My good friend CJ has not asked me to post this or do anything specific. I asked his permission to blog about his case and he said that was ok. He has no idea how this post looks. If you don’t know, CJ is a fellow Sr. NCO, co-host on You Served Radio, milblogger and very close friend of mine. The guy is more patriotic and dedicated to not only this country, but also the Army than I think most people will ever know. His wife Emily is a sweetheart and would not hurt a fly unless you try to hurt her family.

If you don’t know the story of what has happened to CJ’s family as he tried to stand up and exercise the rights that he has fought so hard for, then you need to educate yourself first. I encourage you to listen to Emily on Greta Perry’s radio show here, http://www.webwiseforradio.com/site_files/244/File/KMG_110709.mp3. Also watch this broadcast from a local TV station in the Huntsville area, http://www.soldiersperspective.us/2009/11/06/waay-31-covers-williams-middle-school-incompetence/. Read a very good breakdown of everything here and watch the video of the meeting here, http://www.soldiersperspective.us/2009/11/03/picking-up-the-pieces/. Then go here and read this, http://www.soldiersperspective.us/2009/11/07/cjs-speech-to-the-board/.

After watching and reading all of that I am sure you will agree with me that there has been a terrible injustice done to CJ, Emily and their kids. Even though I could say what I wanted in my blog as a National Guardsmen as long as I was not on duty, I can really say whatever I want now that I am retired. So here goes; the Garrison CSM is a complete tool. He is what is despicable in the Army today. He is the example of what gives Sergeant Majors a bad name and reputation. Leaders that have forgotten what it is like to take care of soldiers. When the Principal and PTA president called the military base to complain about CJ and make up slanderous allegations that CJ threatened them and made them scared (keep in mind that I am pretty sure both of these people are ex-army) the military should have responded with “This is a private matter between a parent in your school and you, this is not a military matter”. That should have been it. There was nothing else for the Army to do. As long as CJ did not show up in uniform or use his military status in some way during his conversations or interactions with the school principal or PTA, then it is NOT AN ARMY PROBLEM!!! PLAIN and SIMPLE. But becuase the leadership of the base caved in and acted with cowardice becuase some “civilians” complained, the Principal and PTA President know they have CJ by the marbles. All they have to do is call up the military, make fake allegations and they see the outcome…CJ being called on the carpet, having his career put in jepordy and facing a lot of stress in his family.

How is it that a Army Major can make treasonous remarks and still hold his job and then go and murder 13 people, but CJ tries to exercise his rights of free speech and then gets his life turned upside down? What the hell is this about? How can this happen? There are lots of unfair things in life, and I usually mark those as “that is life”. Not everyone can get a trophy, not everyone can get all the breaks. But what is happening to CJ, Emily and their kids is criminal. An Army that CJ has fought for, supported and evangalized for, has turned their back on him. It was stuff like this that the American people never see. Not everyone in the Army is a “hero” or worthy of praise. Some are complete tools that don’t deserve to wear the uniform, like the Post Command Sergeant Major, Ricky Cooper. If you can’t support your soldiers that report to you, then it is time to leave and quit taking up space. The Garrison Commander, COL Pastorelli started out supporting CJ, but he has caved under the pressure of CSM Cooper and the civilians.

Don’t get me wrong this is not all on the Army, as they had nothing to do with the start of this and have no control over civilians making unfounded allegations. There are others who can be asked, written to, called and pestered to look into this situation and possibly have the authority to step in.

Who are they you ask? Well let me tell you. Rather than have people searching all over the web, here is some contact info for anyone that wants to step up and ask the hard questions that others are failing to. In all my years in the Army, I can tell you that if there is one thing that Army leaders are afraid of, it is a congressional inquiry. I have seen the impossible happen when a elected representative starts asking questions of the military.

President- Governor Bob Riley
State Capitol
Room N-104
600 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36130
Phone: (334) 242-7100
Fax: (334) 242-0937
Contact Form- http://www.governor.state.al.us/contact/contact_form.aspx

Secretary and Executive Officer- Joseph B. Morton
State Dept. of Education
5114 Gordon Persons Bldg.
Montgomery, AL 36130
Phone: (334) 242-9700
Fax: (334) 242-9708
jmorton@alsde.edu

District 8 Representative and President Pro Tem- Dr Mary Jane Caylor
PO Box 18903
Huntsville, AL 35804
Phone: (256) 489-0541
Fax: (256) 489-0552
caylor@hiwaay.net

President- Pam Berry
PamBerryD4@aol.com
Phone: 334-546-6667

Alabama Parent Teacher Association
470 South Union Street
Montgomery, AL 36104-4330
Phone: (334) 834-2501 or toll free (800) 328-1897
Fax: (334) 834-2504
Executive Director Cell: (334) 549-0140
Email: al_office@pta.org
Website: www.alabamapta.org

Richard Shelby
Contact Form- http://shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactSenatorShelby.EmailSenatorShelby

Parker Griffith
Contact Form- http://griffith.house.gov/?sectionid=7&sectiontree=4,7

COL Robert Pastorelli
Email: IMCOM-GC-Redstone@conus.army.mil

Last but not least, I encourage you to check out http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=157465044584&topic=10593 and read the letter from Jennifer Dombrowski-Scott who is the VP of membership for the PTA at Williams Elementary School. As you read it and then read the responses by CJ, Emily and several other parents I think you can get a good appreciation of the obviously confused and mentally challenged people that sit on the PTA of that school. This lady talks about everything from quoting scripture to how American soldiers rape and abuse enemy prisoners. Somehow that is all related to wearing uniforms in schools and a parent trying to get the chance to speak on the issue. I think once you read the letter it is obvious what caliber of people CJ has been dealing with on this PTA.

Thank you for taking the time to read all of this and I thank you ahead of time for any correspondence you have with those listed above or for spreading the word to anyone you can.

I know it is kind of late to be posting my Veteran’s Day posting, but I must say for having the day off and thinking I would have all sorts of free time on my hands, it sure did not turn out that way. I figured I would do the cemetery visits this morning and then come home, do some weapons cleaning, work on some blog stuff, maybe do open skate at the rink with my youngest and possibly squeeze in some Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 2.

The reality was a lot different. We got up early this morning and my wife, youngest son and I all went to the large cemetery in downtown Buffalo called Forest Lawn. We have done this for years on Veteran’s Day with our boys’ scout troops, and I am proud to say my wife is the main reason they do this. She makes it a point to get as many out there as possible. This is where one of my soldiers, Ben S. is buried so it always affords me the chance to visit with him. Anyway, we got there and our scouts, along with some soldiers, junior ROTC students, Veteran’s, family members and just plain old Americans all went to task to place a flag in front every veteran gravestone in the Veteran’s section of the cemetery. While there I saw a guy with a Task Force Fury shirt on. TF Fury was the unit that moved into Sharana a few months before I left country. We got to work with this unit from the 82nd Airborne a little bit. So we stuck up a conversation that lasted a while. We worked in the same area, knew some of the same people both in Afghanistan and in the US, and generally hit it off. He was a CPT that had gotten out after 4 years and a combat tour and I was a 1SG with over 22 years and a few tours, yet we talked like we had known each other forever. Hence the magic of being a soldier and another example of the “brotherhood”.

After talking with this warrior for a while and after the ceremony we got ready to leave when Hunter and I noticed some Veteran’s gravestones that were not necessarily in the veteran’s section but were still the final resting place of those that had served, but that had no flags. After heading over to visit Ben S. one more time, Hunter told me how he had seen some more flags in another bin next to the road. I could tell that it bothered him to see some Veteran’s graves left unmarked on this special day. So I asked him if he wanted to go and put flags on those four graves we saw and he told me yes. We went back and picked up four flags and then drove to the section. Hunter and I went over and rendered the honors to four veterans from WWI and WWII that would have gone unrecognized. As with earlier, he made sure to stick the flag in front and in the center. He also reached down and cleared the leaves away from each headstone so “the vets could see the flags in front of them”. I was amazed how carefully and smoothly he cleared the brown, dead leaves away from each headstone.

When he was done and as we were walking back to the car, I put my arm around him and told him that he would make a great soldier one day. He then responded with “I know, but I just hope that I don’t end up in the ground”. At this moment my knees felt like jelly and I could not believe that such a small, young man who only has seven years on this earth, could be so cognizant of what is around him and the risk involved with being a soldier. It was at this moment that I realized how much of an Army brat he is and how much my lifestyle has influenced him already.

For a brief second I was at a lost of what to do or say. Then I said the only thing I think I could without becoming a heap of sobbing father. As we continued walking I told him “well if you do son, I will be sure and always keep a flag there for you to see and keep the leaves cleared away”. As those words left my mouth, without my ability to stop them, I was already questioning if that was the wrong and morbid thing to say or not, but then he replied with “Thanks Dad”. At this point we were back to the car and before I opened the door for him to get in, I turned and knelt down and just gave him a big old hug and told him I loved him and he did the same.

That was how my day started. For the rest of the day I kept thinking about him telling me “…I don’t end up in the ground” and wondered if that were to ever happen, how much that moment will forever come back to haunt me.

From Forest Lawn, we went and had a nice breakfast. After breakfast we drove down to Holy Cross cemetery to visit Dave R. and catch up with him. On the way there we stopped at a florist to get some new flowers since we had put most of what we had at Ben’s grave. While there, we ran into one of my old soldiers, Chris R. and his wife as they were also getting flowers to take to Dave. We talked for a while and then both drove over to the cemetery. We visited some more, cleaned up things around Dave’s place and then noticed his brother Danny walk up. I had not seen Danny in a while and it was good to see him. Seeing and talking to Danny is very theraputic as Danny looks and sounds a lot like Dave. So talking to him is almost like having the ability to talk to Dave again. Anyway we caught up on time and talked some as we gave Dave some company on this day…his day.

From there we came home and had a little while to catch up on some to-do items around the house, along with some emails, etc. Hunter had been bugging me for either open skate, a bike ride or Lasertron (laser tag and arcade place). Since we had missed open skate I told him we would go to Lasertron. He, I and the Mrs. all went there and got quite a workout running around shooting at each other and others for half an hour. From there we went to Applebees to cash in on the free meal for Veteran’s that they were offering today. The place was packed and we were told it would be a 90 minute wait. Luckily we got it right at about an hour.

We called the other boys to come join us, and since Jon is a vet too, he also could eat free. We had a nice family meal in a restaurant that brought together veteran’s of wars that spanned 60+ years. There were many old guys there and plenty of young ones too. It was a nice way to cap off a long and emotionally filled day.

So as I sit here typing this posting of my day, I have to look back and recognize that even though I had all sorts of grand plans for today; the right things happened today and for the right reason. Seeing Chris and Danny was great. Being able to visit with some old soldiers of mine as they rested was a blessing too. Watching my seven-year old son demonstrate more patriotism, honor and respect in a few hours than I see come from most adults in their lifetime was humbling. I don’t think he will ever appreciate how much I was moved by him today or how much it meant to me.

Happy Veteran’s Day!

On Veteran’s Day, I wanted to take this opportunity to say” Thank You” to all my Military Sisters out there and share a beautiful poem someone gave to me recently.

One of the greatest gifts my husband has ever given to me was not purchased with money but given to me over the years via the benefit of being a Military Wife.  For years I have been blessed with the opportunity to meet and get to know some of our country’s most incredible women.  Each one of them unique and precious holding some awesome qualities: strong, intelligent, resourceful, prayerful, funny, hardworking and proud of their soldier.

As the years have passed, my Sisterhood Circle has grown from what was a few close knit friends at Fort Hood to girls that are my “BFF’s” from every duty station we have ever had the pleasure of being stationed.  Through the years, we have stood strong together lifting each other up during deployments, illnesses, deaths, and holidays.  We have celebrated birthdays, anniversaries and births together.  These are the women who have been by my side when my husband and my family could not be there.  They are the ones who let me be 29 just one more year and never give away my true age, let alone remind me that we have children in their 20’s.  They are the women who have helped me celebrate more anniversaries and valentines day’s than my husband could, simply because he was deployed.  They have been my prayer partners in the coldest of waiting rooms when I really needed someone to hold my hand and pray with me and remind me to “Trust God.” They have been my birthing coach, my babysitter and the Aunt to my children. They were the first ones to call to offer a hand when one is needed and the last one to ever ask for anything ridiculous for themselves.

Each one in my Sisterhood Circle is precious to me for the simple gifts of blessing each other with a bond that can never be broken.  Much like the bonds that our husbands share from their combat experiences, our bonds are forged by the test of Military Everyday Life (deployments and all)!

I have so many wonderful memories that I have shared with my Military Sisters.  We share more than just a simple connection of our husband’s service.  We are forever bonded by the love that we have for our soldiers, our country and each other.  To my fellow Military Sisters, the ones I have yet to meet and the ones who I hold so dear, I hope you have a wonderful Veteran’s Day!

I am an American soldier’s wife
I stand with pride in my eyes
I know to my husband, there is a higher calling
that I will never fully understand
I am not a warrior, but I have the inner strength of one
Sometimes I am lonely, but I am never alone
I am one of millions, and the one and only
I stand by my husband’s passion for freedom
Knowing that his call to duty may come any time
I know he may die for what he believes in
And I know he is willing to sacrifice
For the betterment of the world, and what’s right
I am strong, independent, and capable
Sometimes I have to raise our children by myself
Sometimes I sleep alone
Sometimes I cry tears of worry
And sometimes I sit by the phone
The unknown can often fill me with fear
As I sit waiting for a single word to ease my mind
But I know sometimes no news is good news too
And that it doesn’t help anyone if I whine
I know I can make or break my soldier
And that my words can be the food for his soul
I write him when he’s gone and love him when he is near
And the good memories help me to stay strong
I don’t just think of patriotism as flags and fireworks
I live my patriotism each and every day
“God Bless America” brings tears to my eyes
And the “Star Spangled Banner” makes me cheer”
I know my part in life is important
As a wife a child’s mother, and a best friend
I have a strong sense of duty in all that I do
I know life is precious and can end
Sometimes the burden on my shoulders
can be so overwhelming to me
I feel I am always amidst a move
But even still, my love for my soldier holds true
It’s not always easy being a soldiers wife
but I do the best that I can
When people say they don’t know how I do it
To me it is easy to understand
I do it for passion, and for what is right
I do it for freedom and choices
And I do it for the soldier I love… the hero… who is my man

I have to give a H/T to and agree with my buddy Uncle Jimbo over at www.blackfive.net. Even though Modern Warfare 2 just came out today, the next version, Modern Warfare 3 will be the ultimate most combat realistic video game ever released. If you have never been to combat and want to know what it is like, this will be the game to try first to see if you can make the cut.

Ultra-Realistic Modern Warfare Game Features Awaiting Orders, Repairing Trucks

My good friends, Derek and Todd at Vision Strike Wear and Dom at Hooah Radio have teamed up to help the families of the fallen and wounded at Fort Hood. This a small business still trying to turn a profit and a non-profit who’s focus is on the troops. Regardless, they have teamed up to help out the best they can.

Vision-Strike-Wear.Com and Hooahradio.Com supports the families of the recently lost at Fort Hood by donating proceeds from sales on its website until Christmas Eve when the total funds will be sent to the Chaplain’s Fund at Fort Hood. This is a season for giving and no families are more deserving than these families are at this tragic time. Let us all provide the warmth of support and let them know we all care.

VSW and and Hooah Radio are donating $.50 from the sale of every single item sold on Vision Strike Wear from now until Christmas Eve to the Chaplain’s Fund at Ft. Hood Tx. It does not matter if it is a sticker, T-shirt, Hat, or whatever, they will put aside $.50 for every item sold and then on Christmas Eve send a check to the Chaplain’s Fund to help the families of the fallen and wounded.

In addition, any item sold on Vision Strike Wear can have FREE SHIPPING by using the coupon code “HooahRadio1″ at checkout. Yes, that is right, FREE SHIPPING on ANY ITEM for sale on Vision Strike Wear. So you can buy something from the normal Vision Strike Wear Collection or something from the items in the Bouhammer Gear Store or from anywhere on the site and have $.50 go to the Families Fund and even get FREE SHIPPING.

If there is anything on the site you like, to include the famous and ever popular Twitter-Bird Shirt, ETT Venom Shirt, 9/11 Tribute Shirt, or any of the other popular items in the Bouhammer Gear Store Collection.

I am sure all of you have heard that Applebees Restaurant is offering a free meal to soldiers and veterans. Of course Golden Corral is offering this and doing it again this year also. If you like the Outback steakhouse, they are offering a free bloomin’ onion appetizer and drink to all veterans. If you live in Western New York, Delta Sonic is offering free car washes to service-members and veterans on Wednesday also.

Here at Bouhammer’s Afghan and Military Blog, we have the Gullistan, Afghanistan ETT Team T-shirt still on pre-order through Wednesday and then it will start getting printed. You can learn more at http://www.bouhammer.com/2009/10/new-ett-team-t-shirt-design-available-for-pre-order/.

Also, the Valour-IT initiative is still on-going and we are trying to get Team Army in the Lead. The drive for Valour-IT is going strong, but we need more support to get laptops, Wiis, and GPSes into the possession of many wounded warriors who are suffering from their wounds and trying to recover. Don’t forget that I am willing to contribute all profits from any Bouhammer hat or embroidered shirts to Valour-IT, that are sold through Veteran’s Day. More details at http://www.bouhammer.com/2009/10/valour-it-kicks-off-today/.

Stay tuned as I have another big announcement coming soon that deals with helping the victim’s families in Fort Hood, TX.

Well today is the it, my very last day in the Army. I can’t believe this day is here. Over 22 1/2 years in the Army ends today. In reality it is really 40+ years in the Army. I was born at Ft. Bragg, NC and have been holding either a dependent or active duty ID card ever since. I mean I will have a retired ID card later this week, which looks like the dependent ones today, but the time of serving as a soldier is ending.

My time of being a leader of men, a caregiver to the soul of the young and confused, a motivator to those that are un-motivated is ending. It probably ended back in July when I turned over my last company and took off the diamond for the first time since getting it put on me over seven years ago. That was a painful day to remove the one rank that I always sought, but I can’t be greedy. I mean I was a diamond-wearing First Sergeant for over seven years and was a Detachment First Sergeant for 3 years prior to that as an E7 (Sergeant First Class). Most guys get 2-3 years as a First Sergeant and then move on. I was lucky, had the right timing and of course it helped to turn down Sergeant Major in the spring of 2008 to be able to hold on the rank so long.

I have no regrets, none at all for my career. I mean all I ever wanted to do was be a First Sergeant, and I got that wish. Thank to CSM Dave Piwowarski, COL (ret) Kevin Forney and my good buddy CPT Michael Batt I was afforded the opportunity to share in the command of the most high-speed and kick ass company in the entire 27th Brigade Combat Team. Back in the day, the 1st Battalion of the 108th Infantry Regiment (before they were disbanded due to the politics of the NYNG) was the lead element for the Brigade and they were always given the hardest and first missions. Well out of that Battalion, Bravo Company led the way. Bravo was always the first called on and the first to be the point element. This was long before I came to the Company, as it was as a result of the hard work of then-CPT Bob Williams, then-1SG Dave Piwowarski, and all of the soldiers and NCOs of Bravo Company.

Mike Batt and I were just lucky enough to fall in on a company that had their crap together, was lead by great leaders from the team leaders to the platoon sergeants, and were tighter than a seal’s butt in the winter time. Stepping into a great company was awesome, but it was also daunting. How do you take a great company and make it greater? I mean when you are at what you think is the top, the only place to move is down. To take it higher and make the unit greater is not easy. But the men, the leaders, and the spirit of the company did just that.

I was truly blessed to have been part of the leadership of that company for over four years. Four years that took us through some of the best of times and through the absolute worst. Bravo Company 1/108th Infantry was the only 1/108th Infantry unit to deploy as part of the Global War on Terror and they executed their duties with the professionalism and honor that I knew they would. However that did not come without a cost, as one brave soldier was lost on that deployment and several were wounded.

So as I look back at my time in over the last 22+ years and even though there were high points and low points I am proud of my service. When I told my State Command Sergeant Major back in February 2008 that I was turning down the Sergeant Major Academy and essentially the promotion, I knew my time was done. I knew I sealed my fate as much then as I did when I signed the declination statement in 1995 to go to Ft. Bragg. When I did that, I knew my time in the Active Army was over, but I was ready for it to be at that point in my life. This is where I am now too. After getting back from Afghanistan and doing all that I did there, I knew that it was time to go. Besides my body had taken enough of a beating after almost 9 years of jumping out of aircraft, two combat tours and many many field problems that the National Guard would probably categorize me as un-deployable in the future anyway. So what kind of leader can I be if I can’t deploy right along side of the men that I lead?

For reasons like that and because getting promoted and going to the academy would mean a commitment to 2012, I felt it was time to step aside. Of course, born into the soldier’s life, serving as a soldier my entire adult life, and being the father of a soldier means I will never stop being one.

I know the Marines always say “Once a Marine, always a Marine” and like with many things they are right there too. Because once a soldier, always a soldier (whether you went 20 years or not). We are a different Army across the board, since 9/11/01 and all of those who are serving today have signed up or re-enlisted since 9/11/01 and they knew exactly what they were getting into. The days of “I came in for the college money” are over and have been for some time.

I look back to my days as a young troop getting PFC pinned on me and then Specialist in HHC 2/5 Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division; going to B Company 1/506th Air Assault Infantry Camp Greaves, South Korea as a young E4, but doing the job of Sergeants because I could run a Mortar FDC like nobody’s business; getting my Expert Infantryman’s Badge pinned on me in Korea along with the highest SQT score in the company; heading back to Ft. Hood Texas to be part of the 1/8 Cavalry Mustangs and wearing the mighty First Team patch again and this time into combat as a Sergeant in Desert Shield/Storm; Driving from Florida to Alaska with my new family in 13 days; being part of the only Airborne Battalion in the Pacific theater, the might 1st Battalion 501st Geronimos and working with great guys like Ron Sneed, Doug Mullen and Louis Legier (RIP brother); Graduating the toughest school I ever attended as the Honor Graduate, Jumpmaster School; getting out of the Army and joining one of the few Airborne units in the National Guard, the 207th Group LRSD of the Alaska National Guard; participating in Leapfest 1998 and coming in 8th place out of 300 on my first and only visit there; getting to know men like Rick Morlock (may he rest in peace) and at the time fellow Platoon Sergeant but now Alaska State Command Sergeant Major Gordon Choate; moving to New York and leading many mighty men and warriors in both HHC and B Company of the 1/108th Infantry through multiple stateside deployments in the days after 9/11 and then going with some of the best damn soldiers I know to combat in Afghanistan and back….I look at all of that and I wonder how I could be so lucky to be so blessed.

How lucky I am to have so many friends in so many places. Friends, mentors, leaders who all helped shape me as a soldier. There are so many that I can’t name them here, but I hope they know who they are. They were not always those that I worked for or reported to. Many were my peers, and many times they were my soldiers that worked for me. I know some may not understand, but by working with them on issues, by hearing different ideas and leading them, it all made me that much better of a person and a soldier.

So today is it. Today I can look back and reflect and know that even though I made many mistakes along the way, I learned from them. As I watch the TV show of my life in the military inside my head I know that I have a smile on my face during the entire broadcast.

Once a Soldier, Always a Soldier….

This is the latest entry I put up on MilitaryPundits.com. It has to deal with the crap I am hearing in the media about Maj Hasan suffering from PTSD becuase he had to listen to it, even thought he has never deployed himself…and never will now. I got some hate in me and I let it show.

http://militarypundits.com/2009/11/ptsd-is-not-contagious-or-an-excuse/

The following story is re-printed from http://www.military.com/news/article/gis-in-4-hour-battle-at-afghan-village.html

QATAR KALA, Afghanistan — The villagers said they just wanted to be left alone. They claimed they had asked the Taliban to stay away, and wished the Americans would do the same.

But now the Americans were back, determined to stop the Taliban from passing through the village to attack U.S. targets. And shortly afterward the gunfire from the hills above served notice that the Taliban had no intention of leaving.

What unfolded Tuesday, Nov. 3, would highlight the tug of war being waged for the loyalties of one village in eastern Afghanistan.

The story had begun with a clinic, built here with U.S. funds to demonstrate to Afghans that they have more to gain from the Americans than from the Taliban.

Last spring the Taliban blew it up. But the Americans kept coming back. Their previous visit was three months ago, and now it was time to put in another appearance.

The platoon of a couple dozen Soldiers, part of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, left their outpost before sunrise. They walked three miles in a riverbed over sand and man-sized boulders to reach the heap of concrete and twisted iron that used to be the clinic. There they met the village elders, who escorted them to a large shade tree in the center of Qatar Kala.

The platoon commander, a 6-foot-5 lieutenant named Thomas Goodman, sat among the villagers, took off his helmet and sunglasses and explained why they had come.

Anti-American fighters had been passing through Qatar Kala westward to attack U.S. outposts along the nearby Pech River, said Goodman.

“Unless this is stopped, you have to understand that you’ll be getting regular visits from coalition forces,” he said.

The elders were unswayed. “We ask you not to come here,” one said. “It is better for us, and better for you.”

The atmosphere was tense. An attack was expected. Back at the ruined clinic, the squad’s Afghan translator had asked if this journalist had a mobile phone. “You should call your loved ones now to say that you care about them. I’m telling you, the walk home from here is not a joke,” he said with a nervous smile.

As they left Qatar Kala, with U.S. helicopters buzzing overhead, Goodman split his men into two squads, one along the riverbed and one in an irrigation canal on higher ground.

About 500 yards outside the village gunfire whistled down from the eastern mountainside.

Soldiers dived stomach-down. The rushing canal water soaked boots and uniforms and jammed at least one weapon as Soldiers got up to shoot back.

From the riverbed, the second squad fired volleys over the men in the canal. U.S. helicopters shot rockets and bursts of gunfire onto visible Taliban muzzle flashes. Nearby bases launched mortar shells and artillery barrages, and huge plumes of smoke erupted on the ridge line. Taliban fighters began moving down the hillsides. The pinned-down U.S. Soldiers shot back.

Two at a time, Soldiers bounded across open fields and behind the farm terraces for cover, heading for the river along which they had come. Several leaped down the steep river bank and slid behind the huge boulders to catch their breath. Gunfire popped from the opposite side of the river.

The Americans were being squeezed from both directions. The Taliban moved closer. Ammunition was running low.

A helicopter hovered by the river bank and a medical stretcher slid out, laden with grenades and machine gun bullets.

Helicopters continued to hammer the Taliban but repeatedly had to return to a nearby base to rearm and refuel.

Gradually the Soldiers made it to safety. The firefight had lasted about four hours. The entire operation, from dawn until the return to base, went on for about seven hours.

The Soldiers were met in front of the bazaar of a friendly village by troops in military vehicles who gave them bottled water. They were caked in drying mud but with no casualties except for two sprained ankles.

Then they headed back to their outpost, which is named Honaker Miracle after two U.S. infantrymen, Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Honaker and Pfc. Joseph Miracle, killed in Afghanistan in 2007.

The platoon was later told by its company command that reports suggested up to five Taliban were killed in Tuesday’s fighting.

Detectives assigned to the Fort Hood Directorate of Emergency Sevices respond Nov. 5, 2009, to a shooter barricaded in the post’s deployment readiness center. Thirteen people died and 30 more were wounded in the Fort Hood, Texas, incident. U.S. Army photo