Okay, so the title is a little misleading...
The biggest combat threat us soldiers face here in southern Afghanistan is the IED (improvised explosive device). Made of simple pieces like 2 boards, a battery and some fertilizer, IEDs are the #1 killer of coalition soldiers in Kandahar Province.
However, it is not the biggest threat 1/23 has faced in the past couple weeks. In America this is summer. The time of year of beaches, sunshine and sunburn. In Afghanistan it's "fighting season". The insurgency has decided they're ready to play...the problem is, it is over 100 degrees every day!
On our latest mission which lasted about 3 days, the temperature was 106, 110, and 111. To make matters worse, every step of our very long movement was in direct sunlight with 80-100 lbs of gear on our back. We had no less than 10 of our 40 soldiers on IV bags at some point, including myself.
From day 1 in the Army, hydration is forced upon us. Literally within 1 hour of arriving at basic training a hydration system is strapped to our backs. However, even 2 gallons of water in a 12 hour period was not enough to save me from needing medical attention this past week. Fortunately we are all okay, and ready to continue the fight.
Never again will I take air conditioning for granted.
Until next time...
Chris
Never again will take anything you guys do for granted.......
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