Constant Combat

The Path From The Dark Side - Joshua Alderette (part 2 of 2)

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“We went from amateur to professional in two days.” Ambushes, mortars, Bradleys, and the fog of war as told by Josh Alderette in part 2 of our conversation. Two brutal April days, from convoy ambushes and mortar fire, and the small human moments that still echo decades later. We talk tactics, errors, lucky breaks, and how those hours turned kids into adults overnight.

• the white Opel
• mortars, counter-battery, and sensing incoming
• April 6 push to Echo Company under ambush
• rooftop fights, IEDs and palm grove contact
• evacuating wounded down Nova under fire
• DShK in a tower, TOW impacts and ammo runners
• sprinting for the RPG launcher under fire
• pranks, bonding and keeping morale intact
• left seat right seat frustrations
• later deployments, shifting tactics and geopolitics
• pride, regret and meaning after combat




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SPEAKER_00

We've talked before about how like some some platoons, I know Nyland has talked about it with their their platoon. It was a very locked-in driver, gunner, vehicle commander. You don't even rotate out your other people very much. And then Sledgehammer, there was a lot more movement as far as who was trying, you know, who the driver was, who the vehicle commander was, and whatnot. Do you do you feel like you were pretty locked in with your people for being the token?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I was locked in the the I wasn't going anywhere. There was a so staff sergeant moved into, I can't remember where he moved to, but he moved into another one, and then it was me and uh shit, I can't remember Sergeant, Sergeant Redhead and Clark. Yeah, Clark and uh I can't remember who said the small smaller was it Venicea?

SPEAKER_00

Was it Venicea the driver?

SPEAKER_01

No, no, no, no. Uh it was uh small, short, like small white kid. Winder? Man? Yeah, Winder, Winder, Winder, yeah, and Winder and then Wade, I think, was in the truck. And so, but no, I I never really got I never got moved. It was just kind of everybody moved around me.

SPEAKER_00

Sure, sure, sure, sure, sure.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So I forgot that that's right. Clark was your vehicle commander.

Chow Truck Escort And The White Opel

SPEAKER_01

For yeah, so it started with uh because I think he wanted the optics too to be able to kind of look at everything, and then he was like, Yeah, we can just kind of deploy him wherever and just update me on the radio. So but then um funny story about Bill, oh fuck, wasn't it Bill Silo? Vendicea. Vendicea. So do you remember we were escorting a chow truck from combat outpost, and the by that time they had us riding behind them because they would take fire and they would push and we would stay.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And so we took fire one time, and it was, I mean, it's funny because we have like this American butt where like we're the fucking smartest, and it's like, no, they fucking knew what they were doing too. Like they knew the hit as we're pushing on that one side of the road. If there's a jersey barrier, hit us on the other side because you can't just drive over it. So they hit us, and child trucks take off, and we're standing there, and there's this fucking white opal driving down the middle of the motherfucking road, and there's a guy hanging out of the fucking side with like a tech nine or an Uzi or some shit, and he's just fucking laying into us, and I'm fucking and on my truck, I'm not in a position to be able to fire on him. And uh he's there and he's in the turret, and I'm like, it's the white fucking opal. And there's one park on the side of the road. He puts a burst in the side of the road. I'm like, what the fuck are you doing? That the guys that were hanging out, so we get back, and I'm like, what the fuck did you shoot at? He goes, I shot at a white opal. I'm like, with the guys that were hanging out of the fucking sides of the goddamn car, is the one you were supposed to shoot. He goes, Oh, I didn't see that. I'm like, that was the road you were on, man. Yeah, and he was and he was like so he was like confused why I was angry and why like how did you not see like literally a guy like in a movie hanging out shooting at us and you're like yeah, I don't I don't see anything, man.

SPEAKER_00

That's too funny.

SPEAKER_02

It's funny how that's funny how that fog of war kicks in too, and you just get really like you get tunnel visioned on the one thing you can see. It's so weird. It's so weird. There's a million stories like that from everybody.

Mortars, Bracketing, And Local Tactics

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I just remember that happening and him being like him just being so confused as to what I was even talking about. Like, well, here we are. As long as we go back in time, we go back and shoot these dudes. And then I think about that too, because what we also did is that we took two trucks to go trying to find that car. And now I think about I'm like, that was dumb as fuck. We could have gotten led into a fucking shitty ambush super fucking quick. And if it was just the two trucks, like we we could have got fucked with that one. And I mean, thankfully we didn't, but I was thinking about that. I think about that often where I'm like, that's a good way to start an ambush. Is let's uh let's get you to kind of follow me into this trap that I've already fucking laid, and then uh I'm gonna I'm gonna fuck your shit up pretty quick. And like I was saying earlier, like they were they weren't fucking stupid. I mean, think about the the the 50s. I mean, they would hit us with 50s too. It's not like they were using just small arms. They weren't fucking stupid. They would bracket it. Like, do you remember when they took the so here's an interesting story? So one of the doctors that I work with is from Iraq. Oh yeah. And so it's interesting because he's about our age too. And so it's interesting to hear his perspective from what was happening. And so, but I where was I going with this? Oh, yeah, right. So he was just telling us how he moved, he was telling me how he moved into like northern Iraq because they were kidnapping people, and like that reminded me of when. Do you remember when they took the, I think it was the governor? Do you guys remember that? But they hit us with a bunch of yeah, they hit us with a bunch of mortars and rockets. And they basically like they they they were fucking bringing it on, and it was to suppress and they hit us uh combat outpost and snake pit all at the same time with mortars and rockets, so that when they would suppress us from being able to push, they fucking took his almost and then was fucking left.

SPEAKER_00

That's I remember this now. This was at the end of June. It was like right. Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_01

I forgot that it was kind of like an it was like mid-morning, I think, is when it happened. Because I remember it started happening, and I went, what the fuck? This is not just the typical like one or two mortars or rockets we would get. And then they came back like maybe an hour later going, Yeah, the governor just got like picked up, we're gonna go. And then we, I mean, we pushed out to go do something after that. But yeah, I remember that happening, going, oh shit.

SPEAKER_00

That's right. I forgot about I I forgot about that. That did happen.

SPEAKER_01

Well, they also started doing some bracketing too. I I can't remember where we were doing some like sweeping thing, and though we were on the uh soccer field and they started doing some bracketing too. Okay, yeah, so apparently they can read books too. No, I don't remember that. And nobody brought nobody's brought that one up yet, huh?

SPEAKER_02

No, no, everybody remembers little bits of stuff, dude. That's the beauty of this, is that everybody's adding one little swatch of paint to the painting, man, and everybody's adding a little piece because I forgot about that too.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so I I well I just remember that because I remember the first time we took the mortars were even just closed to us was when we I think we'd only been there for like a day or two. And um Blue Diamond was like five or six mortars or like ten mortars or something like that. And we were like going over and like, yeah, yeah. And then like somebody's like, What are you stupid? Those are those are not us shooting. That's then. I was like, Oh, yeah, okay, this is not this is not good then. Or whenever the fucking paladins would go off for uh the return batter or the counter battery fire, and I was like, is that outgoing or is that incoming? I was like, that's definitely outgoing. But I got I was so fucking paranoid, and I could hear when we would be well, I could hear the tube crack. I I can't remember, I think I was talking to Gloy one time. I was like, dude, we're about to take fire, and he goes, How do you fucking know? I'm like, I just heard the tube crack, and like seconds later, fucking round start landing, and goes, How the fuck did you hear that? I'm like, how did you not? Yeah. Jedi, see? Yeah. That's right. Could be my sixth or maybe even my seventh sense. I don't know. Yeah.

Hearing The Tube Crack And Counter-Battery

SPEAKER_00

You saying that reminds me, we uh I don't do you remember? I think I think I might have been your vehicle commander on this one, but we were up on the we were up on the the hill for the um the cemetery. The cemetery, thanks. And uh you actually called it in before we got the the the head that you saw the the the the poo before we got the because it it was off in the distance and you had I we had contacted, we had told Gunny was in because you were like somebody just shot some mortars out on the on the on the outside and uh and Gunny had started getting ourselves pulled together and he was gonna call it in when the the poo got called in and it was the correct it was the correct grid coordinates. And uh we rolled out there and man, we went out in the middle of fucking nowhere. I mean, that was we went way out. There was nothing, I mean there wasn't anything.

SPEAKER_01

I mean there wasn't any. Well, once we got outside of the city, there wasn't a lot to be around a couple of palm groves, and then if you went over by the lake, it was fucking flat and full of trash.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, there was a bunch of goats. There was a bunch of goats out there. There was a goat farmer, and it was like it was the only house in like any any sensible direction. Like you're gonna see, I mean, the city was the next closest house. Forgot about that. Nothing to do with that story, just just middle of fucking nowhere. I was also impressed that you've caught it like out of the corner of your eye somehow.

Cemetery Vantage And Calling POO

SPEAKER_01

Dude, it was that's what I was saying. It was like chasing the dragon because your your your senses are fucking crazy heightened. The the the adrenaline's there. It's like everything's just fucking heightened. And like think about all the fire fights that you were ever in, like the it's like slow, like a lot of it felt like sometimes slow motion. Whereas like like as I remember, I I I can't remember I slapped a new Megan and I remember Bradsky going, holy shit, because I it was seconds, not like less than uh less than a second to get right back into it. And he goes, he was going, holy fuck, how'd you do that? I'm like, I don't know. I I don't know. We need to do get back into it. So I just fucking slapped a new one in once I was dry.

SPEAKER_02

So speaking of that, um you know, no interview would be complete without where were you on uh April 6th and those kind of things. What do you remember from the sixth, seventh, the tenth?

SPEAKER_01

So sixth and seventh are bored into my memory. I will never forget those days. But the sixth I remember, so I have a the you that picture I think baby sent me of um it was me, Newmeyer, uh Homewood, and Doc. Oh fuck, I can't remember the one. But that was right before we pushed. And I remember they they woke us up early that morning, the sixth, and said, get up, they're getting fucked up. You're gonna probably get pushed out. And so we're like, okay. So we grabbed all our gear, we were all by the trucks. I remember we were listening on the radio, and it was another one of those like kind of movie feelings where like you can hear the firefight in the background of these guys are getting fucked up. And then I think it was the actual mune team running out of the uh CP and we're like, get in the fucking trucks, we're going. And like minutes later, we were out the fucking gate pushing down. And um I think we got that. Was when the I think they they were attempting to ambush, but I think I told you this too. I was like, I'm dumping a mag into anybody I fucking I see shooting at us. Yeah, that's what you said. Yeah, you're like, okay. And I did. But um, I think I can't remember, I think we were pushing to get to Echo Company and uh the Echo Company guys that were in that building. And uh as we were pushing, I can't remember what route it was, but as we were pushing, the they tried to ambush us, and they did the um a guy, I think it was a motorcycle. It's either a motorcycle or a moped where he was using the Constantina wire to kind of like block our. And I can't remember who shot, I can't remember who shot him, but it was pretty funny to watch him go down because I think he shot him and then the I can't remember, I think it might have been Harden or it might have been Radsky's, somebody shot him. He because of the weight balance, the bike then went down. I think it caught on fire.

SPEAKER_02

It did, and he caught on fire.

Adrenaline And Hyper Focus Under Fire

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah. I and I remember that. And like I remember because uh I think we came back, but then we I think they started getting out of the RPGs, and then um there was uh we were looking for a house. So this is actually kind of one of the interesting stories is we were um looking for a we found a rooftop to get up on. And so I think there was maybe six of us or seven of seven of us that went up on the top, and I was getting ready to go up on the top, and I think his Miranda wanted to go up. That's the one fucking shot at cow too, and he was all fucking excited about it. But um, but he he told me he's like staying with the family, and I went, okay. And so, you know, PFC, I'm like gonna fucking, or I think it might have been Lance Corbel. It's like, yeah, okay, so I stayed with the family. So I'm taking a knee and I'm like sweating my fucking balls off because I don't know what it was. Anytime we'd get into a firefight, it was just like one bullet would fly and I'd be covered in sweat. And he um so I'm sitting there with the family and they they have like a baby. And like when I say baby, I mean like the mom's holding this baby, and the baby's fucking crying. There's probably five or six of them. They're in this fucking corner, and the and I I mean, being a PSC, I still worry or Lance Corporal still worried about uh um about getting in trouble for like moving positions or something. But he was like the baby was crying. The bottle was across the room, so I got up, I grabbed the bottle and I gave it to the mom. And um, she was like crazy thankful about it. But here's where it gets weird is that her the way her the way I have her her face in my mind is I ended up taking care of a patient that was on dialysis and looked exactly like her. Looked exactly like her. Like she but she was um she was Afghani and she had this whole other story, but like I had this like weird thing where I was like, oh, fucking weird, man. Like you look just like this person. I was like, and it was like the look of like thankfulness of her. And I and now that I'm like, you know, older and I think back on, I'm like, dude, that would have can you fucking imagine that? Like all of a sudden it was like seven guys come into your kick open your door, they run past you, they get up on your roof, there's all this shit going on outside where there's RPGs, a machine gun, and all this other fucking yelling and blood and fire and shit everywhere. And here you are with your brand new fucking newborn, and you're just wanting to uh calm the fuck down. So yeah, anyways, but yeah, that's kind of the I was the sixth, and then um move it. Like we finally I think we I think they probably broke contact or we were able to push again. And then that's when we uh by that time, I think the like all of the company had pretty much been pulled. And then that's also when the the Bradleys started showing up too. And then we were able to get to the house where the Echo Company guys were. And I remember that set up, it had to have been like a hasty IED because they had, I think it was three 155 that were across the road. And by that time we had had one one uh one element on this side and one element on the other side, and so we're kind of all met up. And then this ended, I mean, by that time it had to be like four or five hours later, after we had originally pushed. And then that's when the that's when those, I think it was like four guys in the in the palm in the palm groove decided that they were gonna fire a couple of rounds at us, and every fucking gun on that line. I remember this gun because every gun on the line just fucking opened up into that field and it was like, yeah, okay, they're not, they're not coming back. Yeah. But the um but when the Echo Company guys came out, do you remember the one guy he had a canteen tied to his hand?

SPEAKER_02

I don't remember him having a canteen tied to his hand, no. But I do remember that being fucked up.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and so when he was coming out, one of the guys it was he was one of the first ones that came out. I I don't remember who it was, but he had a canteen tied to his hand. And he had to have been either he had been severely concussed or lost a lot of blood or was high as balls on some fucking morphine, but he's like throwing this fucking uh canteen around because he's like, oh, and he's going like this in the fucking canteen's wing everywhere. And I'm like, why the fuck did he have a canteen tied to his fucking hand? Like, I don't know, and I'm sure it was probably some like the medic was like, or I'm sure the corner was probably like, hey, drink some water or hey, I'm gonna put this on there on you so that way if you pass out, I know so that way I can like set you up so you don't vomit on yourself. So, but um we knew that, and by that time, that's when um uh the house we we went to go put that. I think no for shit, no, first we hit the house, right? Before they came out.

April 6: Push To Echo Company

SPEAKER_02

You guys did, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. So we hit the house, and I remember those like uh I remember we hit it, we fragged, we fragged it, and we came in, and I remember it was just like there was like tomatoes and shit all over the ground because the grenade had landed underneath uh a refrigerator or cleaner or some shit like that. So we went in, you remember the like the pads that they would sleep on? Yep. When we went into that house, there was just pads stacked all the way up, and we started pulling them down. We found a couple of AKs, but I remember when I was pulling them down, I was like, this is a perfect area to put a fucking grenade in with the pin pulled and just keep the spoon held down. And as soon as you pull it down, it's gonna fucking and I remember doing that the whole time, going, nobody else other than me thought of that. Thankfully they didn't, but I um sergeant, what was his name? He's the one that got picked up for uh the ODA team.

SPEAKER_02

Uh Neil or Sakaki.

SPEAKER_01

Neil. No, Neil.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So Neil, like he I guess he was another one of the combat experience dudes, but he he was in the first Desert Storm. Dude, he was him and Gunny, I would not ever fuck with. But he he grabs me up and he goes, Hey, come with me. I'm like, uh, okay, and because there's a blood trail. And so we follow this but just me and him follow this blood trail when we get to this. Uh basically the family had pulled the body back, and they're he had been echo company guys that fucked him up. He was dead, and they were trying to hide him. And he goes, Let me fucking see, and open it up, and there's a dead Iraqi know. It's like, yeah, all right. And we go, I'm like, should we do so? Let me go nah, just fucking leave him. Well, all right. So then we went back. And and then I think that's when after that, I think you guys went back to um you guys take the trucks. I stayed there. You guys took the trucks to take the wounded back, I think. That's correct. In order to sort the ambulances back.

SPEAKER_02

We had uh we had a couple critical wounded, we had a two of the snipers that were bad off, and I don't remember who else. I I just know we took whoever was the worst off, and uh I told Horadsky, I was like, I need you to drive as fast as possible. And we we shot our way all the way down Nova. We got, I mean, just constantly shot at all the way down Nova. We shot cars, we shot people, like it was, I don't know how many, but it was a lot, all the way back to uh Dunction City. And if Horadsky ever listens to this, I know he's off doing things with the army right now. But uh that motherfucker drove like a race car driver. I don't know how the hell he did it, but he was like swerving in and out. He drove a taxi off the road, like he did shit that I don't even think he knew how to do, but really saved the day because we got those dudes in and all of them lived, and all of them have survived as far as I know.

SPEAKER_01

So didn't one one of them died, right? Because he got hit in the he was laying in the prone and he got hit in the shoulder, right? And the bullet just went all the way through him because his gear was in. Um, when you guys weren't there, I was in uh the CO's truck and his gear was in there, and I took his magazines and I Felt fucking terrible because I was going to I was like, that's his personal gear. I'm like, buy these fucking mags. And so and I was going through it and I felt bad. And I thought that was another one where I thought I was gonna get in trouble because I'm going through somebody's gear. And I'm like, but I need that, I need this shit. Like, it's just sitting in this truck, and I would rather have 10 magazines versus eight magazines. So, and especially with the shit that we just went through, is I want more.

SPEAKER_02

To my memory, one of the QRF was dead, but none of the snipers died. But Stace Kell was the one that got shot in the shoulder and he lived.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, I can't, I can't remember. Yeah, I remember because how many people had had uh had died at that ambush? Because there wasn't just one uh echo company squad, right?

SPEAKER_02

Uh it was it was two different ambushes, killed 12 people from Echo Company that day.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Yeah, I I I don't remember that because I I don't uh we didn't do any of the uh um recovery.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I remember we did not, they were taking care of their own on that day. Yeah, we we just we just when again when they got hemmed up in the north of the city, we got there before the Bradleys did, but they were there right after us.

Rooftop Fight And Protecting A Family

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I remember that because I remember looking back and going, holy shit. And that's how I always knew we were having a not very good day, is if the Bradleys were there, we were getting fucked up. And if they were as uh tanks when we were coming back into um when we were coming back into Hurricane Point, I also knew it was like this is probably not a good day. Or if the Helos were if the Helos were going gun runs, that was a pretty good, that was a pretty good indication too. Because I remember they did one down Michigan. I can't remember what day they did one down Michigan. I remember watching, going, holy shit, I don't want to be on that fucking the other side of that. Cause they did it was like Cobra, uh Huey Cobra, and one would come in with like guns, and then the Huey would come like fucking banking super hard, and then the next one came up was I think it was rockets, and they were fucking just lighting them up down. I was like, oh shit. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

That was when that specifically was when map one was hemmed up at the reviewing stance, and I don't even remember where those gun runs were, but yeah, I remember us responding and looking and being like, Oh my god. And you you had been with Sledgehammer by that point, and you guys were also head rolled out. But by the time we got there, map one had already killed everybody.

SPEAKER_01

So yeah, I think it was uh I think it was down Michigan is where they were doing it because I like it was literally just a straight shot right down. I was like, fuck. Well, that was also like when the uh swimmers died and they had the kilos out. And I remember they were they were flying low and they were banking super hard, and I remember going, How the fuck is that guy not falling out? Yeah. Yeah, there's a couple of reasons why they're still in there. So science and a strap. So, but then so the the six, the the other thing I remember about the six is when we got back. So we went through because I I can't remember it was like it was hours that we were basically running and gunning. And oh, well, two things I got for that one. So I usually didn't bring my camel back with me, but for some reason that day, I was like, I'm fucking filling this thing up because I think something bad's gonna happen. So I filled it up and I was wearing it. And by the time the evening time was coming down and everything was kind of winding down, I was fucking so thirsty. And so I'm in the CO's truck. I'm like, Do you guys have any water? And they're like, No. So I think half of the platoon had only half of the platoon had escorted me wounded, and so the other half was still there. And so I went up to every truck and I was like, hey guys, do you have any water? And the first one I got to goes, no, but we got some soda. I'm like, no, I need some fucking water. So I go to the next truck, I'm like, hey, you guys have any water? And they're like, no, but we have soda, and I'm like, fuck. So I go to the last one and they're like, hey, you guys have any water? No, but we have soda. I'm like, fuck me. I'm like, well, what kind of soda do you have? And like some orange bullshit. I was like, nah. So I go back to the next truck. I'm like, what do you guys have? Like, well, we have coke. I'm like, all right, we'll give me one of those. So I walked back to the CEO's truck and we're drinking this warm fucking coke after this terrible fucking day. And I'm like, all I want is something fucking cold to drink. Not a fucking warm Coke. So yeah, that which then it was another one of those was like, eh, we should probably throw some water in. We we need more ammo and water in the truck. Yep. Not the fucking sodas that we've been stealing from the uh from the chell hall.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, everything changed after the sixth, man. We put in a lot more ammo and a lot more water.

IED Setup, Palm Grove Contact, And Relief

SPEAKER_01

Well, well, that's uh well, let me get to that. So, because we were uh on the sixth too when we came back. You remember they had thrown out all the chow? Yeah, and so and they've locked the chow hall up too. And I think I can't remember who would like, I think it was probably Gunny had called called up, called before we even got there and was like, don't throw this shit away. We want to see these guys when they get back. And we got back and it was fucking locked, and all of us are hungry, we're fucking sweaty, we're dirty, we'll look like sh look like hammered shit. All of us are on like adrenaline rush, fucking thousand. We're talking about all the shit that happened. And I think it was I think it was Sergeant Mac, uh, first Sergeant Mac left and he's like, I'm gonna go. He was like, I'm gonna be right back. And he fucking leaves. And I just remember him being one of the biggest men of I've ever seen in my life, like this giant man. And he comes back, and the chow hall gunning was like head down, hanging low, opens the door and goes, they're gonna eat whatever the fuck they want. And we went in and we were drinking, and it went back to that same thing. Like, nobody, none of us were really drinking water, it was coke, and there wasn't any like food. So we're eating like fucking cake and pie and shit like that. And it was like nothing that you should probably be eating afterwards, but that's what we had. And it was like one of those things. But I just remember the child hall gunny going, like, because he was such a that guy was he was such a fucking douche, and he was such a pogue that he was like, no, you can only have this stuff. And then that moment he got his fucking world rocked, and he was just like a sad puppy. So, but then the next like how he was saying that changed everything is the next day. I remember I was fucking I well, I think we were probably all super tired, so we all passed out, but somebody came and got grabbed me. I'm like, hey, uh, wake up, we got a working party. I'm like, grab somebody else. And they're like, no, we're getting tow missile, we're getting toes, and I'm like, missiles, and he goes, Yeah, and we need you to be able to inventory these things. I'm like, oh shit, okay. So I um woke up and I remember they they brought that like seventh ton in, and the seven ton just had everything. And I was like, all right, let's get this shit out. So we got it all out, and then I don't remember how long it was before they were like, all right, grab your shoe again, we're getting that, we're getting ready to push again. But we um so that because that was right after the Morris's truck had gotten hit, and so and it was out, and so I can't remember who LT was riding with, but we had an extra 240 in the uh in the hooch. And I don't know if you remember this, but I went, if we're getting ready to push again, I was like, um I went and grabbed the 240, you know, and I remember walking out with him like, what are you doing with that? I was like, it's one more fucking gun, dude. And they're like, Yep, go. So I grabbed it and I put it in the I can't remember, I put it in the truck and then we left again. And that day was not nearly as fun as the first day because that day turned into Jesus fucking Christ. I I just remember shooting at like and it was back to that where they're not stupid because they were smart enough to push to hit us on a road where you couldn't push on this side, but the blocks were on each side and so it went parallel to each other. And so all they have to do is grab from one side, push up one side where we're not on, come to the next block, start shooting as we come up here. And um, I think that's when was it Neemai? I think it was Ney's 50 stopped working, or he didn't have like a headspace and timing or something. So then that's when somebody was like, Where's that 240? I'm like, glad I brought it. But I remember watching so Gunny Maroc run day uh he ran a um a box drill of two guys on a on a on a rooftop right as the truck was fucking stopping. And I remember going, Holy shit. I'm glad he's on our side.

Evac Run Down Nova Under Fire

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and he did that in the offhand, like he did that with his left hand. He did he's a right-handed dude, he did it in the left hand.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, well, because we because the way we would ride too, you remember when we first got there, like, well, first we weren't gonna have any doors, which is here or there, and then we got those stupid fucking half doors with like what quarter, quarter of an inch at the most of this armor, and so you still rode facing out so that way your plates would take anything and your weapon out, right? And so and so at that time we still had those half doors, and like he fucking did it. And I was like, Whoa.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So then we get out, so then we get out to dismount, and there were like um, there were two guys, I think they were like jerky tea, and they were like, Time for us to go. And I had since I had just gotten a grenade, I was like, We're gonna go fragment. He goes, Yeah. I was like, all right. But then that's when you and I lit that car up. And I remember that because I those guys probably didn't have much to do with it. But do you remember the guy got out and he kept up, he was running into that palm grove? And I was like, and I remember I was aiming at him, I was like, I don't think he has anything to do with this. So I'm just gonna kind of he's gonna be scared.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. That it was interesting because the first day we watched him reinforce with cars, and so when we started taking contact that second day, my first thought when me and you lit up that car was, oh, they're reinforcing immediately. They're trying to close the gap and surround us again again because we were surrounded on the first day. And they did eventually, and they did start reinforcing with taxis, but that car probably wasn't part of it.

SPEAKER_01

No, I I I don't think I think he was just wrong place, wrong time. And he well, and definitely with the wrong people because we were fucking pissed by that point. And I was like, yeah, but that was one of those things where I like that was what another one of those movie moments too, where like you'd see the rounds hitting the glass, and it just looked you know like a fucking movie. And I was like, oh shit. And then I was like, Well, which one of us got the driver? I don't know. Right, one of us did, right? And to be fair, we probably both did. So yeah, but that was also when they were uh weren't they in a correct me if I'm wrong, but they were in a a moss tower, right? Yes, and they were using the uh was it a dishka they were trying to fucking hit us with? And then I think it jammed or or did Mosby put a fucking toe into it. I can't remember which one it was.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, so the dishka did eventually jam, but we watched them reinforce because they kept dragging. We I mean, we shot multiple people carrying ammo cans. That was the other thing that had changed on that day, is there was somebody running ammo. There were ammo bearers running back and forth across the roads between the houses, and they had ran 50 cal ammo up there, and then yeah, that was when Mosey collapsed the top of the house with the toe on.

SPEAKER_01

Well, he fired, he fired two that day because I remember he put one into a uh just one. I fired the ah, so you're the one that put it into the wall. Yes, yeah, so because I remember they came over the radio and they're like, hey, we're gonna fire uh AT4, and it went off. I went, that wasn't a fucking AT4. And they're like, Yeah, that was the tail. And I was like, but I remember it because I watched it hit the wall, and there were some guys behind there, and there were some pieces of guy that came out with when that went off, and I went, well, we got that guy.

unknown

Yep.

Air, Armor, And Signs Of A Bad Day

SPEAKER_01

But you know, it was interesting as during that that time, as uh because they were pushing down the block, me and Groves were kind of towards the the the front of their um trucks, and there was an RPG launcher in the middle of the road, and we were at the very front, and me and him were like, he's like, one of us has got to go get that and like do them way faster than the other. And he goes, Yeah, okay. And uh like we're both talking, and right as a I was like, we were kind of like well, who's gonna do it? Because there was also a blood trail from where they had dragged one of the apparently ammo bearers that we had taken down. They had dragged him, so there's this trail of blood. There's this RPG launcher right in the fucking middle of the road, and it's a blind corner, so I can't fucking see around it. And I go, all right, well, here we go. And right as I moved one around hits right in the wall right where he and I were talking. So I'm like, that would have been me. So but I take off running and I'm fucking running as fast as I can. I remember going, I hope nobody's on the other side of the fucking wall. So I run and I grab, I grabbed, because he kept on saying there's an RPG, there's an RPG, and I thought he meant a rocket, but I didn't realize he meant launcher. So I'm already halfway running through when I realized that it's a launcher, not a not the rocket. And I grab it and I come running back. And the part that I remember going is these are a lot heavier than I thought they'd be. And I get back to the truck, I'm like, well, here's the launcher. And I think he was looking at me going, You're fucking nuts, man. And then I think about it too, it's like we were about to push up to the next block anyway. So we probably could have just left it there and picked it up before, and I didn't have to do the stupid shit of running into the middle of this fucking road. But in that moment, that's what we needed to do. So then there's another time too where during that time, I think it was Staff Sergeant Coleman and who was the senior corpsman?

SPEAKER_02

Uh Natividad was the senior corpsman and no, the the company senior. Oh, Ray Brent. Yeah, Ray Brent.

Aftermath: Warm Soda And Empty Water

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. So he and um Staff Sergeant Coleman, they were on a wall and they were just sitting back, and I'm like running my ass off, and they're both just sitting there chilling. Both look at me and go, you could probably slow down a little bit. Just smoking in the middle of this fucking firefight. I'm like, yeah, okay, I guess I could. You guys aren't too worried about it. So but yeah, that was the that day I remember it being significantly less. Um but and I don't want to say enjoyable, but like it had different, it was a different uh feeling. And because then I think once they once I think we had to break contact because we were fucking running low. Yep. And we pushed and we went to Junction City and then we went to we got Chow there. And did we have wounded too?

SPEAKER_02

No, no one's significantly wounded. We had a bunch of small wounds. That was when uh Bundy got some shrapnel in the butt, staff sergeant Coleman got shrapnel to the face, Metroca was wounded.

SPEAKER_01

And homo got like hit in a um, didn't he get uh take a bullet in the like grazing his ankle or yeah?

SPEAKER_02

A few people got grazed. Yeah, yeah. There was multiple people grazed. The CO was wounded, he had wounds to the face. Uh, there's multiple people wounded.

SPEAKER_01

Because I I can't remember if it was that day or if it was another day, but we were bringing, we were, I mean, those days we were driving as fast as fucking possible. And there was, I think it was it was either a nurse or one of the doctors that worked at the their BAS or whatever the fucking aid station was. She had huge cans. She was like, she didn't have a top, she didn't have her top on, and she was like jumping up and down. And I remember going, Yeah, we should slow down. That's hilarious. But then the other interesting thing too is that when we were eating there, um, there was some it was one of the artillery dudes who was like, All right, I think we were standing in line, and he goes, Oh yeah, we've been listening to you guys from the radio. He's like, You guys have been getting into it. And like, I think it was like me and Homewood and Radsky and maybe uh maybe somebody else. When we're looking and what I mean, we all look like pit, we're all fucking sweaty, we're all dilly, and we're like, Yeah, you think. So, but yeah, that's kind of like what I uh that's what I kind of remember about that. The 10th, I don't think was near for for me at least, it wasn't nearly as shitty. Cause then I think probably uh a couple days later is when I got moved over to E1s.

SPEAKER_02

It was the next week. From my memory, it was the next week. Yeah, it was still April.

SPEAKER_01

It was still within a couple it was within a couple of days of April 6th, and that whole time period that I got moved over. So then but yeah, that's what I that's what I remember. We went from uh we went from amateur to professional that those those couple of days, yeah. So yep.

Re-Arming: TOWs, Extra 240, New Tactics

SPEAKER_02

Anything else you remember you want to add specifically? Otherwise, I've I can always ask you a couple questions. Um about those days or just specifically anything, anything at all. Yeah, anything that kind of tickles your your memory.

SPEAKER_01

So uh there's one so kind of a funny story when we're talking about fucking with each other. So I always think about it too, it's like it's almost like it's like brothers, like I can fuck with you, but as soon as somebody else fucks with you, now we're both now you're dealing with both of us. But I I think it was do we have a was there a wamp was a wolf? Was that one of the guys? Okay. So and he was kind of uh he was kind of an awkward dude, and he got uh he had like this like beloved border collie. I don't know if you know know this one, Blake, but we uh but his mom or his parents had sent him like this little figurine of a border collie. And so naturally we took it and I can't remember who it was. Uh I can't remember who it was, but then we would we would put it in like random places and like and then eventually it morphed into we start taking pictures and shit with it. And so then when we get our pictures back and you can see this little fucking figurine in the background, I can't remember who it was. Like, taped a cigarette to it, and like we had a picture of it, it looks like we're talking to the ceramic dog. It's like and eventually we gave it back to him, right? And he was like, he was like, You guys are fucking dicks and whatever. And but yeah, it was it was the funniest fucking thing where like I think about it now. I'm like, this poor guy, like here we are, and he's got this dog that he fucking loves, and his parents sent him something for him to remember. And what do we do? And we fucking take it, and then not only do we take it, we start fucking with it, we start putting it in a random places. Like he would be talking to us, and somebody would take it and put it in the behind him, so he had no fucking clue or that. Or like, I think I think when they gave it back to him, they ended up like putting it in like his dump pouch or like somewhere in his beer, like take out one of his grenades and put it in like in his grenade pouch or some shit like that. Like, I can't remember what it was, but that's one of those one of those other things where it's like, yeah, we're just gonna fuck with each other all the goddamn time.

SPEAKER_00

I actually do remember that because I'm the one that had to step in and finally be like, guys, you have to give that fucking back.

SPEAKER_01

Like, uh jokes, but uh it was no corporal it was me and one corporal fuck, what was his name?

SPEAKER_00

But yeah, the the two of us were he was he was uh at that at that point he has uh he had pulled over and he was part of my uh my team and I would have been a good corpor uh corporal of Marines and be like, oh the counter pulled off.

SPEAKER_01

I don't know what I'm gonna do. Um you remember that because uh that was one of the things that I think about too.

SPEAKER_00

I'm like, oh I completely forgot about it until you brought it up.

April 7: Street Blocks, Dishka, And TOW Shots

SPEAKER_01

And yes, I have a very, very Yes, because that was uh But I think it was you that came I think you probably came out to me and were like, Hey man, do you know anything about this? I'm like No. And he goes, Well If it comes back, it's gonna be good. And if it's not, it's gonna be bad. It's like I don't know where it's at, but I could probably find it.

SPEAKER_00

I forgot, I didn't remember who I had talked to, but I I very I very vividly been like, oh, I think it was just being like, listen.

SPEAKER_01

It was me and it was me and somebody else that you talked to. And yeah, and and then it magically appeared.

SPEAKER_00

No, I worked. Well, and I and I think I remember even saying I was like, I don't I don't want to know anything, I don't want to see anything, I don't want to, I don't need any explanation. I just need it back. Like let's have it. It needs to appear. Just have it appear.

SPEAKER_01

And like a day and like the next day it was there.

SPEAKER_00

Miraculously. It was it was it was amazing. So we're asking you receive, right?

SPEAKER_01

You know, I don't know where it came from, man. I still don't know.

SPEAKER_00

No. Oh man, we would fuck with each other a lot though, man. Some of my favorite, I mean and it all went around. I mean, I got fucked with, you know. Everybody gets fucked with. I mean, if you don't get fucked with, that's probably a bigger indication that you're not a part of the group than than anything else. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Well, I think a part of it too is like when you're talking about like the martial arts and the wrestling and stuff, like not only is it about us being okay with hitting somebody else, it's also like um it's a team building. Yeah, absolutely. Like if if I can fuck with you and you can fuck with me, then you know, we're we're gonna be okay. Right. And then also, I mean, think about how fucking boring, like we talk about all these exciting days. There were plenty of days where it was boring as shit. Right. And there was nothing to fucking do. And it's like, well, what do you think is gonna happen when you have a bunch of 20-something year olds that are in like it's essentially we're like we were like athletes with guns. And so, like, what do you fucking think is going to happen when you have this team together of guys that are all like uh with lack of a better term, macho? And do you think they're not gonna fuck with each other? Like, of course they're gonna fuck with each other, and they're the weaker ones that aren't as the weaker ones are gonna get picked on a little bit more, but everybody's still gonna fucking get shit. And when I say weaker, like they could have been physically weaker, but then if they're fucking smarter than you, then you get fucking hit with something else, and you're like, Well, shit up. I don't, I don't, I don't understand that. Yeah. Oh, okay. I've got a question for you guys. Who the fuck was the guy? It was Sir Sergeant Kelly. He is the one that did the uh cartoons, right? Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00

Do you guys not remember that? Yes, yeah. Oh, wow, yeah. Wow, I forgot about that.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, he did like the caricatures and he had the it was like the whole like uh it was in the back of the CP where they would go and like their smoke pariah. And he went in there and he would draw like pictures of everybody from the fucking company. And dude, they were I remember those. I wish I had a picture of those because they were fucking hilarious.

SPEAKER_02

I bet somebody does come up with I forgot about that.

RPG In The Road And Risky Retrieval

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, some of the shit that he would come up with, like in Turkey. He used to get pissed because I call him Pony Express. He had some features that could look like some things. But I used to call him Pony Express, and I he must have heard me one day because there was that was a caricature of him with like there's like a horse room underneath it, and like yeah, he used to get uh he used to get mad at me. Oh man. Yeah, so you you had some questions there, Shane.

SPEAKER_02

I I know this is all great, man. I can again I always can if you need me to prod your memory, but uh no man, you're doing good.

SPEAKER_00

I mean good. One of my bigger memories of you, man, was um uh it's not it's not a really crazy one or anything like that, but it was after it was when we were doing left seat, right seat, and we were, you know, there was a group of us that stayed behind to help help with the next unit for a while. And then we got we got chewed up pretty bad on that last day. And uh and that's we had a a very quick exfil from uh hurricane point and we came over to Junction City. And I don't think a lot of I think a lot of you guys had heard that we were getting that we got into a pretty big yeah, we were getting pretty tied up at the government center.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, because the one five guys would just fucking sit there and take fire and they wouldn't shoot back. And it was because Harden was yeah, Harden was telling me that the the side of the truck was getting fucking peppered and the gunner was like, what am I supposed to do?

SPEAKER_00

I was the only I was on top of a rooftop and I was the only one shooting. Like the only one shooting.

SPEAKER_01

That's when the guy was at snake pit shooting the fucking small, right? That's right.

unknown

Right.

SPEAKER_00

Well, the point of the story was is uh that when we came back, I remember walking into the uh those buildings, the the wood, those wooden huts that they had they had built. And and you were sweeping you were sweeping the deck. And I remember you turning around and you were legitimately happy that I wasn't dead. And that made me feel good.

SPEAKER_01

Like I was happy that you were not home.

SPEAKER_00

For whatever reason, that is uh that that is a very vivid memory that you were you were uh I don't know if you were you thought I was dead or no, because I think they came and told us that you can't go to the MWR tent because they they might need us again.

Break Contact, Minor Wounds, Junction City

SPEAKER_01

And so you need to stay close because they're getting fucked getting hammered. And I remember just thinking, fuck these people, fuck one five, fuck you assholes. We put all this fucking work in. All you need to do is shoot the fuck back. Yes. Because even when we were doing the the left seat, right seat, when we were changing the gear over, I I think I was handing the the the ramp and pouring all the gear and it was on top of the truck, and um we had handed, we had signed it over, and I I walked away and I was like, should I should I do something with that 240? And I can't remember, I think his staff's recording was like, that's their fucking problem now. They need to put it away, not you. I was like, and that kind of I feel like that kind of was the uh the best way to describe how they they fucking did. And I'm also glad that you talked. I I can't remember, I think it was you, Shane, that talked me out of staying with 15 because I was just gonna extend with them.

SPEAKER_02

Like I didn't want to it was two five that took over for us, but yeah, uh two five, there it is. I I probably did. Uh I tried to talk a couple people out of it.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I think it was you because you were like, bro, like this is the devil that you know, and you don't know what you're gonna get here, you don't know who you're gonna know, like don't don't risk it. And I I remember thinking like, yeah, it's probably a good idea. And I I guess I'm I'm glad I didn't. Yeah. They they didn't get uh they didn't they didn't fare so well.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, they took a lot of casualties in those in the first 60 days. Uh I I think if I remember correctly, their the most of their casualties were in the first 60 days while they had to relearn all the lessons that we tried to convey. And we probably weren't very good teachers either.

SPEAKER_01

Well, no, I part of it too is they they didn't want to listen because they had they were there during the invasion, and so they were like, Well, we already know what it's like. And like, this is not the invasion, bro. This is this is different than what you're used to. So and uh because I remember there was like it was like some sergeant or corporal that was riding with us. He was like, No, I was in the invasion, like this thing is a fucking invasion, dude. And he goes, Don't worry, I I know what I'm doing. And then we short enough within a couple of days of us not even leaving, they were getting fucked up. And I was like, eh, all right, well, you know, trying to tell you.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Well, that's a good segue. I was gonna ask you, uh you were there. I mean, that was you had literally just gotten to the fleet and then deployed, so you did at least two more deployments. Like, what was it kind of like coming back and then sort of moving on past that?

Pranks, Bonding, And Keeping Morale

SPEAKER_01

So coming back was uh well, because when we came back in in the beginning, there were not a lot of guys that had combat actions or purple hearts or any like combat awards. It was just kind of it was a rarity, and so then like you kind of walk around like when you put your alphas on or you put your blues on or something, every kind of looks easier a little different. But then it kind of like that so like when when our next appointment was to Okinawa, and Okinawa was fucking boring, we didn't do anything, it was training and um the like it to me it kind of felt like a waste of time. I was like, what the fuck are we doing here? And then uh the third one we floated from San Diego to Kuwait, and then we pushed in. But by that time, that was during the the troop surge too. So that was different too, because it wasn't now of this time, it was like now we're coming fucking heavy-handed. Now there's a bunch of fucking people, and so the it just wasn't the same. And then also we were in a different environment. We were I I think at that point, we were just guarding a fucking pipeline for the most part, and there's a small, I mean, Haditha Dam was there, but that was super fucking built up and we weren't doing anything there. And and so it just and then like when I was in the army too, it was the same thing where it's like it's just not the it's not the same. Like the autonomy, the camaraderie, the the yeah, I mean, even the level of fucking training was different. So and like because we when we came back, when we brought all of that. I mean, it's got like if you look like the Roman army, the Roman army utilized veterans in a like a unique role, right? They knew that we once you had been to combat, that it was different for you. And so they would integrate the combat. And so, like, and part of that was like, I mean, because then we get the young guys, and the young guys, because we all got told the same thing by the older guys is you don't wanna, it's not what you think it's gonna be. And then you try to tell that to the kids to come in and they go, fuck you, old man, you don't know anything. And then they get it and they go, Yeah, okay.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So that's kind of how it was. I mean, the the first one, I mean, I always look at like my Marine Force experience, like, I got everything. So I got the straight up combat, I got put on a ship, I floated uh a complete deployment from one from the states to somewhere else. Like we pretty much we got everything. Everybody, everybody in that group that came, we all got kind of the the whole the full experience that you can get from the Marine Corps from combat veterans to spend time on shit to hitting all the fucking ports and doing all the other fun stuff, right? And so yeah, that's the first one. Like I think I think if you're gonna have one and that's how you're gonna fucking pop your cherry, it's probably the best kind to have. Because I mean, think about all the things we did, like everything other than like like large-scale movements, like some CAC stuff. We basically did everything, right? Like the and the CAC stuff was limited because they didn't want to, they didn't want to shoot shit the heavy shit inside of the city. So it's not like we could they don't want the 155s landing in the city. They didn't want the they don't want 81s getting fucking deployed, how 81s are supposed to be deployed. Like, and then we leave, and then a couple of fucking months later, what are they doing? They're shooting 155s into the city, they're using 81s, they're fucking dropping 500 pounders into the fucking city. And because I remember when we left, like they had built up, like we had we had done a really good fucking job of keeping their shit down, like we were fucking hit, but they had like they put like paint on the gov government building, the ag building had gotten rebuilt and it had been painted, and like all this other stuff was like getting rebuilt up, and then within months it was 500-pound bombs being dropped on all this shit, and like and then I just went from fairly controlled to an absolute shit show.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Yeah, I mean Ramadi remained uh a tough bit of land until 2009-ish, when it kind of settled down when the the Anbar Awakening happened, and then and then ISIS came in, and the Iraqis and ISIS both blew up half the shit they had rebuilt in 2001. That town like flattened it. And then now it's now it's a bustling metropolis again.

SPEAKER_00

So it's it's it's coming forward one more time. You should you should actually look it up. It's like because they raised it to the ground, they still claim each other.

SPEAKER_01

It looks nice whole new foundation.

SPEAKER_00

Someday we'll vacation.

Left Seat Right Seat And Hard Lessons

SPEAKER_01

Well, I think about like the the parallels between like Vietnam and Iraq and Afghanistan. Like it's crazy the shit that we like gas isn't 50 cents a gallon, we don't have a 51st state, we don't have like all we basically had is a waste of money, resources, and people. And like, and then what did we do? We ended up creating a fucking vacuum and got ISIS and these other things. And then what we had to do, go the fuck back. And like, I don't think anybody ever looked at like the long-term future of either one of those places. Like Alexander the Great had a fucking good reason why he pushed through Afghanistan and didn't fucking stay there. The Russians, we helped them hand the Russians their ass, right? And then here we go come in 15, 20 years later, and we're like, all right, well, now you need to elicit us. Right. So we're going to go into Iraq is they already had their own fucking thing going on. And don't get me wrong, Saddam was a fucking terrible person. He was doing terrible shit and he probably wasn't great, but at that point it was more stability, and you kind of back to like the devil you know, because then what do we do? Create a fucking power vacuum. We try to put our thoughts and our feelings into it without actually doing the full backup behind it. And then now we have the world that we have now. It's like World War One really, and then if we like if you go back to like look, like World War One is really where all this fucking started because that's when they started yeah, where everything got carved up.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And it was all based on basically on oil, because at that point, that's when oil was becoming the main, the number one source. And so then, and then we look back on them, we go, well, I don't understand why they don't like each other or why our fucking version of life isn't working. It's like, well, no shit, because how many fucking bedouins do you know in the States? I'm gonna go with zero.

unknown

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Well, outside of the geopolitical sphere, that's uh that's a perfect segue to my next question. Is outside of grand scheme, skill of uh scheme of things, zooming in on you, what does all this mean to you?

SPEAKER_01

Uh, you know, for me, I I'm I'm proud of what we did, right? Like uh are there things that I'm still ashamedful of? Yeah. Are there things that I'm super proud of? Yeah, absolutely. Um, did it did it have a huge? I mean, probably the biggest impact in my life was that that specific deployment, right? That changed everything. It went from a kid to adult in a matter of a couple of months. So and and um the uh so yeah, and that's how I was thinking about it, but now I also think about it too, like like I don't want my kids to ever experience that. And if they do want to go into the military, then I don't want them to be enlisted either. Like go in be an officer, you get paid more, you get better housing, better chow. Like it's better for you in the long run, instead of basically when you're when you're a PFC, you're there to to carry heavy shit and not sleep. For sure. So, and that that's kind of how I think about it, you know, like it's taken me, um it's taken me a long time to still kind of like uh accept what happened and you know, my my role in it and that kind of stuff. So I mean, even then, it's still, I'm sure you guys probably there's moments where you're like, uh and then there's other times when you think about like when you when when Blake first hit me up going, hey man, how would you feel about this? And then me my mind automatically going back to the story of him in the fucking rack with his fucking tan panties on. And that was like one of those things that I hadn't thought of in you know 20 plus years where I'm like, oh shit, yeah, that's that's right. So I don't know. That's it's kind of kind of out of how it's affected me now. But I mean, I'm I'm thankful part of it too. Like, you know, if we wouldn't have had that, would I still have the same work ethic that I have now? Would I still have the would I have the outlook on life that I have now? Like, because a lot of times, I'm sure you guys probably have those two words at work, and they're like, This is the shittiest fucking day, blah, blah, blah. I'm like, it can get worse. So far, nobody has shot at me today. So you know what? This is pretty fucking good. I don't have to worry about it plus one. Yeah, yeah. When I get in my car, I don't have to worry about a fucking blast going off. So you know what? Like, I got a couple of good things going here.

SPEAKER_00

It's not a I got a full night's sleep last night.

SPEAKER_01

Hold on. I know, not only did I get a full night's sleep, I got it in a bed.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and nobody was jerking off in the bunk right next to you.

Later Deployments And Changing War

SPEAKER_01

No, uh, yeah, I didn't have to go to a jack shack, so I had to explain that one to somebody the other day, and they're like, Oh, what? And I'm like, Yeah, it's exactly what it sounds like. And like, and you would go off, you would go in there and you would masturbate. I'm like, Well, yeah, but I wasn't the only one, like, yes, but I wasn't the only one using it. Not but not like we were doing it at the same time, but you know what I mean. Like we're cycling through. Totally, totally normal. It's totally normal.

SPEAKER_00

We're taking turns, it's fine, it's fine.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Uh-huh. Well, dude, this has been good. Well, let's do this again because I I actually I need to get to work. I need to finish.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I'm over here dipping around like the fucking if you like what you heard, make sure you subscribe for future episodes on your favorite podcast service.