U.S. soldier grazed by bullet in Afghanistan

Associated Press | September 28, 2002

[HAL9000]

BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Sep 28, 2002 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- A bullet fired by an unidentified assailant grazed a U.S. soldier in the leg on Saturday as he was traveling in a military convoy to Afghanistan's capital, a military spokesman said.

Troops in the convoy were unaware they had been fired upon and did not see the gunman, U.S. military spokesman Col. Roger King told reporters at Bagram air base, the headquarters of coalition forces deployed in Afghanistan.

"The soldier driving the lead vehicle felt something strike his left leg. It turns out there's a superficial gunshot wound. They didn't find a bullet," King said.

The incident occurred just over a mile (kilometer) north of Kabul. The injured soldier was seated in a Humvee with the doors open. He was not identified.

In a separate incident, King said a rocket exploded Saturday near a U.S. special forces base in the eastern city of Gardez. No injuries were reported.

Unidentified attackers have been firing crude rockets near U.S. forces in eastern Afghanistan for months. They have rarely - if ever - caused any casualties.

U.S. troops regularly conduct patrols along Afghanistan's eastern border with Pakistan, hunting for senior Taliban leaders and al-Qaida terrorists.

[Tom Bombadil]

Troops in the convoy were unaware they had been fired upon and did not see the gunman

Quagmire! .....No Really, this is a sign of respect. They know that Afghanis pull the trigger with their eyes shut. They also know that if they present any kind of a target to a GI, that they will be shot more than once.

American soldiers are simply good marksmen.