"Everybody Fights", "NOBODY QUITS!"

[cbush]

The Commanding General, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)/Combined Joint Task Force-101, presented one of our young heroes a Silver Star, Purple Heart and Combat Infantry Badge a few weeks ago when he visited Walter Reed on R&R leave.
He got this email from the young Soldier (E-4) yesterday. I left his name off bacause I don't have his permission to release this personal letter. But he is representative of the great kids we have representing us in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Thanks to you all for supporting them and buying the great gear he refers to in this letter.


************

I stood proud the day we decided upon that motto, in holding with the
traditions of the 101st in setting new standards and upholding the ARMY values
that keep us on our feet and hold up the name of "Soldier". When we deployed
to Kandahar province in June 2010, I knew this deployment was going to be
different. I felt it in my gut. I knew something was going to happen, I just
didn't know what it would be. Months passed by and we had taken it to the
enemy in ways that many couldn't fathom. We had lost few, and taken many. We
had counted dozens of Taliban warriors fallen, and saw the graves they dug at
night while they assumed we weren't watching. All the while our FLIR cameras
were ablaze, watching in amusement at the progress we were making.

Months had passed, and we had been in dozens of firefights, without taking a
single injury, except of-course our backs from carrying all of the extra
weight. Needless to say, the things we carried were meant to save our lives.
A tale was unfolding from that simple fact alone. I was given a team leader
position over 3 ANA. A grenadier, a rifleman, and an R.P.G.

I had been to school to learn some Dari, and most of them spoke it fluently,
and those that couldn't relied on the others to translate. We did simple
dismounted patrols which didn't require many complicated commands. "Move
there", "stay here". Not too many commands required much translating when I
shouted and pointed in a particular direction.

One of our soldiers had recently been injured and we had no
replacement to carry the THOR III so I was assigned to carry it along with the
other gear I was already assigned.

We were given an OPORD ( Operation Order ) to meet with some land owners and possibly some town elders. So we were on our way to meet them. We had passed through a somewhat dry potato field, and crossed a canal which was their main water source, as well as their sewage outlet (tasty). Once most of my platoon had crossed over the canal and climbed the unusually high dirt mound and reached the other side, it was my job to pick up our safety markers showing
where we had cleared a path. I was supposed to be the last person over the
dirt mound, and over the other side. As soon as I picked up the final safety
marker, we took contact.

The entire wood line in front of us seemed to explode into a frenzy of AK and
RPK fire. RPK, PKMs, possibly a M249 SAW and RPG fire was hitting all around
us. We were pinned down into a ditch just on the other side of the dirt mound
we had climbed up after crossing that canal. We could only manage to get a
handful of soldiers in decent fighting positions. The rest of us were stuck
in that ditch. My platoon sergeant, called out "Alright we need to
pull back and regroup and get more men on the ground and call in Air Support
and an AWT ( Air Weapons Team ) to level these jackasses. They've got us
pinned down here so we're no good. Get ready to move back!". I left out most
of the less than decent language for plain decency. We tend to use less than
professional words sometimes when we're a little heated.

So most of use who were down in the ditch had already fired a few rounds as we
were hopping down into cover. So we swapped out magazines for fresh ones and prepared to move out. All-of-the-sudden one of my ANA soldiers takes off on
top of the dirt mound behind us, on uncleared ground. I yelled in Pashto
first, then Dari, and even English "STOP or you'll get shot!" but he didn't
listen. I would have shot his legs out from beneath him to save him from
detonating an IED and possibly getting us all killed, but I had too many
friendlies in the way, so I hauled up the dirt mound and grabbed him by the
back of the collar of his IBA and threw him back attempting to push him back
into the ditch when I stepped backwards and wide trying to regain my balance
when I stepped on the pressure plate.

Post-blast analysis determined that it was a pie plate (crush box) tied to two
82mm (millimeter) mortars. Enough to take out an entire platoon given the
proper circumstances, yet here I am, alive with most of my parts, and the ANA
only suffered miner wounds, and is probably back in the fight already. My
buddies had concussions, but that is all.

All in all, I believe I made the right decision in my actions. I saved 4
people's lives in doing what I did (or so I believe) and I give credit to the
gear for protecting my faculties. Eye pro prevented shrapnel from entering my
eye sockets and into my brain; the ear pro prevented hearing loss, I still
have perfect hearing; and the gloves kept my fingers from getting shredded by
the shrapnel being flung all around me. I did lost parts of my legs and my
feet, but judging by the shrapnel they pulled out of the THOR III that was on
my back, it was a small sacrifice when it could have been much worse.

You could say Angels... I think not... I believe it was the spirit of the
101st that saved my life that day. To do without being told. To act without
needing prompting. To sacrifice without remorse. To be, to do, to act, to
train, to become, and to live. These are what we are in the 101st ABN DIV.
We are soldiers. I would gladly have given my life to ensure the safety of
our families back home. I will walk again, and I will gladly make the same
sacrifice again knowing that my child, and wife have a future. We keep this
madness from reaching our homes, and that's why I did what I did, and I do
what I do. Take it to the enemy, not the other way around.

"Everybody Fights", "NOBODY QUITS!" our Battery commander would answer and
sound off. I will hold true to that answer. I will not quit. I am proud to
be part of HHB 1-320th FAR 2 BCT 101st ABN DIV. I am proud to be part of the
US ARMY. I will always fight, because it was never about me... it's all about
us. Freedom.

[M.D. Holloway]

I like it...a lot. Thanks for sharing.

[azasadny]

Thank you!

[kimlangley7]

GEN Casey [Army Chief of Staff] sent that email around the building [Pentagon] today > We do have fine young men/women serving today... just the best!!!

[A930Rocket]

Thanks for sharing. Great story.