Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) necessitated the aggressive driving style. The military vehicles, led by the enormous LAV III, thundered down the middle of the road, forcing oncoming traffic to drive on the opposite shoulder. But then again, outside the wire, nothing was what it appeared to be.Īs soon as the tires gripped the asphalt, the vehicles shot off at speed. On the surface, it certainly had the appearance of nothing more than a local gathering spot. At least one individual was talking on a cell phone. None seemed to be there for any tangible purpose. Some were standing in solitude, while others clustered in small groups. Once again they would have to run the gauntlet of ‘IED Alley.’Īs the vehicles turned onto the paved highway, a large group of locals watched them from a dirt parking lot across the road. “Watch your arcs, keep a sharp eye behind us.” The convoy eased through the ANA checkpoint and entered the notorious Highway 4 that led to Kandahar City. “Okay, when we turn onto the main highway, you gotta stay alert,” he coached. The vehicle commander could be heard over the intercom preparing his soldiers for the next leg. Unprepared seconds out here – literally – could mean the difference between life and death.Īs the vehicles roared down the dirt road, the vicious dust kicked up by the lead vehicles lashed at exposed skin. As the vehicles passed a giant berm on the side of the road, everyone cocked their weapons, loading a round into the chamber. The convoy, consisting of a 17-ton LAV III armoured personnel carrier, an electronic counter-measures G-Wagon jeep and a Bison Armoured Vehicle General Purpose (AVGP) vehicle, emerged through the heavily guarded gate and moved into a loosely guarded Afghan National Army (ANA) controlled area. There was no mistaking the charged atmosphere or the seriousness of what was about to transpire – to these troops it was clear that they were at war.
Only a short time before, the convoy commander had given orders to his section and passengers on the immediate action drills in the case of contact, as well as the location of the ammunition and extra weapons. However, those in the vehicles were keyed up – they were going outside the wire.
The three-vehicle convoy pulled away from the Task Force Afghanistan headquarters building, seemingly invisible to the normal hustle and bustle of people and vehicles scurrying about the inner confines of the Kandahar Airfield. For more information on accessing this file, please visit our help page.
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