The Price of Freedom

The Price of Freedom

         The way of life that most Americans have become accustomed to must be credited to our military forces. No matter the branch of service our troops do whatever necessary to ensure our safety. The trails that our troops have endured is proof how great a nation this is. Fighting for love, the love of their friends, family, and freedom. Standing beside each other not only as soldiers but also as brothers in arms. The experiences that can be heard, can only hope to open the eyes of how real the danger can be to our way of life. Across the word from Cuba to Israel, Afghanistan to Korea, we are tying to overcome hatred and opposition across the globe. Fighting in the heart of darkness all of our troops have pride and honor. We need to give thanks for they risk their lives in distant lands for a way of life that we enjoy and they sacrificed.

         In the 3rd platoon, Bravo battery 3-7 there is a soldier, a man, and my friend P.V. Located around the Nangarhar province in East Afghanistan a mostly mountain terrain about 20-30 kliks from the Pakistan border is where he had been deployed. There is an artilleryman, my friend P.V., who in the field operates the howitzer during operations.

         What is terrifying? 0545 hours one morning, P.V. had an “eye opener” which was what he called it. The dangers that every soldier faces on a day to day basis, how your life can be taken in the blink of an eye. Brushing his teeth, taking care of his morning set up, a mortar landed right outside the bathroom. Although they have been mortared and rocked many more times since then, which was only the 2nd closest he has come to a mortar. The instance that was more intense than that was when P.V. was outside smoking cigarettes with two other soldiers; when out of nowhere a Chinese 107 rocket blows the building they are next to smithereens. The building exploded, sending shrapnel and debris everywhere. P.V. immediately had gone to the first aid station to get treated for TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), because splinters and pieces of plywood were embedded in the back of his legs and head. This I cannot fathom, because P.V. was the lucky one. One of his sergeants had a hefty piece of his groin removed from the shrapnel and he almost bled to death. “Kinda changed my attitude about life a little, made me appreciate the small things not to take anything for granted, every day that I’m still breathing, is a goddamn good one.“ 

         Can you imagine how horrifying the sound of a rocket that screams as it passes just over your head? P.V. has experienced it; in fact it went right over his area of operation. This RPG had decimated the laundry point right behind him. “These guys are getting more and more ballsy everyday.” Shortly after, they had a fire mission intended to “return the love” with a superior understanding of battle engagement our military forces had suppressed the oppressors. Yet instead of creating casualties the United State Military had sent a response force to detain and question them. This is a difference between a savage and soldier, the appreciation for life, how precious life can be.

         A United States Soldier does not back down from a fight, they don’t run away, even if their lives are to be laid down. In the face of the grim reaper, they smile and march forward. In a group of 7 men, ordered to hold off the Afghanistan National Army (ANA).  The ANA convoy rolled up with about ten vehicles and superior firepower. P.A. and his platoon had been given orders to hold the ANA at the checkpoint. Disgruntled the ANA pour out of their vehicles with Ak-47’s and RPG’s. Their soldiers had begun pointing and screaming at our soldiers. In the heat of the moment had they had done the same creating a monstrous scene where casualties could have been created in an instant. In the midst of chaos, all one could do was rely on their training. “Knowing that all it would take is for one person to get too excited and fire off a round and all hell was going to break loose.”  The 7 men stood toe to toe with approx. 40 ANA soldiers. Thanks to the preparation and skills that allow our soldiers have obtained, we were able to talk with them until an understanding was reached. The Interpreter was shaking afterwards because of the severity of the situation, just how bad it could have turned out.

      Fortunately the training provided by our government has enabled our troops to engage our enemies with dignity. Learning the language for months before deployment, every soldier knows a good bit of grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary. This proved to be invaluable in many instances especially in their meeting with the ANA. What’s more is the trust that they have for their brothers in arms. After being with one another days at a time, eating, sleeping, and fighting along side each other from the beginning of training, a bond has been created. A bond that has been tempered in the heat of war, this trust that is formed is one of a kind. They have become more than individuals with a order, they have become brothers, a family that looks after one another. In a foreign land, away from blood relatives but they have one another. “We are all we have, it’s the comradery built between you and your battle buddy, counting on him to watch your six and keep you alive, and you for them.”

    Even in the pit of hell, our troops still are able to find ways to have fun. The United States Organization (USO) and MWR buildings that are located on base have tried to bring a little of home to Afghanistan. Bringing computers, phones, and videogames for our troops to play so they can communicate with their family and friends. The troops also find ways themselves to make them feel comfortable with their surrounding by building structures, whether it be a building a roof with a deck and benches to relax, or a Bar-b-que pit to cook home style cooking. With an American spirit in a distant land, they still can be ridiculous showing that they are still the same people who we know and love. “We find pretty interesting ways to have fun,” P.V. tells me. When camel spiders are caught in their position, they will sometimes pit them against each other. When I asked him what he would remember the most P.V. said, “ I’ll remember the way we joke around and mess with each other out there.”

    Realization that being a military soldier it is no vacation, and at times the severity of the situation reaches life and death. P.V. first time being attacked by hostile ground forces, he was ordered to defend his area of operation. As the hostile group had tried to infiltrate and eliminate our forces, something had happened. This is when their training had come in, becoming second nature after boot camp and the preparation used to get our soldiers ready. The platoon sergeant ordered to get the crew served weapon systems to defend the position, P.V. like to call them “Big Ass Machine Guns.” People were being assigned to the best strategic position to fend off the enemies trying to overcome their position before they could organize. Their staff sergeant is an experience veteran of Iraq, seeing more than his fair share of combat. “The man seems to know what to do and takes the control of the situation with almost no time to think, he just reacts and that’s the kind of leader we need to save lives out here.”

    Weather it be in the field or during inspection, the reason they are there is to stop opposing forces from hurting people. Once you are assigned to, at times you must search Afghan local nationals that enter the FOB to ensure they have no weapons or cell phones on their person. The soldiers must climb into the foreign vehicles and search for weapons and bombs for about 12 hours until the next shift comes to relieve them.  P.V. states that, “its pretty nerve racking, just knowing when you climb into the vehicle, that you might not be climbing out,

    The thing is, that didn’t scare him. There is nothing that can scare a United States Soldier. Since he can’t be scared, ill will be scared for him. When I asked what does he usually think about while he’s there and immediately he responded, “ Home, my girls, and Taco Bell.”  They miss important events in their life, anniversaries, Christmas, thanksgiving, and in P.V.’s case, his child growing up.  “War is Hell,” he says, while I'm proud and pray for his safe return. The man in the soldier came out when he talked about his child growing up. He says “It freaks him out that she’s not going to know me when I get home. She’s going to think I’m a stranger or something, it really breaks my heart.”
It breaks my heart too, my brother