[byearlymonk]

I'm going to post this warning right up front. This will probably cause problems for some of you to read. I have to write a paper for my college english class about an experience in my life that has a strong effect on me, and it is about an IED blast that I went through, so this may cause some strong triggers for some people.

You don't see it coming until it's too late. You can't stop it because you didn't even know what was going to happen. It seemed like a normal day. It's hot, you're wearing full body armor, and of course the A/C is out in your vehicle. I'm sitting in the back seat behind the driver of the lead vehicle. The PSG is in the TC seat, and the Terp is behind him. My gunner is some FNG who arrived in theatre two days ago. We were called out to do a patrol because the SecDef was going to be in the area for a meet and greet. All we were doing was a "normal" patrol. We had checked with our S3 and there wasn't anything going on in our AO, so we thought we were good to go. We were rolling down the road when all of a sudden there was a flash. Life slowed down to a crawl. I remember feeling cold come rushing over my body as the ice chest poured over me, and then I smelled it. Diesel drenching my body as smoke and dirt came billowing into the vehicle. I was pushed down into my seat as the vehicle lifted into the air, and then I was jolted again as it came back down. The PSG started yelling for people as we were still moving. I could hear the Terp reply "I'm good", then the driver "I'm good", no response from the gunner. My reply was "Where the **** is my gunner?" and then we heard gunfire. We couldn't move the vehicle. It was completley done for. I was frantically searching for the gunner, then the interpreter got out. The driver got out, and the PSG got out. The vehicle was still pouring smoke into the cab, and I couldn't get my door open. My combat lock had jammed. It seemed like forever until I got it undone, and then my door still wouldn't open. The driver opened my door, I grabbed my bag and I was freed. My driver was shooting over the hood across the river at the guys who were shooting at us. Then I saw the gunner. He was in front of the vehicle on the ground... not moving. I was running. I grabbed him and got him behind the vehicle and he came to. Thankfully he had just been knocked out by the force of the blast. He was still acting out of it though, and tried to fight me. Needless to say I took him back down to the ground. His gun was still on the truck thankfully. We were only in contact for about 2 or 3 minutes, but it didn't feel that way. When the shooting stopped I started taking care of my guy, but then I heard the PSG yelling. Our radios were knocked out in the blast. Our antennas were shattered. The back of the truck was in a hole, and we were sitting in the open. By some miracle of nature the BFT was actually working that day. We had to get in touch with Bn by sending them a text. It took almost an hour until someone came to get us. The guys who came to get us let us know that S3 had been trying to get in touch with us. We had been on a black route for 25 mins and no one had even sent us a message. They thought we just weren't talking to them. When our recovery asset got there one of my other medics was with them, and he was the best battle ever. He gave me (while I'm soaked in diesel) a cigarette. That was the best one I've ever had.

I still wake up at night when the heater clunks because it booms just a little too loud. I didn't want to write this because it is making me even more anxious. I just needed to get this out though because I know that holding it in is worse for me than just letting it out. There are a lot more details, and I know this probably rambled a little, but when you can't sleep sometimes your brain doesn't want to write coherently.

Thanks guys!

....diesel down dude.....I remember writing one of those kind of papers for school...except mine was different in context, only cuz I could'nt remember. I did'nt write one like yours until I hit this forum a few years ago. It was one of my first threads. Writing about "it" definitely helped to relieve a seriously tense portion of my life.....

The paper I did write, was about my gulf war vet buddy who ended up in the same veterans homeless shelter I did. He lived on the streets in a different part of town. One day he went to a day shelter that provided showers. As he was showering, he felt warm water on his back and then on his leg. He turned to the chump next to him, and he was urinating on his leg as he was taking a shower.

I guess that's were they get the saying "don't pee on my leg, and tell me I'm taking a shower"..........ha

I still got that paper.......somewhere.......I remember the teacher saying "if you feel so strongly about....then you ought to persue...."....blahblahblah......got an A.....just did'nt have the energy to persue....oh well.....

.....still love the smell of a freshly fired up diesel motor in the morning, 'bout 0500-06...........mmmm.....guess that's a trigger for me(one of'em)

...........good luck with school......

..........welcome..........for all it's worth.......ha...........sparrow