Friend in Iraq has near miss

[MVS1]

As some of you know I am in the Air Force. In my career field I often deploy augmenting Army units supporting their communications systems. Well I got a call from a good friend at work that is currently deployed to Baghdad doing the job I was doing this time 2 years ago. Part of our duties is going to FOB`s (Forward Operating Bases) and resolving radio interference problems. Sometimes it is due to too many antenna`s in a confined area, sometimes its actually jamming from enemy`s.
Anyways back to the point...Mike was at a FOB in southern Iraq and when he went up on the rooftop of a building to take signal measurements, he heard a shot and felt a slight shove, like a strong gust of wind. All of the sudden small arms fire erupted from below the building in response to the sniper fire. One of the Army Sgt`s knocked him down and told him that they needed to get off the roof. They climbed down the ladder and went to sit down and wait out the fire fight. At that point the Sgt pointed out that Mike had taken a hit. Not believing him, Mike told him `no man I`m fine`, and then the Sgt told him to take a look at his backpack. The snipers round had gone in on one side and out on the other. Well they got a good laugh about how lucky he was and that he was lucky insurgents could not shoot straight, etc. It really rattled him once he had time to sit down and think about it, mostly because he had decided earlier that morning that he didn`t feel like carrying around the additional weight of the ballistic plates and had taken them out of his body armor vest. Not that they would have helped anyway since they only provide front and rear protection and not side hits.
Anyways, I ask that no matter how you feel about us being over there, keep the safety of the Men and Women serving there in your thoughts and prayers.

[vwjimmy]

The thoughts and prayers of our entire family continue to be with the men and women of our armed forces in harms way around the globe.
Thank goodness he got a good story and not a scar or worse!

[durrell]

Originally Posted by vwjimmy

The thoughts and prayers of our entire family continue to be with the men and women of our armed forces in harms way around the globe.
Thank goodness he got a good story and not a scar or worse!

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Critical]

Tell him that there are people over here that appreciate his work, and that know that what they are doing is a good thing.

Good to hear all he got was a story, tell him also to wear those ballistic plates!

[vikingshadow]

Originally Posted by Critical

Tell him that there are people over here that appreciate his work, and that know that what they are doing is a good thing.

Amen X 2!

Tell him to definitely wear those plates. We want him home alive and in one piece!

[Nenkitsune]

tell him to wear the plates, he'll get used to it anyways.

Lucky him though. had it been a bit closer to him it would've got him for sure. I suppose in a way he was lucky to haev the backpack?

[big_daddy_d]

My thoughts and prayers go out to your friend. Lucky as hell IMO. Even though those plates weigh a ton and it's hot as hell over there tell him to keep them things in...

[Theheroguy]

I hope that he remains safe not all my sisters friends were so lucky...

I really hate the thought of our service members being harmed

[Paintballadict18]

hes a lucky guy im glad to hear hes allright, all of the service are in my familys prayers until they safely return...

and my cousins friend was deported to baghdad in 05 i think it was i dont remember correctly and he finally got home like 6 months later or whatever the length is u have to be there, i think he got 2 months to stay home and at the end of those to months he would be out for good but they sent him back that month he came home and got shot and killed.

[DFSniper]

wow, he was lucky. one of my dads guys got it through both butt cheeks. he had to lay on his stomach the whole ride in the C-130