A day over there..... (4)

Canadian soldiers, journalist unhurt, but shaken by IED blast in Afghanistan
Sun Sep 9, 8:38 PM
By Dene Moore

ZHARI DISTRICT, Afghanistan (CP) - After choking on the dust in the relentless Afghan heat for the better part of two days, everyone was happy to say goodbye to Ghundy Ghar.
The remote Canadian outpost in the Zhari district of Afghanistan is the reason soldiers have to be tough. A few tarp-covered shelters and three inches of fine dust everywhere, life at Ghundy Ghar is not easy.
The day before, the Van Doo's 3rd Battalion battle group had pushed through on two roads leading to the base, on a mission to help secure an area considered Taliban country.
I spent the night on a cot under the stars, not far from the back of an armoured LAV, my flak jacket and helmet ready to go at the first sound of rocket fire.

The night before, in Masum Ghar, another Canadian forward operating base, a rocket rang in shortly after we pulled in for the night.

Luckily, the rocket wasn't loaded with explosives and the biggest bang was the sound of metal crashing into the rocks behind me.

Some of the soldiers who've grown used to this kind of attack laughed. I chose to cower in the back of an armoured vehicle for a while.

Operation Keeping Goodwill began early Saturday morning and it seemed to speed right along. By the afternoon, we were on our way to Ghundy Ghar, where they seemed pretty happy to have some company.

The next morning a great boom rang out and a cloud of smoke rose in the distance where B company has settled in to secure the road.

"IED," comes a yell from camp and soldiers begin to gather around the radio.

Ten or 15 excruciating minutes pass before word comes that there were two minor injuries.

Relief sweeps over the camp until two helicopters are spotted heading to the area just after 9 a.m. The injuries have been upgraded to serious and the two soldiers are airlifted to hospital.

A few hours later I'm in the back of another LAV, bumping along the same road we bumped along the day before - the road that's been cleared by the 3rd Battalion.

The thing about an improvised explosive device is that is can be anywhere, and as soldiers tell you, it's the luck of the draw.

I hear a crash over my left shoulder and at the same time feel myself launched across the tight quarters of the back of an LAV.

"IED," comes the answer before I can ask the question.

The captain pops his head down before I really realize what's going on.

"Everyone OK?" he asks, giving the thumbs up to each person in turn.

I have a quick look to see if my legs are where they should be and then turn my thumbs up, too.

As I sit stunned, the soldiers are in full action. They jump out through the roof hatches and they're gone.

After a couple of minutes I'm told to climb out through the hatch and offered a helping hand. I walk across the top and realize I'm terrified to jump off. Where there's one hidden bomb there could be more.

"It's okay. Jump there where there's tracks."
I force myself off.

The captain walks ahead of me, urging me to follow in his tracks, which take me to another armoured vehicle in our convoy.
When the vehicle is cleared, the company spreads out to look for more IEDs as we wait for help. They walk for kilometres in each direction, making sure there are no more dangers ahead.

As we sit in the blistering mid-day heat waiting for backup, a report comes in from a nearby operating base. A truckload of people was spotted heading in our direction and they may be coming to ambush us.
The soldiers are ordered to man their guns but help arrives first.

A special team recovers the remains of the IED and the injured vehicle is loaded up. The soldiers are already joking about the day.

"Baptism by fire," they tell me.

"Welcome to Afghanistan."

Thirty-eight Canadian soldiers and thousand of Afghans have died in IED blasts but many more have survived. There is, on average, about one IED hit a week for Canada's troops in Afghanistan.

The fact is, this threat is the daily reality for soldiers and civilians in this war-torn land.

---

Hard to think they go through this every day.
watching over them

One aspect of the war few ponder is the heightened sense of living. The adrenalin rush that comes with living on the edge --- for real.

It ages you prematurely, but then so do other high risk ventures, like driving a race car, ice climbing, bank robbing.

A lot of soldiers -- like others, get hooked on the rush that comes with grappling with life and death on a daily basis.

It's not all grim and nighmarish, you know. Is all I'm saying.

Also happens to be a noble cause in this case.

Even think that is the case with Iraq. A much less popular cause. Believe it or not, there may even be hope over there.

The 'surge' campaign being waged by the Americans with an addition 100,000 plus troops appears to be bearing some positive results.