Combat in Southern Tag Ab

Southern Tag Ab, Afghanistan -- I took this pic from the safety of our armored vehicle. We were riding through this village when insurgents attacked us with RPGs and small arms fire. The smoke shows where coalition forces returned fire, effectively defending our convoy. — Southern Tag Ab, Afghanistan — I took this pic from the safety of our armored vehicle. We were riding through this village when insurgents attacked us with RPGs and small arms fire. The smoke shows where coalition forces returned fire, effectively defending our convoy.

Although I’ve heard the sound of rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire in Afghanistan before, yesterday was the first time I heard those sounds while they were aimed at our team.

Our Provincial Reconstruction Team was traveling through Southern Tag Ab in Kapisa province, on our way to inspect some construction projects when insurgents targeted our coalition convoy with small arms fire and RPGs.

Being a non-kinetic unit (meaning that our primary job is not to fight,) we initially just sat in the safety of our armored vehicles while other coalition forces engaged the enemy.

But, during the exchange, we heard a loud whistling/hissing sound ….“FSSSSSSSTWHOOSH! … BOOM!”.

An RPG landed very close to our vehicles, and we realized we were being specifically targeted. We defended ourselves.

No one from our team was hurt, and we continued our mission.

The situation is kind of surreal. I still find myself thinking: “Did that REALLY just happen?”