The Soldier Next Door

As I slowly flutter open my eyes, I can hear the distinct sound of chatter of excited Marines outside of my tent. Today is the day; for the past few days, we have been building up to this moment. These are the days that all Marines train and most definitely live for.

It is the 23rd of March.

04:45

I have chosen to sleep in just for fifteen minutes. Just the fifteen minutes that I need to get my head into the game. Ray has begged me not to go out with the squad this morning, but he knows that it is futile to even argue.

This will be my last deployment for a while, and god knows I want to make it count. That means sitting on the sidelines and listening to the action coming through on radio is definitely not an option. I want, when I tell my son why I was not there in the early stages of his life, I want to tell him that I was out there making a difference. I need to do this not only for me but for him.

Though, definitely not for his mother.

I have not heard from Ana since I have been in this god forbidden desert. Apart from her letter that has remained unfinished, I have not thought of her again. Yes, it does sound that I am heartless, but the fact is that I have given up on the woman. There is nothing that she can say to me that will make me feel any different. Not a letter. Not a text. Not a call.

I am done with her.

All I want is to get this mission over and get my ass back home.

So as I stretch each muscle to a perfect twitch into my uniform, I leave the tent with somewhat excitement and anticipation. Perhaps feeling as on top of the world as I should be seen as a little arrogant, but I believe that we already have this one in the bag. We are merely going through the routine and having the fun that goes along with it.

05:00

I walk with a big and rather bright smile into the ops tent, where Ray is eagerly awaiting me with a much-needed cup of coffee. I only but smile at him as I take it from his hand and take my place around the big round table that is holding nothing but a map.

Then as Gibbs finally makes his appearance, Ray clears his throat and looks from one to the other very determined face that surrounds the table, “Boys, this is going to be an easy one. We are going in and out, routine, nothing funny. We are so close to the end of this thing; let us make this one last difference.”

There is a unified “Oorah” that fills to every corner of the tent.

05:15

We are going through the final instructions one last time as the rest of the Marines are lining up outside to be sent on their way as well. The anticipation in the tent has grown to a new time high, and you can feel the tension that is building under the skin of your fellow Marine.

This is do or die.

Today we make that final difference before we declare this war as over.

We have been stuck out in this country for far too long, and far too many have lost their lives. Today is the final stretch, and dare it even say, it is that final stretch to freedom.

So as we all make our way outside the ops tent, we are faced with a sight that we wish those at home could behold. Rows upon rows of Marines are standing and waiting for Ray to address them. They, too, are just as ready as us to get out there and do this thing. Yes, perhaps after this, we won’t deploy so soon again, but each deployment is just as important as the other.

Though, today, we are finding this one just a tad bit more than normal. This is what is going to count. This is what is going to matter. This will shape our lives and our careers as Marines.

Honor. Courage. Commitment.

We do not stop. We do not surrender.

And we leave no man behind.

And that is what drives every single one of us as we listen to Ray speak, “Boys, I am not going to say much. But… We do this once. We do this right. And we all come back home with one fucking fight. Let us show these bitches what the Marine Corp is made of, and we get this over and done with once and for all. Do I hear you now?”

“Oorah.”

The ground erupts in vibration as the voices carry their way through the wind.

05:30

Gibbs and I make our way to the very front of the pack to lead the 18-vehicle convoy, which consists of 31 soldiers. There is a total of 18 transport vehicles which range from Humvees to HEMTTs.

Just before we climb into the first of the Humvees, Gibbs turns to me and smiles, “Now let us try to get you home in one piece.”

I only but burst out at him in a fit of uncontrollable laughter, “Hey, let us try to get you one of those nurses before we go home.”

“Nah, I think I will pass on that one. I think that we have established that the nurses in the Corps are a bit on the crazy side.”

Though as he says this, he immediately stops, but I only wave him off and chuckle, “Ya, I have to agree with you there. But then again, I think that all woman is a bit on the crazy side.”

But who am I trying to convince here?

Gibbs or me?

I honestly do not know, but what I do is that she is clouding my mind, and she is not even in my life anymore. For now, and for the next immediate future, I need her to be gone. If anything will kill me today, well, then that is just the thought of Ana.

So as I slide my finger over that envelope that is still tucked in my pocket, I push her to the very back and bottom of my mind. I need to get out here today for my son, not the woman who left us behind. I feel that if there is anything that should be left behind today on, then it is her.

05:45

We are on well on to our destination.

The mood is still, and there is the cheer of a song that is going around. I can almost say that we feel on top of the world.

05:55

We continue on route.

Gibbs and I are behind the front Humvee ahead, but just as we get ready to settle for the drive, next, there is a radio that comes from the front.

“Sir, we have missed the turn.”

I watch as Gibbs’s eyes grow wide, yet I take the radio from him and continue to answer, “What do you mean we have missed the turn?”

“Sir, we should have turned a few miles back, and there is no way to turn around.”

“What?” My voice echoes to a deafening height. “What the fuck now?”

“Sir, we will have to make our way through Nisiriyah.”

“By god Marine, if we encounter trouble, then I am having your ass.”

“Sir, it should be no problem.”

With that, I nearly chuck the radio to the back side of the Humvee as I look over to a very nervous Gibbs. Now, do we radio this to Ray or play this one out on our own?

“What do we do?” I listen as Gibbs feels slightly confused.

“Let just regroup and take it from here. There should be no problems in Nisiriyah. We are probably just going to piss off the locals, but I am sure that is it.”

“Fuck, I hope that you are right.”

06:00

The convoy is approaching Nisiriyah.

I can feel the terror grow between the Marines, but not one is brave enough to question both Gibbs or my choice to push ahead. But just as we pass through the northern outskirts of the city, we get radio from ahead once again.

“Sir, we have a problem.”

I, immediately beyond control, snap back at him, “What the fuck now?”

“Sir, I think we are lost.”

“What the fuck do you mean that we are lost?”

“Sir, the street names are not clearly visible. I think we have missed another turn.”

“My god! Just wait there; we are turning around.”

06:30

After asking the entire convoy to come to a halt, Gibbs and I proceed to turn around and head towards the road that we have only just passed. Patiently waiting for the entire convoy to turn, we slowly head towards the road to make a left turn.

06:45

As we take a turn left…

All hell breaks loose…

From completely fucking nowhere, we are hit with sporadic fire from a source and direction that not one of us can determine.

Gibbs immediately gets onto the radio to Ray to give him an update of what has happened. While he tries to get his word through the constant snapping of bullets against the shell of the Humvee, I give the wheel over to Williams.

With one deep breath, I stop for a brief moment before I rise myself through the hole to man the gun, but just as I want to stick my head into the open air, I hear a bullet sing past my ear. My back snaps to the back, and I nearly fall with my ass flat on the Humvee’s floor. Gibbs looking to mend this fucked up situation that has just erupted, comes to my rescue, but I only push him away.

“I have got this. Just get us the fuck out of here.”

Then, as I finally slide my head into the open, I see the enemy’s vehicles starting to shadow the convoy. It seems like they are fucking surrounding us. This does not go unnoticed by a very nervous Williams that does not know what direction to go next.

Then…

It just gets fucking worse.

The convoy breaks off. With the attempt to get away from the approaching enemy and the fire that is continuing to hit us with force, we find ourselves off in three groups heading south to get out of Nisiriyah again.

We are officially ambushed.

07:00

We are still taking fire from a location unknown. Our only option here is to get out as fast as we can. The bullets are coming in sporadic, and being out there manning the gun is not an option.

It is a fucking death wish.

So I have taken a seat behind the wheel again. Next to us, we have a HEMMT trying to shield us from rounds of small-arms fire, mortar rounds, and tank gunfire.

It is fucking chaos.

Next to me, I have Gibbs on the radio to Ray to give him an up-to-the-second update. I can hear his panicked voice come the radio directly at me, “Get the fuck out of the Ethan!”

“I am trying, Ray. I am fucking trying. They are everywhere, and we were not prepared for a battle. We are not enough for this battle. Get a fucking Cobra or two out here now!”

“They are gearing up now. Just hang in there.”

“I don’t know how much longer we can hang in.”

Then next to me, I hear the very fucking word that I did not want to hear, “Incoming.” Gibbs yells at the top of his voice as he spots a missile coming from the distance.

I grab the wheel of the Humvee firm and yank it with all my might to the right, just missing the damn thing by an inch of an inch, but it only goes smack right through the HEMTT that were trying to shield us from the very damn thing.

“Fuck! The goddamn bastards. How is the rest doing?”

07:15

Gibbs radios into the Humvee that was leading Group One. Much to my relief, they have managed to get unscathed out of Nisiriyah.

Next, he gets hold of Group Two which seems to have made it safely out of the kill zone too.

Now it is only us.