Michael's Dispatches

Not much info out yet. Chances are any actual "news" will be slanted one way or another much like the VBID and proceeding attack @ Salerno was.

Jay, I do not know if you remember me but I was there in the armored backhoe with the CW4 I picked the debree up so you guys could pull them out. I was woundering if you have any pics. I am located next to the mail warehouse motorpool with the caterpillar guys. I will try to find you

First off, the vbied was las than 30 meters from the wall which is why there is a tank ditch now.
Most of the explosion was absorbed by the hescos. 4 locals were killed, shopkeepers who didn't get off the FOB in time like the rest of their treacherous brethren. 2 contractors were killed as well, shopping innocently. Many wounded, mostly concussions. I do know it knocked me off my bed and out of a sound sleep after working a night shift. We also took a 107mm rocket minutes after the blast. And none of this is OpSec, the bad guys know what they did.

I was there when it happen. Only I know what I saw, what I felt, and what I survived. To the gentleman that spent 23 years in the military. That same day there was a retired navy kennel master who spent 22 or so years in the Military. Well he never deploy anywhere in his military career and was there as an employee of a contracting company. His military experience was in the US, always in an air-conditioned office. So sometimes been in the military for so long does not give the experties needed in war. However if you were at charlie med you know what happen like the rest of us. It's your story and you can tell it however you want. Thank you for your service.

Wow what a buncha POG bitches. If I can remember correctly the first responders were the spec ops guys running around in shorts and plate carriers. It doesnt matter how damn close you were. I didn't see any of your asses on the hescos securing the FOB. Y'all ran to you're bunkers...

This happened around 10 AM, I was about to go to sleep when I was almost knocked out of my bed. There was dust everywhere and finally the alarms went off.. Everyone was in the bunkers while Apaches flew around the perimeter looking for anyone trying to breach the perimeter. I didn't hear a peep about this on CNN or the web, nothing at all!! I was at the PX an hour earlier before that. Well i know it was detonated at the Afghanistan gate, and that there was nothing left of the bazaar. I would never go back to Shank to work as a contractor. I never really felt safe there as a civilian, even with miltitary there.

I served 9 years active duty along with tours to Iraq and have never dealt with anything like this til I went overseas as a contractor.

Hey all, I am a medic and was assigned to 173 bsb at Charlie Med. I was there for the vbid in august. I don't remember much because I was knocked out cold for a minute or so. There were ppl within 100 meters and even 50 meters that survived. Charlie Med is between 75 & 100 meters of the where the vbid went off. NO one but the driver of that vbid was "vaporized". those that didn't survive, died because of either things falling on their heads or they were blown into something solid that caused severe head wounds. I "responded" as best I could, which isn't saying much since I was knocked senseless. I do remember a lot of soldiers on the hesko's and chaos. I know we medicvac'd over 60 ppl that day. Several of which were friends. I also vividly remember trying to console a local with a head wound who'd lost a family member... I believe he said cousin. It was an awful day. I'm grateful I can't remember much. And wish I could forget the rest. :/

I was at FOB Shank from 2008 till 2011 and we showed up when there was nothing there on the Airfield side but us and dirt. The main road was still used and the place was divided in 2 halves still. Crossing that road was never fun and I was glad when they closed it off. I feel for those that are there since I know first hand about being blown up all the time. I saw my share of bodies and rocket damage that Shank received and was very close to many times. That site won most bombed 2 years in a row.For those that are there I pray you all come home safe and keep your heads down. Take care my ARMY brothers and sisters and soon this will be over.

I just got here a month ago and its still crazy and still not a day that I am ready to hit the floor. I don't tell my family or friends what I have experience and encountered. The days that we dont have a medivac come in and have nothing to do is the days I thank god because no one is hurt. The pay is not worth losing your life. some days I skip lunch because you see a vehicle that is just parked by the defac....its scary and its reality. I look at my friends and the people i deployed with and happy to see their face everyday. We only have each other and if anything happens to one of us Im sure they will be there hold my hand or me holding theirs. I miss my family very much and I wish our country could see what we go through everyday to protect them and their freedom. I joined to protect my country, my people, and family. That is why I serve in the arm forces. I feel like I am doing a great thing here and when I read all this crap about how many years in the service or this and that. Reality is no one cares about rank or position outside the military. You are just like everyone else. When I get out I will only be happy to have done something that many choose not to do. I protected their freedom as well as mine. So remember that when you post and argue about who was there and who did what. You should only be happy that you are alive.

God bless you all for your service. My husband was a contractor at fob shank. I knew the risks but never was ok with them. You have my sincere appreciation each and everyone of you. Please be safe every day. Your in my prayers.

right now i have a soon to be ex and he is there. he tells me they "get attacked daily" and is a little unbleivable with his stories someone who is not a disgruntle military man now working for a contracting company making six figures do tell me WTF is going on over there. thank you for your time.. i served did the whole army thing its over chapter closed. I dont need to be ridiculed or judged just need to be updated. thanks!

Is Shank on a blackout today?

Is there any news on the black out?

it happened. according to the satellite photo and the metrics reported to higher C-Med was less than 100 m from point of det. C-Med was worse than people have yet described. Those personnel performed amazingly. thank you. The accounts of the constant Med Evacs arriving, and the constant IDF from May through the end of the fighting season are correct. i still have bad dreams. and when i hear helicopters now i think of the Med Evacs coming in.. and i remember the calls for "all personnel with ****** blood please report to Charlie Med" . i remember hoping my blood made a difference. i was able to give three separate times on those ole green strechers. i remember with sadness Taps being played and the Helicopters leaving and popping flares. I remember the Ramp Ceremonies on the Airfield, watching those black bags being carried onto the planes... . i was promoted out of the trenches for this deployment. i would rather have been doing route clearance like i did in Iraq in 07 during the surge than sitting in that bowl dreading that one lucky hit. "FOBBITS" at shank have seen more combat action than infantry units in fkn bagram or kandahar. to a mom or anyone else who is worried when they dont hear from a loved one... Do know that if your loved one is seriously injured or killed the Next of Kin will know with in 24 hours. so if its been three days and you haven't heard anything odds are your loved one is doing fine and spent too much money at kings pizza. @ Justaperson.. next time you get texts like "we are getting attacked right now if I don't text u tomorrow you'll know why" quickly reply back "how will i know where to pick up the SGLI check?!?!?". that person who sent you that is immature and wrong. 95% of all idf at shank is called clear within 10 mins. he is playing games with you. finish your divorce quickly. stop having pity on him. and make sure you are getting the whole BAQ.

:My only son has been at shank since march he won't tell me all the bad things happening there I did not realize it was that. Bad at shank I would like to thank. Him and all our brave Members of our armed forces Thank you for your service and God bless each and every one of you stay strong stay safe

Terrance, sounds like you may be the only sane person at Rocket City. I am a brat, married 20+ years to army and now the mother of a soldier. You'd think that it somehow would prepare a person. But not a mom. I have listened to the bravado BS all my life. But truth is the ones that really experienced all this don't talk about it, don't want to relive it, and don't want civilians to know about it or worry. Especially not a child to accidentally read some of this stuff. Life is tough enough.
I am worried about my son, daily, as well as, the rest of his unit. It sickens me that they are risking their lives so that the rest of this spoiled country can continue with life as usual, playing beer pong and going to the movies. I don't want to know gory details just something to ease my mind at night when I can't sleep because he's not here. He really should be out on a date or studying for an exam!
To all of you, thank you for what you are doing. Look out for one another. Stay safe, practice your training. Write when you can. Never forget to say I love you. My prayers are with you all for your safety, health, and safe return, but also for strength to endure all the whining AH's you"re stuck with there.
(They need to remember it was all part of the job, no promises, no guarantees. The US military is volunteer and no longer uses a draft. Just to refresh their memory.)

Hubby just deployed 2 shank. He flys the the grey eagle there. Any Any information about his location or updates would be awesome. God bless our country and men in service.

Jay whoever u are, ur a damn lie. I was there the day it happened. I was in the HHC 173d BDE building next to the barber shop right down the street from the bazaar that got blown up. I was close about 200 meters away and there were nothing as close as 45 meters that belong to the US military unless u were at the bazaar at 9 in the morning. It was almost a 10 thousand pound vbied and if u were 45 meters away from the hescos then u would be fucked up right now. All the tents that belong to the charlie med guys were all crushed and they were the closest ones to the blast and they werent even 45 meters away.

Well, currently back on Shank, this time for a year as a contractor...11 months down. Anyway, was with the Navy back in 2012 when this happened. One of our terps was in the bazaar when this happened, right near the Green Leaf restaurant that was essentially where the blast went off. He was jacked up but survived. There were plenty of people that were in close proximity...in fact, there were loads of tents that house military personnel that were well within 100 meters of this...and they all survived. I was a bit farther out. We were sleeping ATT and it blasted us out of our beds. We thought an IDF round landed in our tent...four tours and this was the scariest thing I ever experienced. Will never forget it.

One thing is I never got the chance to see the damage which was caused by the VBEID left a few days later to go to another FOB. I did another contract at Shank and I guess they closed off the old bus route where the blast happened. We all have our own perspective of what happened that day. I was in a bunker for nearly three hours while this chaos happened. At one point the alarm went off that stated that the perimeter was breached. But it turned out to be a false alarm, thank God. I am not claiming to be a know it all about that tragic day. I know I'll never forget as long as I live. Everyone on this post has their own view of what happened in 2012. No one is an expert on how far they were from the blast. It sure as hell felt like I was about 100 meters, because I sure as hell felt the shock. I was in the tent area around the Jordanian chow hall and across the street from the ALAMS hangars. So maybe I was around a mile from the blast. Then that's just a guess. Then again from the shock wave and dust, it felt as I was near the vicinity of the blast.

That was my voice over the loud speakers saying "Breach, breach, breach" and calling for blood to Charlie med that day when I was instructed to. There was undoubtedly a considerable amount of confusion in the BDOC when it happened. I won't comment on it further other than to say that everyone was on their game. Troops were indeed on the walls in shorts and carrier plates/IBA almost immediately following the blast and the Apaches were up and over the site within what felt like 30 seconds of the blast. Many troops and contractors participated in clearing the debris and searching for and assisting survivors. Not a good day for us, but a good day for us to shine under bad circumstances.

I was there 2011 2012 I left a little before it I was with RCP30 my TOC was right by kings coffee I hated the Stan we got blown up daily doing RCP but I'd do it again if I was offered the job

I was at FOB Shank from Nov 2011 - July 2012. No one liked me as a site manager for MEP but we were rocked too. Lost several employees that day and broke the arm of our ACOR after he was thrown across the office and injured our staff as well. We were lucky, many more were not. Having been a Combat Engineer for 24 years (NEVER Deployed while on AD) I self deployed to Iraq and Qatar. To serve the Army. My Army. My Country. You people need to get a grip! If you were there, I hope you made it out ok because it wasn't called rocket city for nothing. Don't embellish shit to make yourself feel good. Just knowing that you served should be good enough.

I was at Shank when the VBIED hit. We were delivering the US Mail to the base when I heard BREACH! BREACH! BREACH! over the Base PA system. My team pushed towards the Bazaar and I jumped on a rubble pile and started digging. I pulled an Afghan out who was pretty banged up. I dropped an airway on him, did some c-spine immobilization and carried him to the CCP with the help of another contractor...I wish I knew who he was so I could thank him for helping me. Does anyone remember seeing three black Ford F-550 gun trucks? After we did a couple more rescues, the BDOC allowed us to park outside on the perimeter for about an hour to provide security until the MRAPs could relieve us.

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