Contact on Route Michigan

[NOTE: The following story depicts Infantry Marines in combat. Foul language is used.]

“Hey, Sarn’t, do you see that fuckin' pile of trash over there?”

“Everyone, hold and set security! Over where, brother?”

“See that lone tall building?”

“Yeah, off on the right side.”

“Directly below that, about a meter off the road.”

“Yeah, I see it. What about it?”

“I smell a fuckin' IED.”

“What’s telling you that?”

“Looks like some fresh turned dirt around it, and it seems pretty fuckin' loose and breezy 'n shit.”

“Yeah, it rained last night, so that trash should be pretty well weighed down. That’s a lot of shit to get put out in one morning, too. That being said, it looks like a commercial building, they could've just taken the morning trash out. How’d you notice it?”

“Was scanning and it just looked out of the ordinary. Gave me a bad feeling, y'know?”

“Good job, Ramirez. Second squad, push into this building next to us, set up three-sixty security. We're gonna try to get some observation on that trash.”

“Roger,” ”Got it,” ”Err.”

“All teams are set, Sarge. Building's empty.”

“Thanks, Mike. Have first and second team hold security, tell third team to put eyes on that trash in the road. Ramirez can point it out to you. Smith, bring me the one-seventeen.”

“Got it here, Sergeant.”

“Thanks, man. Actual, this is Two-Two.”

“Two-Two, Actual, send it.”

“Be advised, I’ve got a potential IED along Route Michigan about a mile and a half West of VCP Michigan East. Stand by for IED report.”

“Two-Two, this is Two-Actual. We’re pretty tied up at the moment, route directly to Charlie Main, over.”

“Roger, Actual. Two-Two out.

Cold Steel Main, this is Two-Two. We’ve got a potential IED on Route Michigan about a mile and a half West of VCP Michigan East, stand by for nine-line report.”

“Two-two, this is Cold Steel Main, standing by when you’re ready.”

“Uh... hey, Sarn’t. We’ve got suspicious activity around the courtyard to the South.”

“What kind of suspicious activity?”

“Seems like everyone’s clearing out in a hurry, one or two military-aged males hanging around with cell phones.”

“Yo, Sergeant, got a spotter on the roof with binos and a phone, looks like he’s scanning.”

“Team leaders, pull the fellas back from the windows as much as possible. Move another SAW around to the South side on the third deck. Jake, see if you can get a bead on the spotter with the SAM-R.”

“Got it.”

“Mike, what kind of protection are we looking at here?”

“First floor is solid, some pockmarks around it from small arms, nothing serious. Second and third floor are pretty beat up, might hold up to some seven-six-two but not much else.”

“…y’all hear that?”

“Yeah, sounds like gunfire towards the VCP...”

“All stations, Two-Actual, troops in contact at VCP Michigan East, requesting skids for close-air-support ASAP.”

“Roger Two-Actual, handle all fires on Comanche Air net, pass CONTACREP when possible.”

“Roger Main.”

“Sounds like first and third squad are in the shit.”

“Yeah... button up, boys, might be in for a rough one.”

“Roger,” ”Got it,” ”Err.”

“All stations, this is Cold Steel Six, keep all non-essential traffic off Cold Steel Main for TIC updates to the COC.”

“There goes our IED report...”

“Sergeant, I see dudes with AKs closing with us through the alleyways, about fifteen of them, maybe more. They’re bounding between buildings, so I can’t get a solid count.”

“I’ve got that spotter beamed; he still doesn’t have a weapon.”

“Fuck, alright…”

“Hey, first team, watch down the alleyways on our right and left, we've got dudes coming from the South!”

Cold Steel Main…”

“Cold Steel Main, this is Two-Bravo, we’ve got Marines down at VCP East, requesting TACEVAC to VCP East.”

“Roger Two-Bravo, handle on Casualty Net, pass up ZAP information when able.”

“Cold Steel Main, Cold Steel Main, this is Two-Two. We are in a building about a mile and a half West of VCP East, we have visual contact with about a squad-size element of enemy fighters closing on us, with an unarmed spotter guiding them in. Request permission to engage the unarmed spotter.”

“Two-Two, this is Cold Steel Six, you’re clear to engage all threats and their supporting elements.”

“Roger Six. Alright boys, cleared hot, light ‘em up.”

“…Got him!”

“Woah, shit, RPG!”

“Fuck!!!”

“Ramirez is hit! Get the SAW back up!”

“Got it!”

“Get a forty-mike-mike round on them, put smoke on the rooftop between us so we can get Ramirez back! CCP in the center room!”

“Cold Steel Main, Cold Steel Main, this is Two-Two! Troops in contact, one casualty, stand by for nine-line!”

“Two-Two, this is Six, skids are finished at VCP East and are pushing to your position, ETA 2 mikes. Handle on battalion air.”

“Hey, boys, birds are coming. I’m gonna try to get some guys from that TACEVAC over here!”

“Cold Steel Two-Two, this is Hammer One-One and One-Two, checking in with a mixed flight of skids approaching from the Northeast, we’ve got two Hellfires, twelve rockets, and guns.”

“Hammer One-One this is Cold Steel Two-Two, roger. Five line as follows, break.

Type two bomb on target rockets and guns. We are in a three-story building on the South side of Route Michigan, we’ll get an orange air panel on the roof to mark our building… Mikey, Jacobson, get an air panel on the roof!” ”Roger!” ”Target is squad sized element of insurgents located South, a hundred meters from our position in a two-story building, marking with red smoke. Left shoulder left pull, we’ve been engaged by an RPG, I am not a JTAC.”

“Roger two-two, type two bomb on target with guns, friendlies in three-story building marked by orange air panel, target is two-story building marked by red smoke, watching for RPGs, approaching off left shoulder, we are on-station and ready to engage when you’ve got that mark out.”

“Good readbacks, Hammer. Peralta, send out red smoke on the target building, one-hundred meters, put it on the roof!”

“Roger Sergeant! Smoke out!”

“Cold Steel Main, Two-Two. Can you re-route that CASEVAC over to us when they’re done at VCP East?”

“Fuuuuck, man!!!”

“Two-Two this is Six, I’ll see what I can do.”

“Who’s treating Ramirez!?”

“I am, Sergeant!”

“Who!?”

“Smith!”

“How’s he doing?”

“Took shrapnel to the shoulder, I’ve got it packed and he’s ready for transport.”

“Two-Two, this is Hammer One-One, tally your marks, engaging red smoke.”

“Roger Hammer One-One.”

“Hell yeah!” ”Get some!” ”Take that, fuckheads!!!”

“Two-Two, One-One. Rounds complete, advise if re-attack is necessary.”

“Four dudes bugging out South from the target building, Sarn’t!”

“Hammer, Two-Two, target neutralized, approximately seven casualties, thanks for the help.”

“Roger Two-Two, Hammer flight is RTB.”

“Team leaders, ACE reports!”

“First team has ten mags, hundred-fifty rounds for the SAW, five forty-mike-mike HE, two red smoke, one white smoke forty-mike-mike. No casualties, all equipment accounted for.”

“Pretty much the same for second team, we’ve got a hundred rounds for the SAW, six forty-mike-mike HE, no smoke. All personnel and equipment are good.”

“Third team has seven mags, SAW’s down so we’ll hand off two-hundred rounds between first and second team, Ramirez is stable, conscious, and pissed; all equipment other than the SAW is good.”

“Got it. Cold Steel Main and Two-Actual, this is Two-Two, radio check, over.”

“Cold Steel Main reads you lima-charlie.”

“Two-Two this is Two-Bravo, Actual is down and is getting evacuated. Give me your TIC report.”

“Roger Bravo. Squad size element engaged, Hammer flight neutralized approximately seven tangoes, five tangoes seen breaking contact to the South two mikes ago. We have one casualty, ZAP number Charlie Romeo one-three-five-seven-nine. Requesting TACEVAC and permission to move back to VCP Michigan East.”

“Two-Two, this is Main. CAAT Red is approximately five-hundred meters West near the bridge on Route Michigan, and can take your casualty back to FOB Ramadi. Permission granted to break down and move to VCP East after casualty handoff.”

“Roger Main, tango. Let Red know we are approaching with a fireteam from the East along Michigan.”

“Roger, Main out.”

“Alright, first team hold security East along the road, second team move along the left side of third team and provide security to the South. Third team, move Ramirez to the trucks, I’m coming with you.”

“Roger,” ”Got it,” ”Err.”

“On you, Mike!”

“Let’s go, get out!

First is set!”

“Two and three, go!”

“Almost there, boys.”

“Sergeant, wait…”

“What’s up, Ramirez?”

“What about the trash...”