We showed up on station just west of Salmon Pak, (where those really old ruins are I have pictures on Facebook of, dome building and big square). We were doing route security for a clearance team on a route, literally on the banks of the Tigris. We hadn’t been on station more than five minutes when they took a round of indirect (mortar). It landed close enough to me in the lead aircraft to have it shake us and feel the concussion. The ground battalion we were working for immediately sent us the coordinates for the point-of-origin. It was in some flat lands on the opposite side of the city. We headed straight there and started getting our asses shot off immediately. We both turned south, and headed for the river as fast as we could. There had to be a lot of those guys, because small arms rounds were passing close enough to the aircraft to hear them for about 4 kilometers as we egressed. The rounds sound like popcorn as they fly past your aircraft breaking the sound barrier. Just as we reached the river, we circled around to the right around the city, and that’s when we took the two RPG’s, a few seconds apart. One was shot at each aircraft I think, but they again were close enough to shake our cockpit and feel the concussion. The one meant for us detonated about level, maybe 100 meters in front of us. After that we got a lot of altitude, and tried using the sites to acquire the bad guys and nothing. If all they were using was small arms and RPG’s, its too easy to shoot and hide. Hopefully we’ll find them another day. Those guys were obviously well trained and proficient in the use of their weapon systems and tactics. Anywho, gotta go, going out to fly again today, hopefully it’ll be quieter. I guess I am happy I’ve checked that block, but there was nothing fun about it. I’ve never been that nervous in my life. Might be laughing about it one day, but def not yet.
Short message from his home church....
