[UnderseaLcpl]

2001-2009 UnitedStatesMarineCorps, sir!

14th Marines Headquarters Battery. E-4. 0621 Field Radio Operator/0622 Digital Wideband Comms Operator. NCOIC, Forward Combat Operations Center. NCOIC, Communications Equipment. NCOIC, Local Security.

Attached to 2nd BN/ 2nd Marines and deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom II and III. MTVR Operator. NCOIC, Advance Party. NCOIC, MTVR squad. NCOIC, armoury, 14th Marines truck det. NCOIC, Convoy Communications. NCOIC, General Non-Combat Logistics, 14th Marines Truck det. May, 2005-March 2006

War stories? I have many but all are long and I tend to tell them here from time to time, whether anyone wants me to or not.

Overall, though, I'm kind of amazed that I'm even alive. I am the only M-249 machine-gunner out of four in my platoon that made it back from OIF intact. Of the five trucks that were my personal mounts, three were utterly destroyed, and two of them burned until there was nothing left but piles of slag. R.I.P. "Optimus Prime", R.I.P. "Caboose", R.I.P. "Sandwagon". Somehow, I managed to not be in any of them when they were hit.

I had the vehicle in front of me IED'd. I had the vehicle behind me IED'd on another occassion. I've had (admittedly poorly-aimed but still a little close for comfort) mortars shot at me and my vehicle. I have been on foot patrols where I was placed ahead of the guys with the metal detectors in areas known to be mined. Well, it was just one foot patrol, but it still sucked. Speaking of foot, I almost shot my own off while clearing my weapon (bad sear pin, never got fixed). I've been shot at without the ability to return fire on a few occassions. Two other Marines, and I were left in very close proximity to enemy lines, if you could call them that, for hours because the convoy left and forgot we were still posted on the perimeter of our operations area. And those are just the fun stories.