The Day I Held My Fire

What an awesome story from inside the cockpit, told by a combat fixed wing pilot strafing the enemy and enemy positions. It's very well written, and you'll feel like you're right there with him. I can relate in that I too, didn't shoot and kill the enemy, because he was unarmed.

Thirty seconds is a long time to think you might accidentally kill a kid. But that’s how it was that day over Afghanistan.

We had to hurry. Chaos and Fester left, and without a break KRACR and I were directed to hit the man they were watching. The high-value dude drove out into the open. He was alone and on a motorcycle on a stretch of road running through a small valley just outside of town. I turned toward the target, and released two 500-pound bombs. I realized my mistake about two seconds after I hit the pickle button, but my part in the tactic was over. It was up to KRACR now to salvage my error and get my bombs on target.