CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq - It was another billboard in Arabic; another palm tree; a lone pedestrian. Crumbling buildings, trash on the road and lots of sand lined the path. The same thing as the last three kilometers; nothing happening five meters to the front; equally nothing 25 meters ahead. Rotating the turret, it was a sure bet to be more of the same in the opposite direction for Pfc. Nickolous Gardner, a motor transport operator from Sacramento pulling gunner duty for today’s convoy.
Peering through protective eyewear, with nomex gloves on his hands, Gardner was used to the heat and sweat, the weight of the Army Combat Helmet on his head, the body armor. He’d grown accustomed to the feeling of the earphones strapped tight to keep from slipping, the rumbling sensation beneath his feet and the constant drone of the engine accompanied by the radio chatter while he scanned sectors.
“Be advised, several vehicles approaching,” said the lead vehicle’s truck commander over the net. Gardner, seated in the turret of a Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle, peered out to confirm. Two white vehicles passed his MRAP without incident, then four more and Gardner shifted position to check to the rear.
In the TC spot of his vehicle was Staff Sgt. Victor Medina, a Soldier from San Juan, Puerto Rico and the convoy commander of this combat logistics patrol from Convoy Support Center Cedar to Joint Security Station Jenkins. In the driver’s seat was Pfc. Jaden Spaulding; from Alexandria, N.H. Theirs was the third vehicle in the serial. Medina was constantly heard over the radio asking about the status of the convoy’s Iraqi Police escort and making sure everybody was alert.
Gardner was alert, despite not sleeping well the past evening. He had to be. It had been less than two weeks since Sgt. Joshua Soto was killed by an explosive formed projectile, the current trend in roadside bombs here in Iraq. And they were deviating from plan. The Iraqi Army was having some kind of military parade and now they were detouring through Nasariya. Gardner hadn’t been shy about sharing his thoughts on this that it gave him a bad feeling.
Gardner’s unit, part of the 121st Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division was deployed out of Fort Bliss, Texas. Nasariya was a city of historical significance to the Fort Bliss community. It was here the 507th Maintenance Company had been ambushed six years ago in the first days of Operation Iraqi Freedom and several Soldiers in that convoy were killed or taken prisoner. The lessons learned from that situation shaped the way Gardner was trained in convoy operations the past two years since he joined the U.S. Army.
Medina’s words had Gardner and everyone else in this convoy from Company F on edge. Halfway through the city, Medina was heard over the radio: “They don’t like us today,” he said.
The few people out and about were eyeing the convoy with some suspicion. Gardner kept a low profile in his turret, popping up now and again to check on the other vehicles in the convoy. They were travelling with a fuel truck, three other MRAPs and three civilian trucks.
A few more vehicles passed and Gardner thought nothing of them. There was another pedestrian minding his own business. Nothing to be concerned about now; it had already been several seconds since they’d passed him.
It was the blinding light that hit first, then a piercing boom. A blast shockwave followed - all in the space of a half-second.
“It blew into my face. My crew-serve mount was hit, and it dislodged the weapon. I was thrown down into the gunner well in the main compartment. It was a flash, and even with the earphones on, it was a piercing boom that disoriented me for about five minutes before I could speak. My face and arms felt like they were on fire. I could smell the explosive and the blood on my face. I thought I was dead,” said Gardner.
“The blast came at my six. It shot my body straight down into the turret because I was already hunched low there. The next thing I knew I was on my back inside the MRAP and my buddies were all around me trying to make sure I was okay,” recalled Gardner.
“We had to keep moving. I slapped the blue force tracker to freeze our location, but the immediate area wasn’t a good place to stop. We had to find a place to do so and went about two (kilometers) forward before we stopped,” Medina said.
The violent blast shook all of the MRAP’s passengers. Medina looked back and saw Gardner lying on his back. Feeling an adrenaline rush, Medina ran to check for life-threatening injuries.
Cpl. Jermane Vines, from Brooklyn, N.Y. had already begun to check on Gardner, assuring his battle buddy he was going to be okay.
Medic Pfc. Elizabeth Kitchens from McKeesport, Pa. was called to the damaged MRAP and took over the injury evaluation while Medina checked the vehicle exterior. The MRAP’s communications weren’t functional, and there was a flat tire, but no fluid leaks.
“I’ve been in vehicles hit by (Improvised Explosive Devices) before, but the biggest one for me was yesterday,” said Medina. “The difference about being hit this time around was that this time I’m in charge. I was running on adrenaline before it caught up with me and I had to get myself checked out.”
“I was told to stay low in the turret, and if I hadn’t done so, I might not have survived. There was shrapnel in my eye (protection) and it cut my shirt up,” said Gardner, who had bits of shrapnel removed primarily from his arms and face.
Medina is known throughout the company for taking troop leading procedures very seriously. He often calls on junior enlisted Soldiers to recite the procedures for given scenarios during his pre-convoy briefings.
“We have to maintain a vigilant posture,” Medina said. “Everyone knows their job when our convoy rolls out. Yesterday was a miracle and we proved that the training does work. We’re alive because Soldiers listen to their leaders. I never let anything slide. My Soldiers have to have their eye-pro and gloves, no exceptions.”
“I remember hearing from the previous unit how they didn’t get mortared, how they only caught one IED,” said Gardner. “That warm and fuzzy is gone. It’s not a game; we take our training seriously and that’s why we survived.”
“We rehearse these ‘full dress’ so every Soldier is tracking. The way we reacted, it was almost like an orchestrated event, but everyone knew what to do,” said Medina.
“Every situation is different. You can’t take shortcuts, you can’t get complacent,” added Medina. “The danger is out there, and we could’ve lost more people.”
“I’ve talked to my girlfriend about it, and she reacted well as could be expected – it might be worse if she were here experiencing and seeing what we do every day. When I do get back in a vehicle, I’m not sure how I’ll feel at first, but knowing myself I know I’ll be alright,” said Gardner.
Two weeks after they were hit by the IED Medina and Gardner were both back out on the roads. The need for supplies to be delivered hasn’t gone away, nor has Medina and Gardner’s resolve to execute their missions.
