What were your first thoughts each time you went outside of the wire?

2022-02-28T13:29:25-05:00

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Response by Cpl Vic Burk made Mar 1 at 2022 12:09 PM

2022-03-01T12:09:22-05:00

Will I make it back alive.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Mar 1 at 2022 1:10 PM

2022-03-01T13:10:20-05:00

“Did I miss anything in my plan?”

Response by Sgt Mervyn Russell made Mar 2 at 2022 5:36 AM

2022-03-02T05:36:45-05:00

There were all kinds of thoughts that went through your mind but, we didn't talk about it. I didn't pull too many patrols. I Will admit, I was scared each time. And again, you really didn't have time to get scared. This was just before Tet Offensive. it was not just going outside the wire, it was the incoming that you were not so sure of. It could hit and find you anywhere. I remember this one LT that was killed in a bunker, he didn't have a mark on him but he was dead. Such a waste of your lives on both sides.

Response by MSgt Mark Bucher made Mar 4 at 2022 3:39 PM

2022-03-04T15:39:56-05:00

Time to be real

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Mar 5 at 2022 6:14 AM

2022-03-05T06:14:25-05:00

That I would safely guide my Soldiers through the days trials safely and alive.

Response by SSG Ralph Watkins made Mar 5 at 2022 10:00 AM

2022-03-05T10:00:25-05:00

Arrived in Baghdad in early 2004. Landed at BIAP & then had to go to Steel Falcon in SE Baghdad. We formed a phalanx in the back of an open deuce & a half. No armor or specialized buses then. I don't think fear as overwhelming, more like curiosity & wonder. We got lots of smiles & thumbs up from locals. Our first night of patrolling a few days later let us see how brutal things can be for the locals. On our second night, we saw the IPs parked in a different spot & were wondering why & then we got hit with our first IED. We learned at that moment that the police were not our friends & those who came to our aid were the local civilians. We had good standing with the locals there after that. Not the IPs.

Response by SSG John Oliver made Mar 7 at 2022 8:43 PM

2022-03-07T20:43:06-05:00

I hoped I had enough toilet paper

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 8 at 2022 5:27 PM

2022-03-08T17:27:32-05:00

Never “been outside the wire” but I’ve had to deploy by myself into the Red Sea which is nearly 8,000ft deep without a security boat in broad daylight and at 0200 and I just remember disconnecting from the rescue hook and looking down and seeing absolute bottomless and realizing I was no longer at the top of the food chain.

Response by LTC George Morgan made Mar 10 at 2022 8:56 PM

2022-03-10T20:56:23-05:00

Hang on, I need to take a leak.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 13 at 2022 9:07 PM

2022-03-13T21:07:54-04:00

Just another day, most the time. Looking back I probably should have been more alert and cautious. Especially going out the gate at 10:00 every Tuesday and Thursday as the only escort for the water truck. Only as just me and the TCN driver in the the cab.
But when we first showed up we were heros, and most locals saw us as an excellent business opportunity. Then as the months went on things deteriorated. Likey excellerated by firing their entire military, and most law enforcement. Not a group you want unemployed and blaming you for it.
Of course letting yourself stay wound up about all the possible risks will just wear you down and significantly increase the risks of a mental implosion. So just don't do anything blatantly stupid, and practice the proscribed cautions. There's only so much in life you can control.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 13 at 2022 9:14 PM

2022-03-13T21:14:28-04:00

The mission at hand.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Mar 14 at 2022 11:33 AM

2022-03-14T11:33:24-04:00

The very first thought? Scan left / scan right.

I did the overwhelming majority of my worrying PRIOR to leaving the wire. Once I was outside the wire, I was too busy EXECUTING to think about the trivial stuff like dying.

Response by SSG Robert Vernon made Mar 14 at 2022 3:36 PM

2022-03-14T15:36:33-04:00

If this is my last trip outside the wire, I know my family will be well taken care of

Response by SGT Christopher Shankle made Mar 14 at 2022 5:06 PM

2022-03-14T17:06:28-04:00

Oh Christ. You want me to drive my 88 for a recovery mission. Please God tell me everyone is ok.

Response by SGT Jeremy Smith made Mar 15 at 2022 12:57 AM

2022-03-15T00:57:01-04:00

Come back alive.

Response by SSG Carlos Madden made Mar 16 at 2022 11:42 AM

2022-03-16T11:42:47-04:00

Don't F-up and don't look like a dummy in front of the unit you're attached to.

Response by SSG Ralph Watkins made Mar 17 at 2022 12:53 PM

2022-03-17T12:53:36-04:00

I was an old man when I went to Iraq. The first half of my career was in the SIGINT field. I went into the Guard as intel analyst in an FA unit. Got tons of great tactical experience there. Every other month was a shoot weekend. Year round. When we got called up for Iraq, your MOS did not matter. We were all combat MPs. I think many of us soon lost our fear of death & became more focused on not failing the mission. We had harrowing missions in Fallujah. My first week in Fallujah was the longest year of my life. Then we became the PSD for the top 5 officials of the Iraqi govt. We did Tier 1 missions. Now the fear of dying truly became a luxury. We had to die if need to be to protect who we were escorting. We considered ourselves dead & thanked God at the end of every mission that we were still alive. And a person't religious beliefs did not matter. We all thanked God for living. So I went from being a POG in the first half of my career to leading Tier 1 missions later in life. It was a serious challenge for me. But I did accomplish my two main goals. Getting all of my men home safely & getting me a hand-made Persian rug. Mission success.

Response by SPC(P) Carlos Santini made Apr 2 at 2022 1:03 PM

2022-04-02T13:03:08-04:00

I lived outside of the wire so I really didn't have any thoughts. Iraq 03-04.

Response by SPC Julio R. made May 12 at 2022 4:29 PM

2022-05-12T16:29:28-04:00

at first it was scurry but after awhile it was second nature and once you told yourself you already are dead then all flows well after that. countless outside the wire convoys or missions so if you were squarly then so sad to bad you know what you signed up for. death is around every corner and you live with that knowledge unlike the cops in America that "are scared for their life" and shoot to kill and get away with it ala qualified immunity.
as long as you did everything you could to stay alive baring that you just had to get up and go about the mission. only blue falcons will tell you that they weren't scared and those mostly fobbits always have the war stories when they get back home, about how they chuck norrised the enemy all by yo'self.
incoming fire even became natural and an extension of the work we do and did. as long as you had you kit ready to go then all was good, siren equals run your butt to the bunker and or up armored vehicle if you had no bunker, like how FOB Walton did us dirty and had us Engineers at the ass end of the FOB with no bunkers, force pro of anykind and or jersey barriers. all we had was 7 flimsy built hooches that the navy seebees totally blue falconed us on.
GAWD I MISS DEPLOYMENTS, in hind site that is......