Deep down inside, I’m still just a boy who wants to play war…

Today at lunch we were treated to a real combat moment. It’s really nice outside these days so my battle buddies and I have taken to eating out near the pool. (Yes Virginia there is a pool. I told you HQ was posh.) Anyway as I mentioned earlier Farhd al-Qanoon is in full effect and all the firefights and explosions make this seem like a real combat zone. Last night I couldn’t even sleep with all the commotion. Hell, it seemed like the scene out of Apocalypse Now with all the helo activity zooming (very low) over head. Sure we have our morning VBIEDS and rockets but those aren’t really organized campaigns. As Capt KJ and I were eating I heard the now very familiar sound of a Marine Corps COBRA helo flying over head. It had a ton of altitude which I thought was odd. Then the most amazing thing happened… It made a quick 180 degree turn dropped low from the sky and when it was almost directly over our table it fired off a series of salvos at a target across the river. Puffs of black smoke poured out of the rocket canisters as it zipped on past the compound. Moments later we heard a few booms but I couldn’t really tell if that was the rockets striking or something else. WOW! I know on the other side of that firefight there is a raging hell of fire and destruction but the kid in me still finds fascination with all these “toys”. As Marines always say that Cobra pilot was out to “Get Some!”