Afghanistan: My 7 month "Adventure" in the Sangin valley

Sempertoy

Explorer
Well, after proposing the idea of writing a thread about my deployment I had a lot of positive responses about it. I have decided to post up some pictures here. I think this will be good for me. To be able to have all of my good memories all in one spot. Like I said in my feeler thread, I don't want to post about the negatives of war.. But I guess we will see what comes up as I am going through my pictures. I have not looked through them since I have been home. that being said, let the adventure begin!

This is where I will start the pictures. The morning of. My wife and I got up very early, got all my bags in the car and drove from Miramar to Camp Pendleton. We then preceded to sit on the parade deck for hours and wait for the dreaded white busses to show up. I can't tell you what it's like to sit there and wait to leave. I didn't have any idea what it would be like to leave my wife for 7 months.

04360c46.jpg


Fast forward some time. I can't remember how long a few days or so, and then I was on a plane into Afghanistan! So here we are, shoulder to shoulder awaiting the adventure!

6eb514bc.jpg


After some time on leatherneck, training etc. Me and a few other guys were on our way to FOB Nolay, in the Sangin Valley.

5a777bb6.jpg


We arrived sometime in the very early AM, maybe 0230 on a helo we had taken from LN. The next morning I got up and snapped a picture of my new "home"

003f517b.jpg


Here is the inside of our home. Note the top of the line cots! The best part was that with a dirt floor, you never have to sweep!

20f0dca3.jpg


One of the best parts about our tent was it's location. If you walked 60 feet from the tent you were at the gym!

282c3a13.jpg


With an additional 15 feet or so, the bathroom!

43c6e310.jpg


When we first got there, the brits were there too. Really nice guys, and cool vehicles.

4c542eed.jpg


Command before the brits left and after an RPG came through the 2 foot cement wall and embedded itself with out exploding. Luck day eh?

3c84a91c.jpg


Here is a glimpse into military regs, haircuts every week!

2372042d.jpg


And this is the last one for the day. It's a pic of a british guy, after a long day being outside the wire all day. I wonder what he did that day? What did he see? Who knows?

eade21d9.jpg


So that's it for now. This is a look into my first week? or so of Afghanistan. Hope you can dig it. I'll start rounding more up for my next post!
 

TangoBlue

American Adventurist
Goodonya!

It will be good for you and it will be good for the rest of us, too; many of us only see what the media allows us to. You're sharing something special with us - thanks!
 

brian90744

American Trekker
Thank you.

I want to thank you for your service, One GI to another. Keep us informed.
Again=thank you.

Brian
 

Toyotero

Explorer
I'm glad to see that you are posting the story, I hoped you would.
Afghanistan is a place I wanted to travel to as a kid after reading a lot about it, but most assuredly won't now.

That building is interesting. Do you know what it was before it was commandeered?
And what are those vehicles?

Cheers.
 

Scott Brady

Founder
Afghanistan is a place I wanted to travel to as a kid after reading a lot about it, but most assuredly won't now.

Why not? I had a fantastic adventure in the Wakhan Corridor.

Not attempting to create any negative discussion. I am just curious of why you do not want to go there, after having wanted to go in the past. Certainly, there are areas with security issues, but there are others that have good eco-adventure opportunities.
 

murphy744

Adventurer
Hey Sempertoy,
Nice pics....and thanks for your service! I was in the Helmond in 2002-03 with Army Special Forces. My team built the firebase in Gereshk....not sure what they call it today. Sangin was a scary place back in 03. Everyone in that district was TB....they cut us apart on my last trip up there...lost a couple of great Americans that day.....

Glad to hear you made it back ok.....
 

Martinjmpr

Wiffleball Batter
Great pics, thanks for your service and thanks for posting!

Those Brit vehicle seem to have very little ground clearance! I guess they're mostly road-bound?

I was in the 'Stan in 2003, but was way up North, Bagram and Kabul.

Dusty tents, military cots, laptop computers and headphones - some things don't change! :D
 

UK4X4

Expedition Leader
"Those Brit vehicle seem to have very little ground clearance! I guess they're mostly road-bound? "


they have air suspension fox racing shocks and has 1 metre ground clearance - I think in that pic outside the building they are aired down.....hopefully they don't have the landrover system !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42xkC6PdE0A

This has some more details and pics..


Oh and keep up the posts - love the pictures
 

TangoBlue

American Adventurist
I saw one at Quantico a little while back - pretty impressive vehicle but I couldn't help but wonder about the lack of armor in this threat environment or crew endurance in environmental extremes.

But back to the OP's album...
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,529
Messages
2,875,559
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top