What is 2CDO, you ask? The Second Commando Regiment is an Australian commando Regiment that works similar to the SASR (Special Air Service Regiment, Australia). These bad-asses are Aussies with lots of military experience. For me, these guys are my second favorite unit, the first being the USMC (OORAH).
This story will use extreme vulgar language and derogatory terms. Be aware.
The Story[]
Mike Konks, an Australian commando, looked at the photo he took of his friends after they got to Afghanistan. Of course, every time he looked at the picture, the memories came back...
The New Guy[]
We just got into Afghanistan two weeks ago, and man, is it tough. The daily combat patrols and DAs give you stress. Tonight, we have to do a DA on an IED maker. So we gotta go in, get the suspect, and get out. Seems easy, right? No. All plans are good until the first shot is fired, and that happens a lot in our area.
"Hey, mate, come on, let's go.", says my friend, Aidan. I get up and get my gear as I follow him to the Bushmaster PMVs. I get in the lead one, the driver is WO1 Emily. I get out my F88 Austeyr, five minutes later, we are moving.
"This'll be easy, right?" says Bombardier Daniel.
"Yeah, hopefully." I say.
"Intel says it will, but be on your guard." says Lt. Gavin. He gives us a thumbs up as WO1 Emily tells us we'll be at the target house in a minute.
The DA[]
Our platoon gets out, and we stack up to breach.
"3, 2, 1, GO!" I yell as I kick the door in. I looked around and then I see an enemy fighter with an AK47. I raise my gun and shoot a burst at him, and he goes down.
"Move, move, move!" yells the Bombardier.
I hear a few more shots, then a cry of MAN DOWN. I run to the sound and see it - Lt. Gavin was shot.
The Aftermath[]
The Intel said he'd be there. He wasn't. The Intel said it'd be safe. It wasn't.
I kneel down to Gavin. He dies shortly after. We immediately evacuate to the Bushmasters.
We immediately begin to drive back to base. We call the HQ to tell them what happened and tell them we'll be there soon.
Going back in[]
This time, we are going back in. The USMC was going to be on-call if support was needed with three platoons and an Abrams tank, as well as other Australian platoons if needed.
The Plans[]
Our two fire teams, or bricks, as we call them, had five men each.
Fireteam One[]
Bombardier Daniel - F88 Austeyr w/ grenade launcher
Lance Bombardier Brandon - F88 Austeyr w/ C79 optical sight
Private Proficient Caleb - F89A1 Light Machine Gun
Private Bert - F88 Austeyr
Private Brooke - F88 Austeyr
Fireteam One would go in the point vehicle at the house where Lt. Gavin was shot. They were to hold that house and set up an observation post.
Fireteam Two[]
Fireteam two was made up of:
Sergeant Konks (me) - F88 Austeyr
Lance Bombardier Evan - F89A1 Light Machine Gun
Private Proficient Dale - F88 Austeyr w/ grenade launcher
Private Proficient Jayden - F88 Austeyr w/ C79 optical sight
Private Aidan - F88 Austeyr
My team would go in and assault a compound that, Intel says, is housed insurgents.
Fireteam One - Daniel's POV[]
My team gets out and takes fire from the house across the street. We find cover, and fire back. I cover my men as we go to the house Gavin was shot at.
We take fire from more insurgents as we begin to set up the Command Observation Post equipment.
I stop and fire a grenade round from my Austeyr at the house across the street, and BOOM, I get them. I fire a few more bursts just to make sure and radio to base that we secured the building.
Fireteam Two - Jayden's POV[]
We get out and stack up. Sergeant Konks blows the door open and we enter. Evan fires a burst of his LMG at an insurgent, and the insurgent drops, dead. Konks and I take the right, as Aidan, Dale, and Evan goes left. Mike fires his F88 a few times, then moves on. Then, suddenly, BANG BANG BANG, we take fire from an insurgent inside. I get grazed on the left shoulder, then Mike takes him down.
Fireteam Two - Evan's POV[]
Mike and Jayden took the right, Aidan, Dale, and I take the left. Aidan takes point.
We hear three gunshots, must be at Mike and Jayden. We start running.
Then, an insurgent with an RPD opens up on us as we go into the courtyard.
Aidan gets shot a few times. A few seconds later Mike runs out and kills the gunner. I see Jayden is wounded.
Mike gets on the radio and yells for a medic. Command says it'll take a while.
"God damn!" yells Mike.
"Calm down, Sarge." says Jayden as he holds his wound.
"NO! We NEED a medic!" he yells.
"No, we gotta clear the compound." I reply.
Aidan is badly hit as we argue around him.
"Don't... Leave... Me..." he barely gets out.
Then we hear that Daniel's position is under attack.
Insurgents - Akbar's POV[]
I take an AK47 and RPG and run with my friends. We want vengeance! We want our city! We fire our weapons into the air as we run towards the evil creatures in the slums (Daniel's position) to liberate our people!
Men had already attacked there, and now we were coming!
Fireteam One - Brooke's POV[]
I look out and fire my Aug, take cover, look out, shoot, over and over again. I reload, but then, BBABBAAMAMMAABBAABBAMAMAM, the whole wall to the right of me explodes in gunfire! I barely get down as lead knocks my soft cover hat off, and I see that more insurgents are coming. Not good...
I get up and return fire with Bert and Caleb as Brandon and Daniel make their way upstairs to fire their specialized weapons (Daniel has a tube, and Brandon has the scope). We get a lot of them when WHIZZZZZZZZBBBBBBBOOOOMMMMMMM! RPG!
Fireteam One - Brandon's POV[]
I get up and dust myself off, then get back to shooting.
Then SNAP SNAP SNAP, enemy bullets fly towards me. I take out two of the ragheads before I am forced into cover. More gunshots.
Then I look down the stairs, where Bert is sitting, holding Brooke, his best friend, in his arms as Caleb keeps up the fire. I look back and continue to fire as I here POOF, then the BOOM! Of Danny's grenadier.
Then the WHIZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZBBBBBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM of an enemy RPG. It hits one of the walls of the house. The wall collapses and the ragheads run in, shooting at Caleb, Bert and Brooke. Danny shoots the ragheads, but the others are dead.
Danny radios HQ for immediate help. HQ says the Marines are on the way.
USMC Platoon Units[]
Second Lieutenant Dave Herban - Platoon Commander, M16A4
Staff Sergeant John Rider - Platoon Sergeant, M16A4
Sergeant Tom Jackson - Assistant Platoon Sergeant, M16A4
Corporal David Conroy - Rifleman, M16A4
Corporal Hunter Barnes - LMG, M249 SAW
Hospital Corpsman Third Class Rick Davis - Corpsman
Lance Corporal Leon Anderson - DM, M39 EBR
Private First Class Aaron Acker - Point man, M1014
Private Austin Harper - Rifleman, M16A4
Private Riley DuBay - Rifleman, M16A4
Private Casey Chadrick - Rifleman, M16A4
Marines - Jackson's POV[]
As an Assistant Platoon Sergeant, my guys depend on me. Rider depends on me. So, when we were called for duty, I gave the men reassuring smiles.
Ha-ha I'm fucking kidding.
"HAHAHA Mother fuckin' Aussies need our help!" said Leon Anderson as he sticks his tongue out and loads his M16A4.
"They always do! And we'll save the day 'cause we're fuckin' Marines!" says Barnes.
"A-fucking-men, brotha!" Conroy says.
We get into our jeeps as Lt. Daniel Burnard and his tank crew finish getting ready. Then we drive off.
A few minutes later, we come home and get out.
I shoot ragheads on the rooftops as the Aussies get into the jeeps. We get back in and drive off.
"You motherfuckers didn't even say thanks?" says Rider.
"Thanks." says one with a grenadier as he pants.
Insurgents - Akbar's POV[]
We fire at the convoy as they leave. I aim my RPG and fire.
WHIZZZZZBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!
I hit the tank's back, and fire begins to spread. The convoy stops and gets out. I reload my RPG and begin to aim at a stopped jeep as fire engulfs the tank.
Fireteam Two - Dale's POV[]
Mike is yelling on the radio, and it turns out the Marines were ambushed while saving the other team. We then begin to take fire across the courtyard. I get hit twice, and bullets take Aidan down for good. Mike runs to cover as Evan lights the insurgents up, then he gets shot. Jayden takes the insurgent out. Mike drags me as Jayden drags Evan to cover and calls for a medevac.
"Medevac is unavailable at the time. Hold out and we'll get to you. Over and out." HQ replies.
"God damn!" Mike yells.
They treat us as best they can. We are able to move. We take Aidan's tags and prepare to go.
Marines - Jackson's POV[]
"SHIT DAMN MOTHERFUCKER!" yells Barnes as he lays down a wall of lead with his M249.
"Holy shit! Up on the rooftops!" Chadrick yells and points, then continues to fire his M16A4.
The whole platoon plus the two Aussies are firing to protect the tank. Then WHIZZZZZZZZZZZBBBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!
"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!!!!!!" I yell as the world goes into slow motion and I pass out.
Marines - Davis' POV[]
I run to the fallen Sgt. Jackson and start to drag him to cover as Rider and DuBay run over to help. We got him in a building, and the tank crew begin to abandon the Abrams, packing it with explosives. As the tank crew finishes, we load up. They wait for Rider, DuBay, and I as I sling Sgt. Jackson over my shoulder and run while Rider and DuBay cover me. Lt. Herban and PFC. Acker run out and take Jackson as I run to the jeeps. The platoon then starts up the jeeps as everyone but me begin to get in. I run after the last jeep, and the Australians pull me in just as we begin to speed off.
After we get back to HQ, Sgt. Jackson's wounds are clear - the RPG fired a TBG-7V thermobaric round, a type of explosive that produces heat and pressure. Jackson was within the radius and his lungs were ruptured and he was severely burned - he's barely alive, and he's gonna die soon.
Fireteam Two - Mike's POV[]
We move out of the compound as we hear a huge explosion (this was the explosives on the Abrams that the tank crew set to not let it be taken by the enemy), and we start to run to HQ. Low on ammo, high on adrenaline we run to HQ as we take potshots from enemy fighters. The last moments of Black Hawk Down are in my mind as we run and run to our home. We keep running. We keep running. There are shots but we keep running. Eventually, I don't know what happens but the next thing I know I'm down on my knees, my hands up into the air, my weapon slinged over my shoulder. My mates pick me up and we run. We look back at the scene of crime... and we run.
The HQ - MAJGEN Scott Edwards' POV[]
One tank, multiple men, and lots of blood. I consult both lieutenants of the Marines - the tank commander and the platoon commander - and they want out. I tell them we need to rescue the four stranded brothers out in the field. They say one platoon sergeant is enough. Much less "one fucking tank".
I told them they had no choice.
Marines... they care about their fallen.
They told me to fuck off.
Fireteam Two - Mike's POV[]
At some point, I was shot in the leg. They tried to drag me, but it was no use. I tried to limp after them. It didn't work. Taliban then came up behind us and shot at us. My squad ran off. They abandoned me. The Taliban hit me in the head with the stock of an AK47. I blacked out.
Next thing I know, I am tied down in a chair with a black rag over my eyes. I hear them speaking in Arabic to... a camera. Fuck... they are going to execute me! I feel a pistol put to the back of my head. I'm crying. But then, the door is kicked down and in three seconds BOOM BOOM BOOM BAM BRRRRRRP and they take the rag off of my eyes. I couldn't believe it. US Army Special Forces and ANA forces had saved me! I started to cry a river now. They cut me loose from the chair, and one Army guy slung me over his shoulder and handed me his M9 pistol and said "better hold on to it... we're in another fuckin' Fallujah" in a strong southern accent. They carry me outside to a jeep and my team! They put me in the jeep with my comrades and we begin to drive off, following the convoy.
Conclusion[]
Sgt. Mike Konks was put into Joint Task Force 17; designation "KILO" after the battle and was awarded several medals and ribbons. The US Marines awarded all of the Marines and Australians, dead or alive, with a Bronze Star for Bravery. In all, four men and one tank were lost, and Sgt. Jackson died shortly after the raid concluded, making it five men and one tank.