Bad Week

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Not that any week in in this worthless country is a good week, but this one was particularly bad yet fortunate at the same time. But it has shown me that God has been watching over me. For starters on Monday I was supposed to be on this CH-53 helicopter doing some training for what was going to be an upcoming raid. It was due to some preparations that I was not on this bird. I got these pictures when we were called out to take care of an IED not far from the scene. Otherwise I would have never known the severity of the crash.
Last night then proved to be a very long one. We started by responding to a call about a UXO (unexploded ordnance) call out in one of the nearby communities. These are usually easy but as I walked up on it I saw there were wires and det cord. I had walked right up on an IED. I pulled back to my safe area with my security when my team leader went down foolishly to take care of it manually. This is how people get killed. Luckily I am smart enough to watch out for myself as my boss is willing to take stupid risks. While by my vehicle we started taking fire from insurgents with AK47's. We didn't take any casualties and departed the scene to return to base. While in route back, I triggered an IED in the middle of the road with my Cougar vehicle. We blew the front tires, lights and drivers mirror. The only injuries though were to my left ear with some ringing and crackling. Minor compared to the damage and injuries had our security humvees struck the device. This is just a not so subtle reminder that my folks and others are praying for me and all of my brothers and sisters in arms over here. My hearing is almost back to 100%. My purpose is not to scare those of you reading this, but to show that the thoughts and prayers do make a difference. I hope all of you back home are doing well and I am sure that my future posts will be more positive.