My day started like any other...that is, if you count my day starting at 5am or so when I wake up. Technically, though, 12:45am is "today" so really, it did not start like any other day. It's not easy to scream on my blog but let me try: "INCOMING, INCOMING, INCOMING!!!!!! (insert screaming siren) INCOMING, INCOMING, INCOMING!!!! Hmmm..nice alarm clock. About 10 seconds later, I hear and feel a BOOM!!! Yep, another rocket attack and obviously, it hit and it's not too far from me. I had never heard the incoming siren before, though. That was unsettling and made me sit straight up in my bed. Like I always do during rocket attacks, I immediately texted in that I was fine. A full accountability has to be done whenever this happens. About 15min later, the all-clear was given. Later on in the day, I learned no one was hurt. GREAT NEWS!!! I fell back asleep after the all-clear and slept the rest of the night.
Our Marine colonel was coming into "town" and I was his ride from the helicopter terminal to the office. It was delayed so I spent over an hour in the sun just watching BlackHawk helicopters land and take off. Soon after he landed and we returned to the office, I heard the news of the crash. A Chinook helicopter, the easily recognizable double-prop passenger/cargo helo that can carry large numbers of personnel, was shot down by insurgents as they returned from a mission, not too far south of me...about a 30min helo ride, to be exact. The details were sketchy throughout the day except for how many. 38 was the total count and we initially thought it was all Americans. Turns out, 31 are Americans and 7 were Afghan soldiers. Very bad, though, is that they are almost all U.S. Navy SEALs. Worse yet, most were part of SEAL Team 6...the ones who took out Osama bin Laden. I have no doubt that I've walked by some of these heroes as I walk this base. They don't wear uniforms, they often have beards, they have fake IDs, and everything they do is totally top secret. They also are our nation's most elite fighting force. They are true warriors in the rawest sense of the word.
In this part of the country, it's mountainous. The Chinook is like a big, fat, flying elephant in the sky. Add that to having to fly around mountains where insurgents hide with shoulder-mounted RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades), it's very dangerous. There's no way the insurgents knew the occupants of this helicopter but as the headlines hit, they are probably celebrating their victory..especially when they found out it had SEAL Team 6 onboard. They sicken me.
So now what? The fallen heroes begin the long trip home. They will be brought here to my base first where the mortuary will prepare them for the trip to Dover Air Force Base. All 31 of them. 31 metal caskets. 31 American Flags, and 8 soldiers per fallen hero will take a handle and carry them onboard the aircraft for the trip home. As they arrive here and are ready, the time will draw close to probably the largest-ever Fallen Comrade Ceremony that will take place here. From what I hear, they want to take them all home together, on the same aircraft. Such an aircraft will have to be the C-17 or something even larger. I cannot even begin to imagine 31 metal, flag-draped caskets on the deck of the aircraft. It is such a sad day for America. I recommend you start checking over the next few days that link I refer to often on the right side of the page for the Department of Defense. I expect that one post on a single day will list all 31 fallen heroes. Names, ages, hometowns, service, rank, command attached to, and how they died. There is a chance they won't be listed because they are SEALs but I'd still check...I know I will.
I just don't know what else to say today. I am just numb about it all and so sad for the many, many families back home. I can't see any better fitting thing to do but pray for them. Also, in honor of the fallen SEALs, I think it would be fitting to display their famed Trident device on my blog today. RIP, brothers.
Goodnight, everyone. Pray hard for the families.
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