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.”
Ka-Boom!
July 30th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Colin Kelly
Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment at FOB Honaker Miracle in the Pesh River valley register their 81mm mortar in the afternoon heat. If you look closely you can see the actual mortar round leaving the barrel.
Illumination
June 9th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
The mortar team at FOB Lagman mid-launch – sending multiple 120mm illumination rounds up at timed intervals.
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.
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.
Practice Makes Perfect
May 19th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
Spc. Steve “Gypsy” Gillapsie, from Golden, Co., practices quick firing with 60mm mortar, nicknamed the “Boom Stick.”