Results tagged “IDF” from Birmingham Mail - Band of Brothers

We spent 24 hours in KAF prior to our final flight.

Then after a few hours of much needed kip, we were eating lunch in the camp's British cookhouse.
Walking around KAF is somewhat mesmerizing as you take in the multinational diversity of the base.
Americans, Canadians, Aussies, Estonians, French, the Dutch, the list goes on, Kandahar is certainly a large and busy base, buzzing with coalition forces.

Evening meal in the American cookhouse was one of the best Army meals I have had then after a short walk browsing the boardwalk (an assortment of American built amenities for troops on "down-time", Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway, a barbers and various other outlets & facilities) we headed back to the transit accommodation to get ready for our flight.

I got showered and started to walk back when suddenly I heard a whistling sound followed by a loud explosion (which was far too close for comfort) and then the sound of the camps IDF (indirect fire) alarm signalling that the base had been hit by either a rocket or mortar attack.

I ran back to our accommodation in my flip flops and combat trousers (fortunately I wasn't in just a towel!) to find the guys all lying on the floor in their body armour and helmets and I proceeded to quickly follow suit.

After a short "soak" period the commotion cleared and the "all clear" alarm sounded. Later we heard the unfortunate casualties were 6 Pilipino contractors, 1 of which died in the attack.
The good news is that an Apache Attack Helicopter was in the air within seconds after the strike and dealt with the insurgents, however for me and some of the guys it definitely brought home the realities of the theatre in which we had been asked to serve.

After that people got ready and we left to board the "Herc" for our connecting flight to the main staging centre and base for British troops on the ground in Afghanistan; Camp Bastion, Helmand Province.

NEXT... Arriving at Bastion