Korengal Page #8

you want played.

So we're all really upset

and all of a sudden,

the song "I Will Survive"

comes on in Spanish,

and he'd requested

that if he died,

and we all just start laughing.

I jumped on that one.

Hey, Vaughn,

those are our mortars.

So you don't have to worry.

Kind of scared me a little bit.

Yeah, I was kind of scared, too.

I kind of pooped a little.

I didn't really poop, but, uh...

it did scare me a little bit.

Just tell my family I love them.

All right, nice knowing you.

I know you, you'll tell my mom,

but that's about it, huh?

Yeah, I'll tell her after.

I think right now, you know,

after 15 months of this place,

not saying that I couldn't

do another deployment.

Just don't want to do

another deployment, you know?

And I just want to,

sort of hang out with my family.

You know I have

a 2-year old niece

I haven't even...

seen only a handful of times.

I miss my family.

Miss my dad.

Miss my mom.

You know, my ol...

younger sister almost died.

You know, a lot of...

a lot of things going

in your brain, you know,

when that sh*t goes on

and you can't be

by their side so...

'Cause, I've built my lifestyle

for the last 12 months here

getting shot at, you know?

So I'm just

going to take me time to...

Work that out, you know?

And then it's going to take

a while for me to get

"UN-hooha,"

if you know what I'm saying.

And then finding a job

and being happy

and all that crap...

See, a lot of...

a lot of worries.

Uh, they all move

to like different spots

for a test-fire action?

Would have been cool if they all

test fired at the same areas.

What's gonna happen

down there? Huh?

What's going to happen?

Shooting of some sort?

I think? Possibly?

- Again?

- Yeah, again.

Nice.

Nice cape.

Oh, it's hailing, dude!

Aw, nice!

What a f***in' retard!

My damn pecker got nailed!

Ahh! Ow! Ow!

I hate this stupid weather.

Is that hail?

- Yeah.

- F***ing awesome.

The brothers we lost

actually hit me pretty hard.

My sh*t's getting wet.

I think about the guys

that went down.

And there was a time

where actually

I didn't care about anything.

I didn't care about getting shot

or if I died over there.

That's how bad it got,

to a point it took, uh...

Quite a few people to actually

try to pick me back up.

And that was months after that.

There was times where

I would actually shoot back

and not duck.

I wouldn't even be doing

what I should know

I should have been doing

the right thing.

I would... I would run into open

not caring or would just walk,

and I would be getting

chewed out by a team leader

or a squad leader you know,

"Hurry up, get behind cover,"

and I still wouldn't...

didn't care.

I didn't care if I died or not.

I started doing

what I was supposed to

after I got a talk from

one of the guys telling me,

"if you go down, you have to

think about the bigger picture."

There's a possibility

that when they come and get me

in the open,

someone else could get shot.

And it just got me thinking.

And I started paying attention

a bit more

and actually started

doing the right thing.

I wouldn't say I was caring

much, but I was just doing it,

doing it for them, not for me.

This is to certify

that the President of

the United States of America

has awarded the bronze star

medal to Private First Class

Miguel Cortez for exceptional

and valorous actions during

Operation Enduring Freedom

while assigned as a rifleman in

the 2nd Platoon, Battle Company,

2nd Battalion,

five-oh-third Infantry.

Private First Class

Cortez's unwavering courage,

aggressiveness, and leadership

while under fire

were decisive to his company

defeating an enemy attack.

Private First Class Cortez's

performance reflects

great credit upon himself,

task force bayonet,

combined joint task force

1 -oh-1,

and the United States

Central Command.

Hey, man, how'd that feel?

- Awesome!

- Felt good?

Felt good.

You guys looked proud up there.

Of course.

We accomplished something.

We got recognized for it.

I'm happy.

You didn't start crying

or anything?

No, no, I'm not

sentimental like that.

I don't break down or anything.

I'm a soldier

through and through.

- All right, congratulations.

- Thanks, man.

We got the new unit's Company XO

and their Company Commander

coming in,

learning that their life's gonna

suck for the next 15 months.

You see the one with

the real white, like,

clean roof over it?

It's kind of like a "u" almost?

Yeah, that's the house I was

telling you about with Sadiq.

Across the river you see that

other house over there?

That's what they call

the Ghost House.

Today, doing a movement

to contact down

to the village of Karingal,

which is this second

to last one you guys

can see down here.

Talk to villagers,

IO themes, gain atmospherics,

and then introduce you guys

to the AO.

My guys here explain to them

what we do, why we're doing it,

and if you guys are confused,

ask them questions.

Battle base viper-six-one-romeo

prepare to copy OP-CO, over.

Now what do I tell them?

When they say "Roger, send it,"

you send them up the grid.

This right here is Lieutenant G.

He's going to be taking

my place.

He's going to be the commander

here for the next year or so.

He knows about your concerns.

He knows about your issues.

They'll shoot at you

from in Marasta Naw.

They'll shoot at you from Donga,

and they'll shoot at you

from Darbat.

I don't know of a village,

except for Ali Abad

and Babeyal,

that hasn't shot at me.

Tell them I'm going home

after this.

So stay safe.

No f***ing way!

I'm smashing this guitar.

I'm sorry, dude, I told you

I was smashing this guitar.

- You're smashing it?

- Oh, yeah!

Hey, we're smashing the guitar.

Out front here.

- Why?

- Because I said

I was going to and

I don't f***ing lie.

Go be a rock star.

Alright.

Here we go.

This is awesome.

Wow! That thing really

came apart.

PTSD!

I got lucky man, what can I say?

Hell no!

Get the f*** outta here early.

Hopefully get home

before the end of the month.

- Isn't that right, Walker?

- Yes, Sir.

The greatest thing

that we did is I think

we put together a group of

soldiers and brothers that...

...can look at themselves

in the mirror at night and know

that they didn't shamelessly

kill anybody or cause any harm.

And then, number two,

that they did everything

that they could down there

to bring those people...

I don't want to say joy

or happiness,

but to bring those people

into the 20th or 21 st century.

And I think that they can

sleep well at night

knowing that they did

something out there that,

you know, wasn't illegal,

number one,

and they don't have demons

inside because of it.

Go back there and enjoy

yourself, you've earned it.

And we haven't left anywhere

until the aircraft shows up.

I know you just sitting here

waiting for the aircraft.

And if the aircraft

doesn't show up,

I'll just give you

some more ammo

and we just go on

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