Trial By Fire

After about 10 seconds, Oakland gave the signal to move out. His squad got up with Haberer and bravo team leading and Anaya’s alpha team in the read. Oakland was located in the middle of the two teams. He and Haberer each had handheld GPS navigators so they could stay on course.

The soldiers moved along slowly and quietly, each had eyes and ears trained to the environment trying to pick up any sign of the enemy supposedly in the area.

Then the silence was broken with the sound of someone falling. Oakland halted the squad and went to check on what happened. SPC Doria in the left rear of the formation had stepped in a huge sinkhole and was up to his hip underground. Oakland helped the struggling soldier to his feet.

"Shit! I didn’t even see that fucking hole! Sorry Oakland, sorry man." Doria apologized but Oakland waved it off.

"Watch out for those holes everyone, I’ve seen a bunch out here." He whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear. They all nodded. He signaled to move again and everyone rose from the prone position they had taken and continued moving.

After a couple of hours of slow movement there still had been no sign of the enemy. Oakland checked his GPS to learn they had only traveled 2 klicks. He signaled to halt so everyone could rest. Lying in the middle of their secure circle, Oakland strained to hear any sign of enemy. There weren’t even any birds chirping.

Then there was something! Oakland heard a low-pitched whistle coming from his left. It got louder and louder…

"INCOMING!" Brown yelled. The call was repeated by everyone and followed with a simultaneous slamming of helmet into the dirt. Before they could react there was an explosion that shook the ground. Oakland heard the whizzing of shrapnel over his head and felt the heat of the round exploding nearby.

"Twelve o’clock, 500 meters!" He instinctively yelled. He knew the round would be adjusted and bracketed into his position so he ran away from where the adjusting round would land. There was another explosion farther away in the opposite direction as the men ran.

"Hug the ridgeline!" He ordered and Haberer led then along the inside of a ridge so the enemy calling fire on them would lose track of where they were. After about 100 meters of a dead sprint the squad slowed to a quick trot. They continued in the right direction until Oakland called the halt. Everyone dropped panting into their security positions and Oakland moved over to PVT Brown.

"Bravo 1-6 this is Bravo 1-3, sitrep to follow, over" he said into the handset of the radio Brown had on his back.

"Bravo 1-3 this is Bravo 1-6, go ahead, over." The receiver squawked with 2LT Ford’s voice.

"We have received indirect fire but received no casualties, green-green-green, over." Oakland reported. They had been lucky.

"Roger 1-3, wait one, break." Oakland moved the handset away for a minute to check his squad. They had all pulled out their canteens and were catching their breath.

"Bravo 1-3, be advised there are friendly soldiers in the area. 2 special forces soldiers, break." There was a slight pause, "you are to link up with them and receive further instructions from them, over."

"Wilco Bravo 1-6, over." Oakland felt excited. Why would his squad have to link up with 2 SF guys? What are they doing out here?

"Roger, good luck 1-3, bravo 1-6 out." The radio went silent. Oakland turned and trotted over to the 12:00 position where Haberer was laying in the prone. Oakland strained his eyes to see out beyond the thick trees and bushes around their position. He didn’t see anything. Ten minutes passed. Then Haberer tapped Oakland and whispered to him.