Zabul Redux: Call It In
October 15th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
5/19/09: Sgt. Trent Barnes from Bravo Company, 1-4 Infantry, calls in a 120mm mortar attack on hills nearby where insurgents are gathering to attack near FOB Baylough, Zabul province.
Zabul Redux
October 12th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
Sean Naylor and I will will be reporting again from Afghanistan in about a week, so I’ll be posting some pictures this week from our last trip that didn’t get posted last time. We’ll be retracing our steps in Zabul province, and perhaps some other districts – we’ll see as our embed develops….
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June 6th, 2009: Spc. Derek Houser, 26, from Church Hill, Tn., a machine gunner with Bravo Company, 1-4 Infantry, runs to his bunker guard position during a rocket attack at FOB Baylough in the mountains near Qalat, Zabul Province, Afghanistan. “I heard the first one come in, and grabbed my kit and started running,” Houser said. “Your training just kicks in.” It was the first time the base had been attacked in almost six months.
Houser – whose estimates that he’s been mortared about 40-50 times -paused briefly for cover behind a Hesco bastion. “I heard the whistle of the second one, and started to watch them walk the rounds in, to see what pattern they were going in. It was about average – four rounds – but they were a pretty good team to get one inside the wire.”
This Is How You Win Horse
May 22nd, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
Spc. Justin McEwen, from Yadkinville, NC, watches Sgt. Quinton Flegel, from The Dalles, Or. – both part of the 1-4 PSD here at FOB Lagman – sink a shot during a game of Horse while while waiting during a USAID meeting at PRT Zabul.
Incoming Mortars
May 21st, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
Pfc. Paul Liberatore, and Spc. Nick Giovanelli, from Bravo Company, 1-4 Infantry, were in the MWR and gym, respectively, when the first mortars rounds started landing near the base – and are starting to stand down after an hour wait on the sandbagged roof. It’s been almost six months since the FOB was shelled. Only one of the four Russian 105mm rockets landed on the base. Summertime’s here.
This Is What I Mean
May 21st, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
1st. Lt. Jason Basilides, Platoon Leader, Bravo Company, 1-4 Infantry, hops a creek headed back from a patrol doing local surveillance. I assumed Afghanistan would be completely arid and desert-like – and much of it is – but parts of it are incredibly fertile, and very green. Everywhere we walk on patrol has roaring streams appearing from nowhere, or seeping through walls, roads, or muddy flats.
Unexpected Guests
May 20th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
A natural spring appeared on the base the other week, seeping up during construction, and the 1-4 lads were forced to dig a stream channel through the FOB to prevent their new pond from overrunning the base – the water table is rather insane here in the valley. Water gurgles all over the place. They have frogs hopping around now – as Pfc. James Mease aptly demonstrated until everyone gave him grief about it (re: where the frog urine will end up… and you know the rules about using the bathroom). Maybe they could get it stocked with some fish? Trout, perhaps?
If You Got ‘Em
May 20th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
Smokes can be hard to come by – gotta resupply when you’re off base – you know how often flights are around here? Tomorrow’s was just cancelled, and don’t ask when it is coming back. If you’re lucky, the air drop might have fresh fruit that isn’t pulped.
Where Are The Shoes?
May 20th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
Pfc. Lucas Dispennette, from Dayton, Oh., looks in a storage shed for children’s shoes that they can pass out when on patrol. But apparently, USAID took them all last month. Couldn’t tell us that before we looked?
Them Thar’ Hills
May 19th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
Keeping watch right before 120mm mortars are called in on insurgents in the hills, near a road building patrol north of FOB Baylough. Good thing they practiced last night.
1000
May 19th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
Pfc. Walter Higbee, from Lafayette, In., exercises in FOB Baylough’s makeshift gym. He does around a 1000 situps everyday – even on days when he patrols – to prevent boredom.