The year is 2016. Joseph, a survivor of 9/11 follows his father's footsteps and enlisted in the military. Not long after, he along with two of his friends were deployed to Iraq among the ranks of some of the best American fighting men: the US Army...
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12.02 hours
October 18th, 2016
Qaraqosh, Iraq
Sgt. Joseph Mueller - US Army Rangers
After marveling at my first tank kill as the T-72 Asad Babil burst in flames, I took a quick look around and saw it was all clear. No more hostiles around. The last few alive were stunned by the explosion before they fell as the surviving NPU militiamen took them out. The remaining ragheads fled in full retreat as they lost their spearhead. The friendlies were cheering in celebration as some of them continued their advance right away in the holy crusade to reclaim their town from the terrorists.
Heh... Guess that's that.
I picked up my combat knife from the guy I knifed earlier, wiped it on his shirt before putting it back in its sheath, and went down the stairs. As I made it back to the street I saw that the NPU guys who remain down here keep a good distance from the tank... why? I think I know why, I thought, as I continued to walk away. And suddenly...
*BOOM!*
Yep, just as I thought. Ammo cook-off. As the fires continued to burn, igniting the fuel and the ammo which didn't set off in the first impact, the latter two exploded causing a huge sudden release of pressure within the cabin. The resulting force blew off the turret from the hull, sending it a few feet in the air before it falls onto the ground.
By the way, cool guys don't look at explosions.
An A-10 flew past us as I walked. A little too late for the party, but I heard it fire its Gatling cannon at some remaining targets in the distance, lazed by another squad. I made my way back over the main road towards my squad. Took a while to get back, but they were right where I had them, and they've just took out the last of the incoming waves of ragheads. The NPU guys who were in front of our building had advanced further northeast and met up with the Iraqi soldiers, chasing down the retreating enemy.
CT and her fireteam was just standing outside the building beside cover on the roadside, looking at me. I saw the impressed look on her face, and I know why. With my rocket launcher in my hand and the tank wreckage just behind me still spouting flames... I must have looked like an absolute badass. Like a poster of a Hollywood action movie. This gets the chicks.
"You did it, Joe!" she exclaimed as we approached each other.
"Hellyeah... I sure did!"
"Your first tank kill, huh?"
We cheered and raised an arm to high-five... when suddenly... her expression completely changed.
"Joe... get down!"
I was completely caught by surprise as her hand which was supposed to meet my hand, meets my left shoulder as she pushes me aside. I fell to the ground and heard my equipment impact against the dry dirt road. Then there was gunfire.
