A Veteran's Affair

Prologue

I looked up at the bright sun, it had to be at least 40 degrees Celsius. I took off my cap and wiped my sweat dripping from my forehead using my sleeve. I then put my cap back on and adjusted my sunglasses. "Commander! Quit staring at the sun! You'll fuck your eye up," Stepan said, my driver.

"When's Oscar Mike? I asked.

"15:00 hours sir,"

"Get yourself some rest, use the canopy to create some shade. It's at the back of the turret on the outside,"

"Will do sir," Stepan said and then walked back to the tank to rejoin the others. I stared at the desert of Iraq for another minute or so before I spat my tobacco out. I then walked back to the Tank company. My loader then ran towards me.

"Sir, it's Godfather, he needs to brief you now," James said. I ran back with him and climbed into the tank.

"Yes, Godfather?" I asked.

"I need your tank platoon to rendezvous with RCT 4 (Regimental Combat Team) in the town of Mahmoudiyah. They are taking heavy fire from dug-in Republican guard units," Godfather said.

"Yes sir, understood," I said. I then got out of the tank and stood upon the turret. "Listen up! RCT 4 is pinned down north from here, we gotta hustle! Let's move out!"

"Yes sir!" the rest of the tank company responded. Then the next minute or so ensue with the scrambling of men getting back to their tanks. I hopped into the commander's seat of the M1A1HA Abrams and activated my headgear along with checking on the crew. "Move out!" I ordered and Stepan made the Abrams roar forward. The other 15 Abrams was behind us in a V formation. I opened the hatch and saw three F-16s fly supersonic over us heading north towards Baghdad.

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I peered outside using binoculars to look around. It was 54 km until RCT 4 and the village, but I saw smoke and dust being kicked up some 10km away. This area we were driving into was known for tank ambushes and if you saw smoke and dust flying around, there is going to be a tank force. I ordered the rest of the platoon to be ready. The desert plain was mostly flat there were some sand dunes and burnt out T-72s for cover. The constant radio chatter between the tanks filled up the emptiness of the Iraqi desert beside the engines. Anvil company was speeding ahead to the village and the dust presumably from the enemy tank force got nearer but the sand dunes were covering it. "This is Anvil Actual," I radioed, "be advised possible large concentration of enemy tanks in front,"

"Copy that," a friendly tank radioed back.

"Load the APFSDS shell James," I ordered.

"On it," he responded. I peered through the hatch again and saw what look to be a tank, possibly a T-72. I grabbed my binoculars from my chest and looked again and my suspicions were correct. I counted at least ten T-72s approaching. I quickly dove back into the tank and secured the hatch. "This is Anvil Actual, spotted 10 plus T-72s ahead. About 3 clicks out,"

"Copy that" a tank responded. But suddenly a voice cried out.

"Shit! They got us surrounded on all sides! Pick your targets!" I quickly turned around and saw that there were multiple Iraqi T-72s on every side. However, it didn't matter, the M1A1HA was no match for the T-72. It was far more technologically advanced than the T-72 and the T-72 couldn't hope to dent the armour on the M1A1HA.

"Stepan, take us to Anvil 4" "Lucas pick your targets and fire at will!"

"Understood!" Lucas said back. As Stepan drove us to Anvil 4, a T-72 fired and its shell bounced off our turret. The T-72 was perfectly still and Lucas saw this opportunity and took it. He rotated the turret and aimed for the lower glacis plate. M1A1 had an excellent fire control system and Lucas was a very good shot. He shot and the APFSDS flew towards the Iraqi T-72, penetrating the frontal armour and blowing up the ammo rack which blew up the tanks' turret. "One T-72 down,"

"Loading shell!" James shouted.

"Engaging T-72 at 240* degrees," Lucas said. There were 2 T-72s engaging Anvil 4 but Anvil 4 destroyed one of the tanks. Lucas sought to engage the other tank to buy some time. However, things turned for the worst because the remaining T-72 managed to disable the track of Anvil 4, completely freezing it.

"Shit! They got our track! Anvil Actual take out that fucking tank!"

"Lucas! you heard the man!"

"Shell loaded!" James shouted.

"Firing!" Lucas shouted. He fired and the T-72 turret exploded, saving Anvil 4. "Target down," "Sir, 9 more T-72s incoming, 2. 5 clicks out!" The gun of Anvil 4 responded and destroyed an approaching tank which left 8 of them. James loaded next shell and seconds later, Lucas destroyed another tank.

"This is a turkey shoot!" Lucas responded. James then hurriedly reloaded the tank and Lucas fired again after 6 seconds. He destroyed another tank and Anvil 4 did the same. This enemy force had only few tanks left and they finally fired back but it was completely useless. Anvil 4 withstood 2 APFSDS shells and my tank shrugged off 3. Lucas and Anvil 4 fired again. I looked to my side and saw Anvil 8 engaging the same targets. Only 2 remained but they were closing in fast. But then, 2 F-16s flew over and dropped ordinance over the remaining T-72s.

The commander of Anvil 4 popped out of his tank and yelled: "GET SOME!"

However, I looked around and saw a lone T-72 approaching with the commander of one of the T-72s peeked from his turret and an RPG-29 emerged

"SHIT RPG-29! RIG-" I shouted over the radio but I was interrupted by the RPG-29 penetrating the side armour of the tank. It tore through the armour and I gritted my teeth in pain. I looked down at my left shoulder to see a piece of steel logged in. Blood was dripping into my military fatigues but the piece of shrapnel blocked a good portion of blood exiting my body. I tried to look around but my head was still rining. Lucas quickly turned back to face me.

"Shit, House is down," He said to the rest of the crew. Stepan then reversed into the cover of Anvil 8. I then woke up from my dizziness and thankfully saw that the rest of the crew were ok.

Anvil 4 then radioed in: "Anvil Actual, are you guys ok?"

I responded "Yeah the tank and the rest of the crew are fine. I got a piece of shrapnel in my left shoulder,"

"Fuck," Anvil 4 responded. Lucas then bound my wound and the company got to work on repairing the damaged tanks. The tank company successfully destroyed 3 Iraqi tank companies while only taking 1 casualty. After Lucas bounded my wound. I opened the tank hatch and I put on my sunglasses. I stared at the Iraqi sun for 30 minutes before we would advance again to RCT 4.