The Horrors and Brotherhood of War

Middle of the Night

         The cold and dark evening was busy with personnel moving back and forth with weapons and various other equipment. Families watched as their love ones prepared for the long journey that would separate them from each other a full year. The 820th Military Police Company had received their orders to deploy to Afghanistan. Their was a mix of fear, excitement and adrenaline that surged through everyone's body as they prepared their individual equipment that they would be forced to carry with them. Those who had already finished with what they needed to get done were sitting off with their families. Talking softly to each other, whispering that everything will be alright. The ones with children were having the hardest time of them all. Some of them could not figure out how to explain that daddy or mommy was going away, but they will do their best to come back. They were soldiers... the heroes of the night that walked openly among the populous and never asked for anything in return.
         Each one had their own issues. What bills to pay and what not to, religious differences, cultural differences, you name it and it was there. All that was behind them now, because they will need to depend on their new family if they were going to make it back alive. Out of these brave men and women of the 820th Military Police Company was a group. This group was the most squared-away of the entire unit. They belonged to Second Platoon and made up the Second Squad. There was only twelve of them, but they were the closest of close and they were great. During the months that proceeded them was some of the hardest training any of them ever had to endure. Before their squad leader ever made it out of bed the vehicles were up and running and ready to go. They had a system and that system relayed heavily on trust.
         The squad was made up of four teams, each with a Gunner, Driver, and Team Leader. The Team Leader's job was to direct his team in situations that presented themselves. When ever the Team Leader left the vehicle or was incapacitated, the Driver took over the command of the vehicle. The Gunner was the eyes of the vehicle, spotting out everything he saw in the distance and informing his team and depending on his location the rest of the squad. A single squad of Military Police normally had more fire power than an entire platoon of Infantrymen. Their arsenal contained various weapon systems that were at their disposal. Driver's carried; a M249 Machine Gun, Squad Assault Weapon, in addition to a 9mm Beretta, Team Leader's carried an M4 Carbine with a M203 grenade launcher attached at the bottom and a 9mm, and Gunner's carried a regular M4 Carbine, 9mm, and whichever weapon system was required for their vehicle. A vehicle's weapon system could be any one of the following, .50 Caliber, Mark 19 Grenade Launcher, M240b Machine Gun. In addition each team had a Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher that was kept up with the Gunner.
         "Hey Second Squad!" yelled Staff Sergent Sean McCabe. SSG McCabe had been in the Army for several year and was not to far away from retirement. He had been to Iraq more times then he cared to admit, but this was his first time going to Afghanistan. He was short, and solid muscle, and always wanted to go rounds with someone. Everyone left their families and gathered around him, and placed their hands behind their backs going to parade rest. "I just wanted to say before we left that we trained for this and everything is going to be fine. I know you all know your jobs and there is nothing to worry about we will do great. That is all I wanted to say, go on back to your families," he replied as he walked away.
         SSG McCabe had a habit of either stating the obvious or talking for the sake of talking. It was a custom his soldiers had gotten use to but there were still times that they got a little pissed off at him. Looking at each other they broke apart and rejoined their love ones. Single soldiers who had no one of their own there to say goodbye to them hopped from group to group, just so they would not feel as left out as they were.
         Private Second Class Liam Khan walked back to his wife, who sat with his parents and sat down next to her. He was the only on in the squad who was newly married. When he sat down SSG McCabe sat down next to his father and began talking to the group.
         "I don't want you to worry about a thing I will make sure he will make it back safe and sound. He's a good kid" replied SSG McCabe as he place a hand on his father's shoulder. Liam hated the fact he was considered a kid, going on twenty-three he was far from being a child. However, that was how the Army treated soldiers of lower ranks. If you were a lower rank it did not matter what age you were.
         Liam came from a line of military personnel, his father was a K-9 handler stationed out of Fort Campbell. SSG Khan tried his hardest to get a tour in Afghanistan to be with his son, but his command said the only place he could go was back to Iraq. Upon hearing this he instead dropped his retirement packet. If the Army would not allow his only request after twenty years of loyal service, then the Army will have to continue on without him.
         Holding his newly wife's hand he squeezed it. It was a hard time for the two of them, most of the other people in his unit had been married for a few years, his wife and him only a few months. They had been apart from one another for almost two years and when they finally were married they were going to be apart for another year.