This is Jockel Podcast number 350 with Echo Charles and me, Jockel Willink. Good evening, echo.

Sergeant Humphrey's squad secured a path and established a position from which they could

overwatch second squad as they re-entered friendly lines. As Humphrey's Marines were breaking down

their overwatch position to move back to Fab Enkerman, the rear element of the squad was pinned

in a canal by heavy and accurate machine gun fire from Taliban hidden in a tree line.

I ran a sergeant Humphrey shouting, let's go, we got to move on that gun. Staff Sergeant Henley and I

were converging on sergeant Humphrey as we rushed to develop a plan to relieve the pressure on

the pinned down fire team from the Taliban machine gun. I looked back to see,

Zack was on my heels. There would be no need for an interpreter where I was going. He just saw me

start running and he did the same. Then Sergeant Humphrey stepped on a pressure plate IED.

The sound and force enveloped me in a sensation all went black. I have no idea how long I was out,

but when I came to the first person I saw, was Zack. He knelt beside me, over me, my rifle in his hand,

protecting and supporting me as I fought to my feet. I imagine we looked like a filthy Madonna and

child in the moment. As Zack helped me rise, I looked to my left and saw Staff Sergeant Henley.

He lay in a heap, a tangle of his own limbs, himself struggling to rise. He had also been knocked out

and was shouting at me unaware that blood poured from his own blown out eardrums. I could make no

sense of what he was saying. Then I saw Humphrey and stopped trying to. When I got to him,

Sergeant Humphrey's right foot was completely blown off. All the muscle and tissue on his left calf

was gone. His left thigh lay open from a piece of shrapnel. Later I would learn his jaw was broken,

but for now he lay at my feet screaming. Doc Collins and Corporal Matt Blanned rushed to Sergeant

Humphrey and began treating his grievous wounds. I called in a metavac as I held the meat of his calf

to the bone as near-crick wrapped it. With Corporal Sean Leighy directing the squad's fire upon the

...