60 Gunner
Since Chris was the new guy in the teams, he was a 60 gunner. For those of you who don't know, the '60' refers to an M-60 general-purpose machine gun. The M-60 was developed in the 1950s. It fires 7.62 mm bullets; the design is so flexible that it can be used as the basic for a coaxial machine gun in armored vehicles and helicopters, and a light, man-carried squad-level weapon. With the war becoming inevitable, they started patrolling the borders of Kuwait making sure the Iraqis weren't going to sneak across the border. They also began preparing for a role in the upcoming war, that meant spending a lot of time with DPVs. A DPV is a Desert Patrol Vehicle also known as SEAL dune buggies. They are far more equipped than your regular ATV. These dune buggies had .50 caliber machine gun, Mk-19 grenade launcher on the front, and an M-60 on the back. The bad thing about the buggies is that they are only two-wheel drive, this was a huge problem if the ground was the least bit soft. They constantly had to dig buggies out of the sand in Kuwait. As January ended, they started getting worried. Not because the war was beginning, but that it would start without them since they were due to be back in the states in a few weeks. All Chris wanted was to fight.
Dune Buggies And Mud Don't Mix
The night of March 20, 2003, Chris finally got the action he was looking for. Before they even got out of the helicopter, Iraqis were already trying to shoot their helicopter down, but fortunately missed every time. By the time the helicopter touched down, they were in a serious gunfight. The didn't get but a few feet before they realized that the buggies had sunk and got stuck. Their mission was to secure the gate. Chris thought, just because we don't have the wheels to do it, doesn't mean it isn't getting done. He grabbed the 60, moved to a pile of rubble and a guy with a Carl Gustav( recoilless rifle, it shoots a rocket) came and laid beside them and started firing. The Iraqis problem in this, was that, the SEALs had landed on the inside and they were on the outside and didn't like that at all, so they started to turn around and fire hard. The SEALs though, become heavily outnumbered and began to call in AC-130 gunship, a A-10A, F-16, and a F/A-18. It eventually got to the point where the Iraqis knew they were going to lose and tried to flee, that was a big mistake, it just made them easier to see. Chris knew then, he loved his job.
Brother- Marines
One day the team was sent over to investigate a house that was said to have U.S. prisoners. We didn't find anyone in the building until we got to the basement and noticed that dirt had been disturbed. Thus, they set up lights and started digging. It was't long before he noticed a pant leg and a body that had been freshly buried. This body was from a man in the army. Next to him, another man, but this one in Marine camis. Chris's brother joined the marines shortly after 9/11. He hadn't heard from him in a while, but he thought he had deployed to Iraq. As Chris pulled the guy out, he was sure it was his brother. Thankfully, it wasn't. But soon after, he found another body, another marine and was sure this one was him too. Luckily, again it wasn't him. He was for certain that as they kept digging bodies out, that one of them would be his brother. He felt sick to his stomach the whole rest of the time. When they were finally finished, Chris realized none of them was his brother. After a moment of relief, he then felt sorry for those bodies they did pull out. When he finally heard from his brother, he found out that he was in Iraq but not anywhere near those houses.
We're Going To Die
They continued working with the Marines as they marched north. The area they were in they had Intel that there were some enemy soldiers in the area, but nothing major. During this time, they were working with the whole platoon, all sixteen of them. They came up to a building compound on the edge of town and had to start engaging in fire. The firefight quickly worsened and before they knew it, they were surrounded by Iraqis. Most firefights in Iraq eventually faded out, not this one. The fight continued in waves all through the night. The team was outnumbered and surrounded and the Iraqis knew that and there was going to be no quitting. He thought that they were done and were going to die. The Iraqis just kept coming and coming and finally they heard the Marines were coming with support, they knew then they weren't dying in five minutes.
To The Apartments
Radio guy told the snipers that command wanted them inside so that's where they went. Chris knew where he wanted to be and what side of the building he anted to be on, just had to find a good apartment with a good view and furniture. Snipers tend to have to sit up or lie down for long periods of time, so if possible, finding furniture is the best way to do the job comfortably. He found a room with a baby crib in it and flipped it over so he could be elevated enough to see out the window, then they tore the door off and laid it on top to have a stable platform to work on. Most Iraqis don't sleep on beds but on bedrolls. So he managed to find a few of those to lay on top of the door to make it more comfortable. Him and his partner, Ray, decided they would take turns working three hours on and three hours off. Ray said he would take first watch, so Chris just started rummaging through the apartments looking for really anything. He got on the .300 Win Mag late that afternoon. As he got situated he started to get anxious for the battle to start, all he wanted to do was shoot someone. It didn't take long for it to begin. After the first kill of the battle, the others came easy. HE got three that day, and Ray got two.
Under The Rubble
One day he came down from the roof for a break and headed into the backyard of the house with another SEAL sniper. As he pulled open his bipod to sit it down, when all of a sudden there was an explosion ten feet away form them. Just beyond a wall that was falling down, two insurgents(the bad guys) were spotted holding AKs. Everyone was shocked and it soon came to whoever could pull their gun out faster. Chris and his buddy quickly pulled out their pistols and started firing, hitting both insurgents but not putting them down. As soon as they cleared a house, the Marines pulling security on the road shot them down. At one point early in the battle, an RPG had hit the side of building they were posted in. The explosion took down a good chunk of the wall, and that chunk of the wall unfortunately landed on Chris's legs slamming his knees into the concrete and temporarily pinning him there. Although he was pinned down, he never quit shooting at the insurgents. Because of this, he eventually had to have surgery on both knees, but he put it off for a long while.
Runaway
One day, a guy Chris calls Runaway and him were on the street and came in contact with Iraqi insurgents. hey laid down fire and Chris told Runaway that he would cover him, so he did. Then once Runaway got to the other side, Chris started running while bullets were flying pass him as Iraqi Insurgents tried to write their names on his back. By the time he got to the other side, Runaway was nowhere to be found. Chris was trapped, hung up by insurgents and without his mysteriously disappearing friend. The Iraqi gunfire got so intense he had to call the Marines in for backup. By that time, he had figured out what happened to Runaway. He literally ran away and Chris about strangled him the next time he saw him. This wasn't the first time this has happened, but the second! Command finally separated the two.
Runaway joined him again though at Kilo. So one night, they were over watching and they started taking shots from insurgents somewhere. Chris ducked and couldn't figure out where they were coming from so he asked Runaway multiple times, "Where are they firing from?" and telling him "Look for the muzzle flash", Chris never got a word. He finally turned around to see that Runaway had ran away again. He had gone downstairs because he was to afraid of being killed up there. Runaway soon after got transferred somewhere else with a different MOS.
Runaway joined him again though at Kilo. So one night, they were over watching and they started taking shots from insurgents somewhere. Chris ducked and couldn't figure out where they were coming from so he asked Runaway multiple times, "Where are they firing from?" and telling him "Look for the muzzle flash", Chris never got a word. He finally turned around to see that Runaway had ran away again. He had gone downstairs because he was to afraid of being killed up there. Runaway soon after got transferred somewhere else with a different MOS.
Beach Balls and Long Shots
HE was watching from the roof one afternoon when roughly sixteen fully armed insurgents emerged from cover. They were heavily geared and armed to fight. The strange thing was, they were carrying four brightly colored beach balls. They used the beach balls to keep them afloat as the paddled across. It was his job not to let this happen, but he had to shoot all of them and also save ammo at the same time. He shot the first beach ball and four men began flailing for the other three balls. He shot the 2nd one. He was actually enjoying it. So he told the rest of the marines that were with him to come watch this. HE then shot ball umber three and watch these insurgents fight over the last beach ball. He watched them fight for a few minutes then decided to shoot the last ball, the Marines put the rest of the insurgents out of their misery.
Those were his strangest shots. his longest also came around that time though too. One day a group of three insurgents appeared on the shore upriver, out of range at about 1,600 yards(just under a mile). His buddies with him started telling him he wouldn't be able to make the shot and started poking fun at him while he eyed them through the scope, the insurgents also knew he probably wouldn't hit them so they started dancing around as well. He simply did a mental calculation, adjusted his aim with the help of a tree behind one of the grinning insurgent idiots and took the shot. He hit him and not only did it hit him, it got him in the gut. The other two insurgents quickly ran out of there. That ended up being one of his longest confirmed kills in Iraq.
Those were his strangest shots. his longest also came around that time though too. One day a group of three insurgents appeared on the shore upriver, out of range at about 1,600 yards(just under a mile). His buddies with him started telling him he wouldn't be able to make the shot and started poking fun at him while he eyed them through the scope, the insurgents also knew he probably wouldn't hit them so they started dancing around as well. He simply did a mental calculation, adjusted his aim with the help of a tree behind one of the grinning insurgent idiots and took the shot. He hit him and not only did it hit him, it got him in the gut. The other two insurgents quickly ran out of there. That ended up being one of his longest confirmed kills in Iraq.
Numbers 100 and 101
A flood of bad guys came at them and that just made it that much easier to kill. Very shortly after Ramadi started, he got his 100th and 101st kill, which is a huge milestone for a sniper. Eventually, there was a little competition going on between a couple other snipers. Chris didn't want to be the top sniper. But he was competing with three other snipers. The most competition though came from his sister platoon that was on the other side of the city. His boss man realized te other sniper was catching up and started to pull ahead a little and he helped tweak Chris a little bit. Things evened out real quickly though, all of a sudden every insurgent in the city was running across his scope, his totals shot up and there was no catching him. It was luck o the draw.
(In case you were wondering what a confirmed kill really was. The only way a kill was confirmed was if someone else saw it or when the enemy was confirmed dead. But if he shot him in the stomach and he moved before he bled out and died, that didn't count.)
(In case you were wondering what a confirmed kill really was. The only way a kill was confirmed was if someone else saw it or when the enemy was confirmed dead. But if he shot him in the stomach and he moved before he bled out and died, that didn't count.)
Guardians and Devils
96 Americans were killed during the battle of Ramadi; countless more wounded and had to be taken form the battlefield, he was lucky not to have been one of them. There were so many close calls though, he began to think he had a guardian angel. One time, they were hosed down by insurgents and as the fire eased up, he moved rooms to check on some of his guys. As he came in, he jerked straight back falling backward as a shot came in through the window at his head. He still has no idea how he saw the bullet coming, but he did. HE claims it was like something slowed it down and pushed him back. All of his buddies that were there even thought he was dead. How crazy?
Shot In The Back
At first, he thought he had been shot in the head, blood running down his face and he was still surprised his head was still intact. HE had realized that his helmet hadn't been strapped and the shot pushed his helmet backwards. So, he pulled it forward again so he was able to see. A bullet had struck the helmet, but with incredible luck had ricocheted off his night vision, slamming the helmet backward not harming him. He couldn't tell what was going on other than the fact that not a few minutes later, he got shot in the back. The bullet pushed him straight to the ground. Luckily, the round hit one of the plates in his body armor. it still left him dazed. They ended up retreating as they laid down fire. This was the night that made him realize that he isn't superman and can die.