Missy's First Mission

by P. G. Allison

  Missy was glad she’d been asked to participate in this step. And, she was glad to be doing so as a member of a Special Forces team. She had earned their respect and as they now approached the base entrance, she knew each team member was glad to have her with them. They had accepted her, both for things she’d done which they didn’t understand and for all the things they’d actually seen her do.

  Missy had changed out of her Afghan garments and once again was wearing camouflage fatigues with her hair in a ponytail. She had her two knives, her M9 pistol, her M4 rifle and plenty of ammo. Several team members were bringing M84 flash-bang grenades, which would be tossed ahead as they went forward into each area of the base. They were also prepared to toss fragmentation grenades and some of the guys had M203 grenade launchers fitted to their rifles.

  The three CAW teams were in the lead and an Afghan unit was following along behind. The Afghans would take charge of all the prisoners, once they’d been safely searched and cleared. The CAW teams would keep going forward, clearing each section and dealing with whatever resistance the Taliban might provide. These teams had the training for this, which was why they were in the lead. The Special Forces and Seals all knew how to fight and subdue armed men and also knew appropriate procedures to avoid being blown away by any suicide bombers.

  Since many of the men inside the base were Taliban or al Qaeda extremists, they indeed might be willing to die rather than surrender. Thus, the potential for suicide bombers was actually the biggest concern. Missy followed along, still teamed with Town and Carter. She was very interested in seeing just how well all of this would be handled and she was ready to do her part. Since she knew all the caves, corridors, tunnels and storage areas, her job was to verify nothing was being overlooked or missed as each section of the base was cleared.

  The initial task was to get inside the main entrance. After calling for surrender, which had no results, and then issuing several warnings which still had no results, the teams tossed in both flash-bang and fragmentation grenades. These were quickly followed by the three teams all rushing inside. As the lead men passed through the entrance, they were prepared to fire their automatic weapons in bursts. A couple of guys actually did fire off some rounds but the grenades had been effective and those inside had retreated, leaving several dead behind. After quickly sweeping the entrance area, the teams separated and headed off down three corridors going back into the base.

  They all had studied the detailed cutaways of the base which “P” Branch had generated based on Missy’s original recon, along with all the updated info from her latest visit which had been appended to that earlier report. As each team went forward, they knew what to expect. The Seal team was responsible for the main lower areas, with the two control rooms, class rooms, large conference room, mosque and hospital areas, as well as the section where the generators were located with all the barrels of fuel stored nearby. Team Nineteen headed off to handle the upper areas on one side, which contained the sleeping areas for the largest number of men.

  Team Twenty-Two had the mess areas, several storage areas, the four caves formerly used for prisoners and the upper sleeping areas on the other side. This of course included the newest area Missy had found, where mostly ammo and explosives were being stored and which led out to that additional entryway.

  Once the U.S. and Afghan forces actually entered the base -- and it was obvious they intended to thoroughly clear every section -- the subsequent Taliban fighting was minimal. While token resistance was met, here and there, the advancing teams found most of the soldiers they faced were resigned to their defeat. Trapped inside, with nowhere to go, they put down their weapons and slowly came forward to be searched. Soon, there was a steady stream of prisoners being escorted outside.

  In one cave, a few Taliban soldiers tried to hide and then, when discovered, they raised their weapons. They were not given any chance to fire those weapons but were immediately cut down by CAW team weapons and died. The CAW teams did not take any needless risks and slowly worked their way along. Twice, prior to their even approaching, explosions inside an area were noted. Upon entering that area, moments later, the teams only found dead bodies.

  Missy, with Town and Carter, roved back and forth behind all three teams. When she sensed some men still hiding in a storage area that Team Nineteen had overlooked, she signaled to the others that the area needed to be checked. Town called out in Pashto for the surrender of anyone in there. A minute later, three men slowly came forward with their hands raised. Carter started towards one of the men, intending to search for explosives, but Missy called out, “Back! Get back!” Then, without waiting a moment longer, she fired her pistol and killed the man instantly. She then aimed her pistol at the other two men, who froze in place. Carter pointed his weapon at the two men, motioning them to drop down and they slowly prostrated themselves.

  Missy focused with all her senses. Then she said, “There are still two more in there … be careful!” She and Town cautiously moved into the cave. Town again called out for surrender. Suddenly there was an explosion, behind some crates in the back, but neither Town nor Missy was hit. Town went back and found two dead bodies. Meanwhile, Carter prodded the two men lying on the ground who checked out okay, with nothing hidden. Then, Missy went over to the man she had shot. She rolled him over, opening his jacket and revealing three large grenades with their pins all connected to a tripwire, ready to be exploded.

  Carter asked, “How did you know? If you hadn’t stopped me, I’d be dead now.”

  Missy had mainly reacted the way she had because of the scent from all three men. Even though they’d been willing to die, their bodies had still exuded a scent she associated with fear. The fear of death … and the adrenaline that went along with that … it was a scent the predator in her simply recognized. From that, along with the subtle movements all three men were making … she’d just known. She’d then instinctively spotted the man about to blow himself up. But, these were not things she could explain very easily. “Well … let’s all just be glad that I knew!”

  Six and a half hours later, they were done. Two hundred and fifty-five prisoners were brought down to join the other prisoners in what was now one large POW camp. All the prisoners captured earlier, on both sides of the valley, were now gathered there plus some others that had been brought in. The combined total was close to four hundred.

  Back at the base, there were sixty-two dead for the Taliban but no casualties for the CAW teams or the Afghans. Total body count for the day was well over two hundred Taliban dead but only eighteen for the Afghans and none for the CAW teams. It was a huge victory indeed for the assault force.

  The Afghans began dismantling and confiscating everything in the control rooms and going through the entire base, preparing each section for the controlled demolition that would take place the next day. This would no longer be a base that could be used by the Taliban.

  Missy and Team Twenty-Two went back down and Grimes checked in at the TOC. They were all exhausted and it was late. LTC Magwood told the captain to let his team get some rest and then check back in again in the morning. How were things going at Kandagal? Not so good. Team Twenty-Two might be needed up there. But, for now? Eat some food and get some sleep.

  -----

  July 26, 2019

  General Blake asked Colonel Chory how things looked. They were on a secure line and he wanted more details than what had been coming back through normal channels. In addition, he wanted to know how Team Twenty-Two was doing.

  Colonel Chory said, “The Taliban base was destroyed this morning, as planned. Everything went just great, both with the Afghan combat assault into the valley and with how all the CAW teams in there performed. Unfortunately, things for the convoy that’s supposed to join up with them are not going very well.”

  “That’s what everyone back here is all focused on, Colonel. The Battle of Kandagal is now the big news. Campaign Angel’s Wing is overshadowed by that, since the big victory might end u
p a huge defeat if that convoy can’t get through. What happened with that, anyway? I thought the CAW teams you sent in there to secure the road had that under control.”

  “Oh, they did, but that was only intended to hold the Taliban back initially. Once the convoy came along with all those Afghan vehicles and troops, they were supposed to provide their own security for the entire route. Then, once they link up with the assault force, they can manage an orderly retreat back to Asadabad for everyone. That allows all the Afghan forces that were dropped in by helicopter to make their way back out, bringing their prisoners, without being overwhelmed by the Taliban forces all around them.”

  “So, what went wrong?” General Blake really needed to understand the problem. He was being asked to provide a detailed analysis of the situation and there was a press conference scheduled. He was now tasked with explaining all of this to the American people. Originally, the press conference had been scheduled for the President to talk about the big Afghan victory. Now, he was the one who had to talk about whether Afghanistan might still be getting overthrown.

  “It turned out that some of the Afghan units in that convoy were being led by men who sided with the Taliban. They managed to delay things, completely blocking the road and allowing the Taliban forces to move in. Now, it’s a huge bottleneck. The only way for the rest of the convoy to get beyond Kandagal is to somehow fight their way through. Since the convoy is spread out all along the road for several miles, that’s not an easy task.”

  “Can’t you reinforce that effort by maybe bringing some of the assault forces up from the valley? I realize we have our CAW teams now deployed all over the place, so we can’t really use them as an assault force, can we?”

  “It’s a Catch 22, since any further reduction of the Afghan forces out in the valley would result in the Taliban out there being able to win decisively. Only by having the reinforcements in that convoy link up with them is there much hope for their ever getting out. They can no longer provide a secure LZ for any helicopters to get back in. They’re now surrounded by a couple thousand Taliban who are very upset about their base being destroyed.”

  General Blake realized the irony of this. While his plan had been to isolate the base, with a relatively small number of Afghan forces holding off a much larger Taliban force long enough for the base to be destroyed, now it was the Taliban who were isolating those same Afghan forces by delaying their reinforcements from getting beyond Kandagal. The Afghan vehicles and troops that had been positioned in Asadabad were simply not capable of charging down the road the way U.S. forces would have done. It wasn’t at all surprising that so many cities had fallen over there.

  “Colonel, how long before this all goes to hell in a hand basket?”

  “That’s hard to say, General. If the convoy can break through and regain control of the route, this might still end up the way we’d planned. The Taliban blocking things at Kandagal can only delay things. Unfortunately, if they succeed in delaying things long enough, it’ll be too late for the assault force. The ability of that convoy to break through is what’s really the big unknown. I’ve ordered all available CAW teams to get up there and help. There’s still some hope but to answer your question, things will probably all go to hell by this time tomorrow if there’s no breakthrough.”

  “Is Team Twenty-Two one of the teams you’re got headed up there?”

  “Of course! Based on their last report, they should be just about up there by now. Of course, it’ll be getting dark over here very soon. I’m not sure how much will get accomplished before morning.”

  “And, any news about Private McCrea?”

  “From the reports that I’ve seen, your girl has really impressed the hell out of everyone. Nothing magical or supernatural, really … just one damn good soldier, by all accounts.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  July 27, 2019

  Missy once again roused herself, with all her senses fully awake. Yeah, it was oh-dark-thirty … again … and her team needed to get going. She’d helped them avoid detection yesterday while they’d traveled all through enemy territory to reach Kandagal. Then, they’d spent half the night just getting into position. Two days ago, they’d been defending the blockades they’d created. Now they were tasked with somehow breaking through a blockade the Taliban had created.

  Two of the convoy’s lead units had sabotaged all their own vehicles and then had deserted, right at a key intersection in the middle of Kandagal. By the time all the damaged vehicles had been cleared away, the Taliban had established a very strong line of defense with heavy weapons positioned in several buildings overlooking the main roadways. When the convoy attempted to run the gauntlet, it quickly was again stopped, pinned down by Taliban forces. It would take much too long for the convoy to reroute around all of this, which of course was the enemy’s strategy.

  Grimes had explained how several CAW teams had all been getting ready, just as Team Twenty-Two had done. Each team had a specific sector, with several buildings along their assigned section of road that needed to be neutralized. If they could clear away the Taliban bottleneck and get the road open again, today, there was still hope. Otherwise, it wouldn’t matter. Every man on this team was determined to go all the way, no matter the risk. She was really impressed by that. There was a camaraderie out here on the battlefield that was really special. Only by experiencing what they each had been through, together, was it possible to really understand that.

  While they all were serving their country, that wasn’t what drove them now. No, they now were striving to accomplish a common task, a team task, depending on one another and concerned about one another. That was the focus now. Get the job done and do that without letting the team down. They were doing this for the team. All else was secondary.

  Missy was easily able to recall the three M’s: Mission, Men and Me. Those were the priorities, in that order. It’s what all military leaders were taught and she was proud to now be out there, part of this.

  While no one was saying anything, she was now usually being teamed with Town and Carter or, occasionally, with Town and Heimbold. These three men were all very comfortable with having her at their side and knowing she had their back. It went beyond mere trust. She stopped trying to analyze it; she just knew it was the way things were out here.

  She heard Grimes get called on the radio. Sure enough, a moment later he gave them all the heads up. They got ready. And then, just as the light of day was breaking, they went.

  They got within throwing range of some open windows where they knew the Taliban were positioned with heavy weapons. These windows were in a large one story building that overlooked the road and this particular building was their initial target. It was the largest one in their sector and was also centrally located. They knew the Taliban forces were prepared to stop any vehicles that might come along but, hopefully, they might not be expecting an attack by soldiers coming at them on foot. Suddenly, further down the road, they heard gunfire. Heimbold and Carter then tossed hand grenades through several windows and they all charged up to the doorway and waited outside. Once the grenades exploded, they moved quickly, smashing through the doors and racing inside to check the rooms for survivors.

  Missy was with Carter and together they rounded a corner, with their rifles ready as they entered one of the rooms. They noted several bodies but a few in there were still moving. Missy fired at those on the left while Carter fired at those on the right. This room was now neutralized. They moved to the next room and cleared that in a similar manner while the other rooms were being cleared by the rest of the team. Their attack had indeed been a complete surprise and this initial objective was easily subdued.

  As they exited the rear of the building, there were a few shots being fired in their direction. These mostly came from a side window of a small building over on their left. Although the CAW teams no longer had the advantage of surprise, the Taliban really weren’t well positioned to defend these buildings from ground attacks coming at t
hem from behind. As a result, Team Twenty-two only faced minimal resistance as they quickly raced out to continue their attack against the other buildings in their sector.

  While the rest of Missy’s team headed off towards several buildings on the right, she and Carter raced towards the buildings on the left, with Town right behind them. There were two more buildings after this first one for the three of them to clear. The buildings beyond that were in another sector, assigned to a different CAW team. After clearing their three buildings, they were supposed to work their way back, searching through their own sector for whatever resistance might still be there. Likewise, the other team members would be doing the same … if everything went well, they’d all be meeting back up again in the middle.

  She ducked down to avoid being a target for whoever was still firing out that open window. As the three of them approached the building, she asked Carter to toss her a hand grenade … she was in a better position. She then threw that through the window and once the grenade exploded, the three of them moved forward quickly. Carter smashed through the door and they went inside. More bodies, more movement, more firing by the two of them. Town called it in to Grimes using their commo gear; another building neutralized.

  Other team members were equally as effective as they began clearing more and more buildings. Their early morning attack had caught the Taliban by surprise. It was not anything the Afghan forces would ever have done.

  It would later be learned that the CAW teams really made a difference that morning, forcing the Taliban out of the positions they’d established for themselves, all along the roadway. Within forty minutes, enough Taliban soldiers had either been killed or had moved back in retreat that the way was clear. The lead elements of the Afghan convoy were able to move forward and as they did so, more elements came up behind. Slowly, over the next few hours, the Afghan forces regained control of the road and established adequate security for the continued movement of their vehicles.