Seals (2005) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Jack - Seals 0 Terral
interrupted. "You say you recommend those items?"
"When me and the senior chief recommend a piece of equipment, every swinging dick better damn well have it on him."
"Understood, Chief," Carey stated.
Chief Gunnarson continued. "The platoon also needs to take along field jackets since it can get really cool in the highlands of Afghanistan, even in August."
"Sounds satisfactory for a short mission like this," Carey said. "Are you contemplating combat vests or LBEs?"
"Vests, sir," Gunnarson answered. "That's where we'll stick our second line equipment. That stuff consists of a day's worth of MREs, the medical kit Petty Officer Bradley is handing out, a two-quart canteen, a couple o' frag grenades, binoculars, a GPS and water purification tablets."
"I take it that the guys will be able to bring along some items of their own choice," Carey remarked.
"Right, sir," Gunnarson said. "They're the ones that'll hump the stuff, so I'm sure there won't be any unnecessary items. The rucksacks will be for the third line equipment. That'll be the basic load of MREs, entrenching tool, poncho, poncho liner, foam mattress, extra socks, water bladder, an extra BDU, night vision goggles and those other goodies I just mentioned. That's it, sir."
"What about sleeping bags?" Berringer asked.
"We won't need 'em, sir:' Gunnarson answered. "The mission shouldn't go on that long."
"Don't forget contingencies, Chief," Carey cautioned him.
"If there's a delay, we can make envelope rolls out of the ponchos and liners to sleep in. If we keep our clothes on and we put them foam mattresses between us and the ground, we'll all sleep toasty warm."
Carey smiled at the tough SEAL using a term like "toasty warm." He glanced over at Bill Brannigan. "It seems you're well prepared for the operational part of the mission. Now it's my turn. Here's your itinerary. You'll fly from North Island via C-130 on a easterly flight with the necessary refueling stops. You'll make station time aboard the aircraft at eighteen hundred hours this evening. The minute the landing gear goes up, you're between commands. Your ETA at Station Bravo in Bahrain will be oh-six-hundred local on 7 August.
At that point, the Army S-3 of the area's SOCOM will take you under his wing." He picked up his papers and put them in his briefcase. "Now, this just in. I saved it for the last to avoid interrupting the debriefing. Be prepared to extend your mission if so ordered. The situation is very unstable at the moment."
"It won't change much," Brannigan said. "We might have to make a couple of adjustments. No sweat. The problem will be resupply if we need it. That's out of our hands."
"That will be handled by SOCOM in the area," Berringer interjected.
"They damn well better handle it perfectly or we'll be in deep shit," Brannigan commented dryly.
"In a situation like that you'll have to hope for the best," Carey said. "If there're no more comments or questions, I say good luck and God bless."
After the two staff officers exited Isolation, Senior Chief Buford Dawkins went into his senior enlisted man's mode. "All right! Equipment inspection in one half hour! Turn to it, gentlemen!"
.
WARLORD BURTAMI'S COMPOUND
AFGHANISTAN
1130 HOURS LOCAL
THE bucolic fort was well organized, with a dozen mud buildings behind a high, thick defensive wall. The largest structure was Durtami's residence, and there was also a small village of huts where the mujahideen lived with their families. Some portable storage containers and a vehicle park with pickup trucks, motor-rickshaws and motorbikes made up the remainder of the layout.
The narrow streets were laid out in a zigzag pattern to create sudden ninety-degree turns, then a short distance before the street veered back in the original direction. There was excellent reasoning behind the asymmetrical arrangement.
Such streets could be easily defended, while attackers, unable to see ahead any great distance, would have to slow down at each
"When me and the senior chief recommend a piece of equipment, every swinging dick better damn well have it on him."
"Understood, Chief," Carey stated.
Chief Gunnarson continued. "The platoon also needs to take along field jackets since it can get really cool in the highlands of Afghanistan, even in August."
"Sounds satisfactory for a short mission like this," Carey said. "Are you contemplating combat vests or LBEs?"
"Vests, sir," Gunnarson answered. "That's where we'll stick our second line equipment. That stuff consists of a day's worth of MREs, the medical kit Petty Officer Bradley is handing out, a two-quart canteen, a couple o' frag grenades, binoculars, a GPS and water purification tablets."
"I take it that the guys will be able to bring along some items of their own choice," Carey remarked.
"Right, sir," Gunnarson said. "They're the ones that'll hump the stuff, so I'm sure there won't be any unnecessary items. The rucksacks will be for the third line equipment. That'll be the basic load of MREs, entrenching tool, poncho, poncho liner, foam mattress, extra socks, water bladder, an extra BDU, night vision goggles and those other goodies I just mentioned. That's it, sir."
"What about sleeping bags?" Berringer asked.
"We won't need 'em, sir:' Gunnarson answered. "The mission shouldn't go on that long."
"Don't forget contingencies, Chief," Carey cautioned him.
"If there's a delay, we can make envelope rolls out of the ponchos and liners to sleep in. If we keep our clothes on and we put them foam mattresses between us and the ground, we'll all sleep toasty warm."
Carey smiled at the tough SEAL using a term like "toasty warm." He glanced over at Bill Brannigan. "It seems you're well prepared for the operational part of the mission. Now it's my turn. Here's your itinerary. You'll fly from North Island via C-130 on a easterly flight with the necessary refueling stops. You'll make station time aboard the aircraft at eighteen hundred hours this evening. The minute the landing gear goes up, you're between commands. Your ETA at Station Bravo in Bahrain will be oh-six-hundred local on 7 August.
At that point, the Army S-3 of the area's SOCOM will take you under his wing." He picked up his papers and put them in his briefcase. "Now, this just in. I saved it for the last to avoid interrupting the debriefing. Be prepared to extend your mission if so ordered. The situation is very unstable at the moment."
"It won't change much," Brannigan said. "We might have to make a couple of adjustments. No sweat. The problem will be resupply if we need it. That's out of our hands."
"That will be handled by SOCOM in the area," Berringer interjected.
"They damn well better handle it perfectly or we'll be in deep shit," Brannigan commented dryly.
"In a situation like that you'll have to hope for the best," Carey said. "If there're no more comments or questions, I say good luck and God bless."
After the two staff officers exited Isolation, Senior Chief Buford Dawkins went into his senior enlisted man's mode. "All right! Equipment inspection in one half hour! Turn to it, gentlemen!"
.
WARLORD BURTAMI'S COMPOUND
AFGHANISTAN
1130 HOURS LOCAL
THE bucolic fort was well organized, with a dozen mud buildings behind a high, thick defensive wall. The largest structure was Durtami's residence, and there was also a small village of huts where the mujahideen lived with their families. Some portable storage containers and a vehicle park with pickup trucks, motor-rickshaws and motorbikes made up the remainder of the layout.
The narrow streets were laid out in a zigzag pattern to create sudden ninety-degree turns, then a short distance before the street veered back in the original direction. There was excellent reasoning behind the asymmetrical arrangement.
Such streets could be easily defended, while attackers, unable to see ahead any great distance, would have to slow down at each
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