Korengal Page #3

I probably scan

my guys 100 times

during a 3-minute firefight,

that's what I do.

We're taking contact from

the east side of the valley...

I was the RTO,

so as soon as I heard a crack,

I'd just hop on the radio

and be calling, like,

"Troops in Contact,

we're taking fire from the east.

There's probably about

five of them out there."

Then you got the squad leaders

bouncing around

from each position where

their soldiers are firing from

trying to give me

a situation report,

give me a status.

Is the guy still there?

Has he picked up and moved?

I'm trying to paint a picture

through the company commander,

'cause he's talking to highers

trying to gather

all these other assets.

Yeah, yeah, you get scared.

I'm not going to lie.

There was times, like,

I was pinned down,

and I was like... you know,

rounds, cracking overhead.

You know, I'd hunker down,

you know, catch my breath,

you know, pick up and move.

'Cause you can't...

you can't really...

You can't take that long

of a pause in the firefight.

Sometimes you get

pinned down real bad,

and they just come

way too close for comfort,

and you have no cover.

That's when you get

a little bit scared.

Yeah, it's frightening.

I think if anybody told you

they weren't scared,

they're kind of

bullshitting you,

but it's scared... you know

that that fear is there,

but you just put it away.

First time I got shot at,

I was pretty calm.

It was kind of surprising

for me 'cause I actually thought

I was going to panic,

or just freeze up.

But I actually didn't.

Unfortunately, there are

some people that,

they let it get

the best of them,

and I think that's kind

of the big distinguishing thing

with fear is how you tolerate

or deal with it.

Um, majority of people are able

to kind of push it aside

and they understand

what needs to be done.

They can, you know,

deal with it later.

Unfortunately, there are some

that it takes effect of them

immediately, and they basically

become useless for you.

Funny part was my mom always

wanted me to join the Army.

Since I was a little kid,

she wanted me to join, you know?

She always thought

I'd be good at it.

She was like,

"You're a natural leader.

You'll be great at it."

Nah, I ain't joining the Army,

no way, no way.

Sure as sh*t, here I am.

Here I am, unfortunately.

Unfortunately and fortunately,

all at the same time.

I don't know,

as black men, I mean,

I am the only one

in the platoon.

I'm one of...

one, two, three, four,

if you count the cook,

five, if you count

the two cooks...

black people in the company.

Oh no, Choikey.

There's me Choikey, Miller,

who are infantry guys,

and First Sergeant, that's it.

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