Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

the United States and Afghanistan soldiers in joint patrols wounded U.S. soldiers are ready to send helicopters

no exaggeration to say, as if on patrol in Afghanistan to match wits with death – car walk in the road, you explosive devices could be ambushed at any time, or knocked over by other vehicles. Even if the trek to safety in the field, and the danger all the time around; a little negligence might have to kill you or make you permanently disabled, suffering life.

half of the casualties from traffic accidents

I battlefield in Afghanistan carried out dozens of interviews is still intact, but in this morning, it seems good luck exhausted. As soon as the engine shriek, I take the bike as new old “Hummer” vehicle stopped trembling, windshield vent below dense smoke – this car the Afghan National Army’s armored vehicles in The worst way to patrol a road broke down. You know, just two days ago, the Taliban also took place here, security forces exchanged fire with the government, but unfortunately, my leg fractures in a few days ago, need hospital treatment. And now, I can only sit in the steamer as the carriage, looking at a few soldiers to Afghanistan with the helmet back and forth from a nearby puddle water, to cool the engine.

be honest, the Afghan National Army has made tremendous progress in recent years, but when you mess up, they still can not provide good help, for example, did you get a crane can not lift the car away, and then put me back to Kandahar, so that I can continue to fly to Dubai or Kabul for treatment, or at least better conditions to any one hospital.

a few days ago, when I went to the 205th Regiment headquarters in Kandahar suburb interview, never thought I would take a break Afghan army patrol car to the countryside. Prior to all NATO troops in the “embedded interview” do not have the use of vehicles, but directly by helicopter, because the ground was too dangerous. However, when I learned that from the command bar in the area west of Kandahar, just 30 minutes, the courage of a sudden an inexplicable rise in my heart: even such a short helicopter ride away, it seems I was too timid not it?

got on I realized that, although the roads much safer than before, but your fate still rests in the hands of the Afghan National Army. The unit suffered heavy casualties, or 50% of which is due to enemy attack, the other 50% is actually caused by traffic accidents!

starting 10 minutes later, we just enter the main road, “Hummer” drivers on the Afghans decided to go beyond the unique style of reckless truck in front of a bunch to their demonstrations. The problem is, we do not show weakness in front of the car, the two sides refused to give, finally, our car suddenly turned, and the truck side of the violent collisions, the heavy armored door was actually being screwed out of shape. Sitting in the co-pilot position companions tried to shut the door, then he kept cursing the other driver refused to give way.

American soldiers “love” Climbing

Thankfully, even though I was the implementation of the Afghan National Army along with field reporting tasks, but happen to have the United States near the crash site a platoon of troops, that I came immediately after the car broke down assistance. The infantry made a simple stretcher, carried me to retreat to their stronghold. To be honest, all the troubles encountered along the way are almost always caused by improvised explosive devices, Taliban militants have learned in as little as possible when making such a bomb to use metal, so can not play the traditional role of the mine detector. Explosive devices to avoid this is not the only way to take the right path, where strange to go where, for example, take the farmland. Saffron, grapes, tomatoes and the taste of marijuana mixed with nostrils, we sometimes have to pass through foul-smelling garbage, leaving a few yards away on the road to normal walking cast curious eyes of Afghans.

matters worse, local villagers tend to build walls two meters tall, as the farm’s boundaries. American soldiers do not want to detour through the hole in the wall or fence gate, had climbed over the walls, coupled with the need of carrying on a stretcher I can imagine the difficulties. However, this is indeed more secure, because after years of battle, militants have been fully aware of their opponent’s activity patterns, starting in the fields of installation of a bomb hole in the wall, etc., so the only choice Climbing the U.S. military. Max Ferguson is commander of the U.S. A joint patrol of one, he told me: “I hate the hole in the wall, whenever you want through them, I would be afraid, just like a bomb will hit dice the same. “

Indeed, everywhere is not safe, the U.S. soldier’s favorite place to pedal up the puddle, where it is difficult because the bomb detonated. Within two hours, we pass through several thick trees, water, Pomegranate everywhere and a good few trenches filled with water. It really is a foot patrol it? At that moment, I feel like a Vietnam War movie characters.

thought Xuerouhengfei war movie, the scene of an accident a few days ago involuntarily surfaced in my mind as. We were a Mingjiao Kan Lei of the village patrol, wearing heavy body armor, sweating under the hot, everyone is looking forward to hurry back to the post to cool off, could not help speed up the pace. At this time, unfortunately, come in my head – I am in a muddy ditch next to heavily slipped, his left foot down next to a trap and then the ED also twist, because the action too fast, broken bones sound in the ears immediately. In the wilderness, this injury is quite a serious trouble.

that wounded crying in his sleep

halfway break, a U.S. soldier carrying a sudden my speaker, asked me if I brought a tourniquet I am proud to combat pants pockets pointed to show him how well I was prepared. Indeed, my pocket a lot of useful baby inner tube, take the mouth, including black nylon belt, with a very solid plastic bar. I have heard people say that this little thing more important than any other weapon, if you were injured or even dismember the limbs, it can come in handy, otherwise you will quickly bled to death. Who knows, the soldier not only does not recognize my very thoughtful, but was surprised and asked: “You only take one?”

Although there is no witness, but I do have heard that some soldiers, especially drove around the patrol, always prior to loosely tie the tourniquet on the arm, once the really bad happened, you can immediately taut, for treatment time.

get off a leg is my personal disaster, especially when the wounded foot infection is a tragedy. Return to Kabul, I was a windowless Medical yard lay two weeks, but almost every day and those who may be a bomb sent to heaven compared soldiers, the suffering really worth mentioning. During my hospital stay, several French soldiers were also sent to the treatment there, said to have a suicide “bombers” entering into their ranks, blew himself up, all survivors were covered with shrapnel wounds caused. They pretty lucky, because that attack to their five comrades killed the spot. The first day after the explosion the night, I heard that the wounded clinical crying constantly, even in his sleep not have to stop.

this is Afghanistan, soldiers on duty all the time do not feel nervous because they know that even the smallest negligence may be their life, or let them in with the rest of his life has been terrible injuries struggles.

I am no longer afraid to go wild patrol

or return to the situation after I injured it. I was first put an “MRAP vehicles” in the back seat, it is a large and strong enough for a new car, used to cover the soldiers on foot patrol, which I have to wait 90 minutes, until the task end. Nothing else, I side with one eating painkillers Medical chat. The other told me a few weeks ago, a soldier stepped on an explosive device, “That kid is poor, his legs blown up, even the genitals are gone.” Course in first aid, Medical not only run out of carry-all combat gauze, gauze and other soldiers are also carrying were using. This gauze fabric containing kaolin powder, can stimulate blood clotting, even the most severe bleeding can be stopped quickly, can even so, this group of American soldiers still run out of breath all the gauze, we can see how the injury may afraid, “will give viewers nightmares.” Luckily, due to a doctor quick response, coupled with the U.S. military medical resources are very strong, just nine minutes after the explosion, the injured was the helicopter picked up in the rear hospital survived.

goodbye to the days before the bar in the area, I dedicated to the Afghan National Army looked at a hospital, where a much worse condition. Crowded wards occupied by soldiers and police, they are either shot in either bombing, or is a traffic accident. An unfortunate soldier legs blown off, although extremely painful, but how could not move, only by nurses to help him stand up, cleaning the wound, then bandage over and over again.

colleague Noel with me, “embedded” interview with the Afghan National Army, after he saw the plight of the face was green, the spot vowed that in the future no longer go to the field with infantry patrols. In fact, I think also coincides with him.

□ The original set the British “Guardian”

○ author of [English] Jon Boone ○ compile Liu Yafang “Youth Reference” (August 3, 2011 ed.)

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