This morning, one of our major NYC djs mentioned this on the radio.  Apparently, a son who is deployed to Afghanistan unknowingly dialed his parents' homephone from his satellite phone in his pocket during a firefight.  His parents weren't home, and so their answering machine picked up and recorded about 2 minutes worth of the firefight.  His brother posted the clip on  youtube (I am imagining that if there were OPSEC issues it would have been yanked before the word got out, but if it's not there when anyone goes to listen, I would imagine that's why...).  The hosts on the show who have heard the recording say that it is truly moving, and he reiterated what a truly courageous sacrifice our troops make, which was wonderful to hear on the radio.  He also reminded listeners that this is NOT edited in any way, so WARNING to anyone underage and/or who is sensitive, that adult language is present in the recording (definitely understandable-I tend to use adult language while driving or if I stub my toe, so I can only imagine that an explitive or two is more than fitting during combat... {{{hugs}}} to our soldiers...).

Unfortunately, I'm at work and can't access youtube (so I haven't even heard it yet) but the name of the clip is "Afghanistan Firefight"  for anyone who might care to listen. 

 

ETA: after following the link Phillis posted, I saw that the actual name of the clip is "Brother's Firefight" (we can blame Elvis Duran for that one...) and it's chilling.  Part of me wishes I could understand more of what's being said, and part of me is grateful that I can't.

I tried to find this on youtube a few minutes ago and couldn't.  If anybody does find it, please post a link.  I'd like to hear it.

Rosemary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4goOzg0lass

this is crazy! its so unreal to get a small glimpse of what they are actually dealing with. its impossible for me to comprehend. i was talking to one of my soldiers once and he said "hear that?" i had heard a big THUD! "that was a mortar round" he said, very nonchalantly, like it had simply been thunder. i would want to cry!

 Thanks for the link Phyllis and Kristen for pointing that out

Hi Phillis!!!!

Thank you so much for finding that link for us. Amazing.

My post-deployment son has shared quite a bit with me...not much in the way of difficult things...but more about their daily activities.

We are a very spoiled people. Thank God we have men and women like these who are willing to stand in our places on the battlefront.

Reta

They had his family and clips of the message on Good Morning America this morning.

Greetings All!

     My many thanks for the massive amounts of packages for the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines here and also for the Afghan children (we're hosting a health education fair 22 May)!!! Without your help, life would be plain boring around here. Yesterday 11 packages arrived - half were for the children, while the rest were for the soldiers. Morgan Cooley - she's pretty new at the FOB, but I "met" her in a HUMVEE when I traveled to Kabul last month. She's an enlisted soldier and had a smile that went from ear to ear. When I met her, she'd been in country for only a few days and here she was serving as the Truck Commander. I knew the driver (Maj from SC) and asked her what her name was- she said SGT Cooley. I asked for her first name because if we get into a firefight, I wanted to know first names. Morgan Cooley. So yesterday, she was walking by the Arms Room (place where you're gifts are placed for all FOB members) and I yelled her name. She looked and came into the Arms Room and her face lit up like a little kid on Christmas Day. She collected some feminine things and said she'd share the love with the other girls she lives around/with. I think some of you will get a letter or email from her - thanks for lifting her spirits.

    The firefight deal on youtube - if you come across it, please understand that things happen in a flash. Tragedies and lives are at stake. We try not to put anything on the net because the *** insurgents can effectively use them against us in an information campaign. I happened across 3 fella's who were involved in a serious IED at the hospital last month and it's still fresh in my memory. While waiting for the US doctor to examine my Afghan Colonel, this dirty little army soldier wandered out of the examining room and sat next to me. I couldn't hear him at first and keep wathcing the TV. After a minute, i realized he was actually talking to me. I leaned into him and was going to say something shitty like I can't hear him and to please speak up when I noticed the burn and blast marks all over his face. When I turned to him, I saw the grimy tear streaked cheeks and I swear it humbled me. I still couldn't hear much of what he was saying - just trying to listen to what he was saying. Then one of the medics saw him, rushed over and snatched him back into the examining room. A few minutes later, his SSGT came in and said he saw the entire event unfold. The fella talking to me was inthe gunner's hatch and took the brunt of the blast. I wanted to post pictures of the humvee but due to OPSEC, unable to. THe guys all lived,but I'm sure at least 2 of the 3 will have some rough times in the future healing and trying to deal with the aftermath. The bottomline is most people are interested in others misfortunes, but these are our brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, husbands,and wives. My experience the young IED victim was humbling and underlined the fragility of human life.  

Anyway - I'm again in your debt for your support and thank you all for your kind words and prayers. Some need them daily.

 

Very respectfully,

John Pethel

LCDR Pethel... thank you so much for your post. What a heart-wrenching encounter you described. I think many of us have imagined the realities our heroes face, but it's never less than overwhelming when someone like you can truly paint the real picture for us. Our hearts go out to that young man. I wasn't even there to see what you saw, but picturing his face brings tears to my eyes. I myself tend to feel a little uncomfortable about much of the information out there and the intention with which it's put out there. I worry about the intense reality that our warriors experience being exploited by those who choose to do so in different ways for different reasons, and it disturbs me-I see where you are coming from. Unfortunately, I imagine that this clip will somehow become less than it's worth by listeners who just "don't get it" (while I truly hope that if it poses a security threat, some authority will have it removed!). But you probably know, that to those of us here on AS, a clip like this one goes straight to our heartstrings. The reality of it is painful to our hearts, but also motivates us to strive to do more for our heroes. The world in general is a big question mark, but you can be assured that here in this place we hear this reality with tremendous respect, admiration, awe, gratitude, and with free-flowing prayer for their safety and protection. You probably already know that, but I just wanted to "say" it.

I am in complete agreement with Kristen, I can see how some postings could pose security threats and if they do I agree our soldiers welfare is more important, and should be removed. But I also know as an AS junkie just how much hearing something like that can jerk you right back into reality. Somedays when all of us here in our safe comfy world think our lives are going bad all it takes is listening to something like that to help see our priorities back into perspective. These men are so brave and all I could think of when I listened to that was, "I pray every one of them made it back "home" safe that night" I hope their families take solace that they are brave men doing the world justice and protecting the weak. I had a cousin who came back from Iraq when an IED exploded on his humvee, the soldier next to him was killed, only because he was driving was he "ok" even though he was burned and shrapnel everywhere. I know he has PTSD so I can understand how hard it can be for someone like that to stumble across this and how it could affect them, I just hope that in the long run the people who do come across it see it for what it is, how much of a sacrifice and how much danger there is out there and how many men and women are standing the front lines to keep us and everyone else safe, and I hope they honor that and dont turn these into some sort of circus sideshow.....

 Kristen and Irish Fairy, you put into words so eloquently what I was feeling when I heard this  firefight.  This had to be so frightening for this family. My own son is in a combat infantry unit and I deal with the fear and uncertainty each day. John, you were put in this situation for a purpose and I believe that you are there to bring comfort and lift spirits of those that you come in contact with. God bless you and thank you ! Diane

PS Just sent you a  care package for females.

Looks like the phone redialed his parents number when that horrible thing happened.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7389933.stm