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[qp4]

Sunday was a slow day, for the most part; or so it seemed. We headed over to our little range and did some shooting, obstensibly to zero our CCO's (close combat optics), but also to do some reflexive fire. Found out a lot about firing from the knee face on in full armor. And I also shot incredibly well on the zero target; not sure if it was because the target was different than usual or because I was in the shade and it was in the sun. Visibility just seemed better, I just seemed more comfortable. It was nice. We moved a third of the platoon into another tent, tentatively. We didn't know if they'd let us keep it, so we didn't spread out yet, but it was nice to turn over ideas in the head about what it would be like to have a little breathing room.

Then another boring day...until the fire started.

I was at chow and someone said there was a fire. What's that got to do with me? So I finished eating and we decided to go see what this fire was all about. As soon as we got out of the bunker it was obvious: the big chicken factory was engulfed in flame. Smoke was pouring out in a giant column, trailing off to the north, flames licking out of the roof and windows. Soldiers were scurrying about like ants on a kicked over hill, pulling what they could from the fiery maw that was once a garage door.

Of course, I treated it like a big joke. I felt a bit guilty because some people lost pretty much everything in there, but it's times like that you don't care. When something really bad happens to people you sympathize, but deep down inside you're actually really pleased it wasn't you, dig? Try to be all selfless as we may.... I'm a fuck it kinda guy, and so I was crackin' wise and having a good ol' time. "Told ya' we weren't moving into that motherfucker."

After about thirty minutes of that most of the scouts went out on QRF because haji decided to start mortaring us to see how we'd react. Kinda dumb that, seein' as how 3ID had deployed a company of Apaches that were pretty active (and also having a good ol' time, I saw pictures being taken from the sky). Us guys that were still sitting up there and hadn't got activated or went back to the tent decided we'd go into the building that was as of yet unburned and start pulling stuff out. We recovered most of the equipment in the area of the building we went into, some of it I'm not sure exactly why we had.

And so it's tents for the next...well, it's tents. I knew it would be; fire or no fire, we weren't moving into that building. We're the scout platoon, and by definition we get screwed. But this time the worm turned.

The last few days have been quiet. If I was a battalion commander I'd've attacked the surrounding countryside with a vengeance, sending a message to any insurgents that just because we're homeless doesn't mean we're weak. That it's actually quite the contrary. Haven't seen that happening, but at the same time, we haven't been hit very hard, which is quite the suprise. If I was a haji I'd test us.

I'm also sick as Hell. I don't know where I got it or what it is, but it's bad. I feel like damn it. I'm losing weight too, and combined with the sickness and the two hundred bug bites (and the hundred degree heat that never goes away) I'm physically miserable.






I walked outside....

And I saw this fire burning. Now they told me there was a fire, but I wasn't expecting this at all.




The TOC

On my way back to make sure everyone in the platoon went to the trucks for accountability, I had to take some pictures of what was once the nerve center of FOB St. Michael.




QRF

With the fire blazing so close, we decided it might be a good idea to get the trucks clear (all the ammo and all) and get ready to roll in case haji took the giant smoke column as a sign of weakness.




Scouts

Here's some of us watching the blaze. Note the dissatisfied look on rev_wayfarer's face.




A fire is....

...always a good time for a "hero picture."




The roof, the roof...

By now there was no hope to put out the blaze, and like mo-rons we sat around while the ammo inside the building cooked off.




Food

No matter what, it's still chow time, as this local national Army guy shows us, stocking up on some grub for the show.




Save what we can.

Some of us braved the inferno and saved as much stuff in the building as we could, including our S1 shop, which is somewhat important for things like getting paid and getting awards (no pictured is the Senior Scout who saved all the Purple Heart paperwork for our guys that've been took out the fight).




The day after.

This is the end of the building that got cooked first, taken the morning after the fire.




Almost a week later.

The fire is still blazing away in parts of the building, as I saw last night on my way back from the CP.

I'm out.

Shoot straight. Drive on.