Don't Think We're Making It Out

“As time went on, each day we would get another brief, every day the likelihood of us being sent in went up a little more than the last. Finally the day hit, "Your platoon is 1st stick, pack your shit, you fly out tomorrow night."

It didn't seem real. The emotion was excitement and anxiety mixed into one. We packed our things and got onto the busses, bound for the air base, where they checked our gear and staged our equipment. Night rolled around, we loaded back onto the bus and rode around the flight line. We were tired but still ready to do what we always trained for. We sat down in our wall seats along the cargo C-17, got comfortable, sent some last messages, and we were off.

Nearing the end of the flight, the air crew started giving us orders to load up and get ready to get out. As we made touch down and rolled to the north terminal, they started to drop down the rear ramp.

My first and only thought when I saw those mountains was "Holy fuck I'm actually here."

They got us out and onto the big airport bus, and rode us to the the terminal where they told us things like:

"You're gonna wear your masks indoors."

"These are the chowhall hours."

"We're gonna get yall access cards for entry."

The place seemed like it was gonna be just another base we've been to, everything was calm, clean, and organized.

That first night changed everything. We were caught by surprise with a call for IDF, along with a complex ambush on the civilian terminal. There were a lot of close calls that night.

At one point I overhead some officers on the radio talking to one another:

"I don't think we're making it out of this place alive."

That's when the realization hit me:

I might die here.”

LCPL 1st Battalion 8th Marines.