What's up peeps? I'm visiting my men out here in Wardak province Afghanistan. It's been great. The weather is not bad. The food stinks, but hey there's a war on. We shot some illumination the other night. I was helping the guys by carrying rounds from the ammo shack to the gun and handing it off to the #1 man. Good stuff. They guys haven't been attacked since I've been here. I'm sure my presence is enough to dissuade any of the dirtbags in the vicinity. That and large, unappreciated explosions that occurred near them just prior to my arrival.
About illumination rounds, when they explode, high in the air, an empty metal cannister that carried the payload tumbles to the ground while a light hanging from a parachute slowly descends. One of the guys from 82n ABN told me a funny story about one of their illumination missions. They fired some illumination near some bedouins and one of the cannisters tumbled to the ground and tagged a camel. The camel let out a loud bellow that confirmed the hit. I would make the bellow sound which makes this story funnier if I were telling you all in person. It sounds the same as when you see them bellowing in the movies only this one has a little more pain in it. Hilarious.
Well, I hope everyone's well. Marinda's up at her family cabin now with Emily. Girls are partying for Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to Shea and Dad. The rest of you are weak loined! Later.
6 comments:
I should have specified that I need more training as a cannoneer since I wiped out twice. Once while carrying around to the gun when the gravel gave way, and once while shifting trails I ran into the 3200 azimuth marker. You guys can ask Grandpa to translate.
I'm sorry, but that is NOT a funny story about the camel! Poor camel!
so was the camel blown up? Were there camel parts everywhere? did you eat the eye?
The camel was not blown up. It was just hit by a tumbling 105mm cylinder of metal. It's like be hit in the ribs by a large rock. I don't think it died. Just had some sore ribs for a while.
Phew, that's a relief. I was feeling really sad for the camel and really disturbed that you found an exploding camel so "hilarious." I guess it is pretty funny as long as the camel recovered.
Those of you who are worried about the camel have never been spit upon by one. I wonder if the sound of the shell hitting the camel on the conk was anything similar to the sound that issued forth from the collision between the attic covering in mom's closet in Kansas after we dislodged it with a broomstick and it smacked Ben on his wittle head.
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