It's a dangerous job

Just before I sent my guys out to their permanent locations in the west and south, I wrote how I feared for their safety. Some people may have thought I was being overly dramatic. Well, don’t tell that to my Marine who has been working in Helmand documenting the British on an operation. John just got back a couple days ago and told us the story of how the buddy he made on the trip was killed right next to him on Christmas Eve. It happened during a firefight when they were on a rooftop setting up equipment. John bent over to pick something up and when he turned around, the soldier was laying there motionless; shot through the neck. Before he went on this mission, John was a cocky young Marine ready to kill. Today he tells me he’d be happy if he never hears a gunshot again as long as he lives. I’m now redeploying him to the quieter RC North for the remainder of his tour.