Front and centre in an IED blast Published: Monday, August 25, 2008

http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=746247&p=1 ^

[exg]

Front and centre in an IED blast Scott Deveau, National Post Monday, August 25, 2008

The National Post's Scott Deveau was travelling in a vehicle that was struck by an improvised explosive device yesterday on a road in the Panjwaii district of Afghanistan. This is his account of the blast that seriously injured a Canadian soldier.

PANJWAII DISTRICT, Afghanistan - I was on my way back to Kandahar Air Field after being embedded with the Canadian Forces for a three-day operation in the Zhari district, having caught a ride on a vehicle travelling in a supply convoy, and was chatting with a couple soldiers who were returning to the base with some injuries.

The conversation turned to when everyone was going home -- expected departure dates are the talk around the base these days -- when the convoy came up to an area outside of Salawat where a lot of IEDs, or roadside bombs, had been laid in the past.

Two soldiers in the back got out to patrol on foot and try to spot them before the vehicles rolled over them, leaving a driver, a gunner, four other soldiers, myself and Canadian Press reporter Tobi Cohen still in the vehicle.

The small talk naturally turned to IEDs, and what vehicles were safest when they were struck by one. All of the sudden the earth opened up and spat us out.

The closest thing I can compare it to is a car accident. You're cruising along, listening to your tunes on the radio, when all of the sudden you're rolling over in the ditch and the reality of the situation hits you like a ton of bricks.

The IED hit us in mid-sentence, flipping the vehicle and hanging us from our seatbelts.

[exg]

Ping

[fanfan]

Thanks for the ping, exg.

[SandRat]

GOD grant his healing comfort to the wounded and their families.