I had just woken up when I heard the explosion. Instinctively I reached for my camera. Was this the beginning of a Taliban attack?
I had just woken up when I heard the explosion, writes Channel 4 News cameraman Stuart Webb.
Instinctively I reached for my camera. Was this the beginning of a Taliban attack?
My heart was racing waiting for the burst of follow-up gunfire and rocket propelled grenades. But there was none and things soon became quiet.
I took a few minutes to pack away my sleeping bag and head out the tent – but already the news had filtered through. That boom had been yet another home made bomb or IED exploding.
That boom had been the sound of yet another American soldier being killed. Another family back in America devastated.
Another patrol of soldiers having to witness something so awful the images will stay with them for the rest of their lives – and for some haunt them forever.
The bomb disposal team rushed into action. Yesterday I’d been spending time with them laughing and joking and swapping stories during the hot afternoon.
Now they were rushing to the scene of the explosion to investigate the blast and take care of any more IEDs – and if there is one there are almost certainly others close by.
The Company Commander was also going with a few men. They had the most awful job of all – to pick up the remains of the soldier.
If you want to know how bad the IED situation is out here the cold hard figures speak for themselves.
I’m with the 82nd Airborne. A Company of soldiers is made up of three platoons of 38 men each. Bravo Company during this tour has had five killed and 33 injured – 21 of these are amputees.
That’s nearly a whole platoon worth of soldiers – and nearly all the victims of IEDs.
Around a table at the camp the soldiers are having breakfast. They are normally chatty and fun to be around.
No one speaks now. The Company Lieutenant walks by and says: “Just another day”.
They watch as in the distance a helicopter lands to pick up their fallen comrade. Everyone knew the soldier – to many around the table he was a close friend.
As we watch the helicopter disappear the soldier next to me breaks the silence: “The butcher’s bill is way too high out here”.
Across the table another soldier looks at me and says: “If I was a bird I’d fly out of here”.
The soldier’s family has been informed of his death.