Almost Died

Tactical debrief in the Arghandab Valley after family almost dies from Taliban baiting tactics. June, 2008, 8PL/C COY/2 PPCLI

I took this photo just a few minutes after one of the craziest close calls I ever saw

June 13th, 2008. The Taliban blew a fuel truck IED on the gates of Sarposa prison in Kandahar; around 1000 insurgents escaped and fled west into the Arghandab

My squadron was attached to C Coy, 2VP, my section to 8 Pl. The company mounted up and chased the escaping Taliban into the Arghandab river.

Canadians conduct CQB in Arghandab, Kandahar, 2008 / 8 Platoon, C COY, 2 PPCLI

We (8 Platoon) came under contact from a group within the compound pictured here. Myself and one other Chimo (Aubrey) were attached to the section ordered to 'close with and destroy'

We had to fight out of a 20' wadi (water to waist) with rounds and RPGs overhead, and then use the cover of a tank (Leopard 1) to approach the compound. I breached the compound gate with a block of c4 and a 15 second time fuse

We made entry after the breach and the enemies guns fell silent, they were either hiding in the compound's rooms, or slipped out the back. The section immediately began hammering the rooms with 203's. They bated us far enough

All of a sudden, with one room left to go and grenade launchers pointing at the door, and with what felt like a half second before the triggers were pulled- the 2 I/c, Kory (pictured bottom left), hollered. "Whoa whoa! Stop, wait!" He saw or felt something, "Stack up! Make entry!" He said

A few guys stacked up and made entry into the small dark room

Inside was a family (owners of the compound) cowering in the corner. They heard and witnessed the firefight, and must have heard us hitting each room in their compound with explosives, sitting quietly waiting for us to get to them, no movement, no sounds. Didn't try to signal us that the enemy had ran, or that there were women and children there. And, I guess, I can't really blame them, war is fucked. But anyway, they were seconds, or less, away from being 203ed at a very close range

The compound was clear and the platoon HQ moved up to engage with the civilians (Interpreter, Pl Comd, WO Dan Bouchie, and Chimo Sgt Santo + fireteam partner: name forgotten)

Members of 8 Platoon take a short rest after firefight with escaped insurgents. Arghandab, Kandahar, 2008

This event makes me think of a couple things. One is that this is a crazy example of what the guys who fought in Afghanistan had to deal with. Being bated into traps like this. These guys aren't special forces. Yet they had to, after a sustained gun fight, make entry into a small space that most likely held suicidal insurgents, but still be able to asses the situation and not pull the trigger within a second.

I don't remember guys in this Platoon well or who made entry into that room but that was very difficult and well executed. Not to mention, then being able to quickly turn the page (mentally) and continuing fighting... this contact turned into 3 days living out of our FFO.

The second thing is that our intuitions are real, really real. And after many years of this shit I can say they are definitely heightened during combat and life & death situations. The feeling in our gut, the hairs on the back of our neck, are there for a reason, even if we can't consciously reason why.