jumping the gap. The dirt embankments were interesting the troops would wrestle up these things and I being lazy would walk further to the proper stairs, someone yelled “smart man.” Donkey and human poop was everywhere and I skillfully avoided all of it. At one point we stopped in an apple grove and held our position as the radio operators received and coordinated information. We ran into the odd farmer who were all cool and calm, some kept their heads down unwilling to look at us, I waved hello to one man who was well dressed with glasses and sat under his veranda calmly drinking tea and reading, he looked like a professor and out of place.
Lt-Col McFarland stayed standing and calm as the other troops stayed alert, he took a apple from the tree, “Jake you like apples?” I was a bit edgy and in a hurried voice replied “uh what, ya sure?” The Lt-Col handed me a fresh apple “here these have no pesticides, great tasting, wow what a treat.” The Taliban were around and we were picking apples, it was like that scene in Apocalypse Now where Col Kilgore talks about surfing when bullets whiz over his head. We sprinted across the bridge and finally made it to the road and in sight of the City Center, I was exhausted and now and had my vest unzipped and started to feel dizzy, my legs had strength but that internal battery was running dry. I motored on, with the troops through the market and past confused and staring shopkeepers. Some of the soldier were running out of steam and falling behind I could see our objective and its looked beautiful as it sat there looking like a burnt out High-School surrounded by razor wire. Ah rest was near.
We quickly found rooms to rest in and ditched our burdensome packs many collapsed onto the floor anywhere they could find, the officers went to another building, a small Police station behind our building. I stayed with the grunts, as I felt more at home with them. We were a mix of 70% US troops and 30% ANA soldiers staying on the compound. The medic handed out prescription strength Advil to reduce sore muscles, the over dose of IB Profen would relieve my sore legs but set my stomach on fire for the next 4 days. I knew better then taking blood thinners because my blood is already unusually thin. We ate rice that night made by locals and pounded down tea like Chinamen. Tea played a important part in bringing Afghan and US forces together, 22 year old Yanks back in the states would never drink tea let alone eat rice cooked in goat fat, these guys of the 173rd were breaking down barriers with tea. Our translators played a critical role in our communication with the Afghans; they translated radio info from the Afghan Commandos in the Green zone and relayed requests from McFarlane to the Afghan Commander. Cell phones were used all the time and often more reliable then the fancy radios the Americans had. It was funny to here mortars explode in the background and have cute hello kitty ring tunes going off every 30 seconds.
I slept well on the concrete floor and felt like a million bucks the next day, I walked over with no helmet or vest to the Police station where Attack Company was preparing to launch its assault in the Green Zone and kick in some doors. We received word that a Mullah was killed and several others including a moneyman were captured. Battle Company was at the dam taking heavy fire and close to running out of mortars. We had snipers in the mountains backing them up and you would hear the odd pop of a .50 cal rifle. There was only one black guy in Attack Company and I teased him and said it was like the movies where he was the token black guy and as soon as he starts talking about when he gets home and plans to open up his own business and settle down with a family he was going to get shot. Everyone burst out laughing, especially him. I had broken the tension between this group and me, after the mission they would ask me to shadow them and go on more operations.
I moved with a half dozen guys to an overlooking gun nest where radio operators coordinated air attacks for helicopters and jets. I helped out by looking for explosions and spotted fleeing cars. Things were pretty relaxed at the top of the hill, McFarlane skillfully juggled 2 phones and 2 radios while working with Rock the Translator. Mean while Attack Company in the orchard was ambushed, bullets whizzed everywhere and apples exploded above their heads making it rain applesauce, later the guys would find that funny. The gunmen were never caught. Over at the dam things calmed down just in the nick of time for Battle Company, as they were about to go black on ammo and mortars. Thanks to air assets the insurgents firing on them were taken out giving them safety to leave.
Night fell early in the valley as the sun dipped behind the mountain, I lost a bet with Medley a career soldier and a self professed Hill Billie from the Smokey Mountains, he said the sun would be up for another 30min and I said 90min. We got word that 30 Taliban were 500m from our position and waiting in the Green Zone for night to attack us, ANA commandos were summoned to head them off, I put my vest and helmet back on. Lt-Col McFarlane got on the radio back to Sayad Abad and ordered artillery to fire illumination rounds over the battlefield. The shells came in with thunderous fanfare and lit the entire valley up in a warm orange glow. We all watched with amazement as each round slowly drifted down. The Taliban either left or we were the victims of bad Intel and no attack happened. The different Companies were called in and we made plans to leave by Chinook. The ballot boxes were seized and no one was seriously hurt, the operation took out several key Taliban and made ISAF presence known in the Chak valley where before it had no previous presence.
The officers huddled in an office at the police station where they reviewed the mission and listened to radio chatter. McFarlane was pleased as was everyone else, one death would have changed everything, but the mission went smooth. We all knew that our time in Chak was too brief and that the Taliban would return as soon as we left and the residences of Chak would bow down in the interest of their survival. This issue bothered some more than others and despite the day’s victory there was lost potential. Lt-Col McFarlane who was not always popular with the lower and younger NCOs ran a good show and understood the goals of ISAF and was very cognizant of civilian loss and it’s effect on the war. I had little to say at the end of the day, which is unusual for me. I just laid on the floor of the unlit Police Station and listened to U2 in Sean’s iPod.
It was 1am and we were organized into groups, that same black guy I teased took it upon himself to be my chaperone to the HLZ. McFarlane gave one last order that no American soldier was to touch any ballot box for any reason and with that we were airborne again on our way home in the dead of night to a plywood and concrete outpost that felt less welcoming then the village we invaded.
