Night Moves
We pull into this village under the cover of dark. Its dark, really dark. So dark that even using night optics, its still hard to see. Everything is quiet as we pick our way through the streets, even the radio. Under the cover of night, this village seems relatively nice for something in Iraq. The streets are clean, there is no sewage or trash along the road. There are a few lights on, even at this late hour, which casts an orange-brown glow on small areas of the neighborhood. My platoon’s job tonight is to set up cordon for some searches that will be occurring in the town. I hate cordon security. It means I sit there and keep everything outside – out, and everything inside – in. It means we sit in a location for a long time without moving. That sets us up as easy targets. The Iraqi Army has several trucks full of dismounts in the town somewhere as well. Always a wildcard with them. Will they do the job, leave, or start shooting at anything that moves.
