PMCI - October 2014

On July 2 nd 2013 at 04:30am Taliban attacked
the compound in which myself
and my colleagues live in and this is
my point of view of the events as they
happened. If someone reading this
knows of other details I have omitted
I apologise.
The night before the attack happened
our PM (Project Manager)
bought us all pizza and soda drinks
as a “Thank you” for a good rotation,
as he was due out the next morning on his leave. He also
encouraged us to be extra vigilant whilst he was gone due
to the fact we had seen several different people dicking
(watching) our movements in and out of our base location.
After sitting with the full team and with banter flowing
really well, we decided to
call it a night, at which
point we dispersed back to
our rooms in two different
accommodation blocks
to do whatever it was we
needed to do. I went away
and phoned my wife and
children and then went
to bed.
At 04:30hrs I was woken
by a massive blast
and it took me a couple
seconds to realise what
happened. At the time,
I thought it was an IDF
rocket or mortar attack as
Having practiced this drill many
times there was no need to ask
for orders or look to see if the
other people were doing their
jobs correctly, so leaving my
colleagues to tend to the clients I
moved forward to the exit door to
get eyes on the area outside.
I had woken up and seen my window fly across the
room and smash into the wall next to my bed. The
roof tiles came falling around me, everything was
smashed and glass and kit lay everywhere with dust
filling the air outside and inside the building.
Hurrying to get all of my kit on, I remember I
could not find my trousers (which would have been
embarrassing had I gone without them), so I grabbed
a baggy pair of shorts - which was certainly not ideal
but I had no time as rounds where already being fired
at close quarters to my position. Once kitted up and
ready I moved to my room door and opened it a crack
to get eyes on down the corridor. I saw a colleague
doing the same drills as myself across the corridor,
we both had no idea what had happened however
the attack alarm was sounding. I think the explosion
and two way range
said it all.
Having practiced
this drill many times
there was no need
to ask for orders or
look to see if the other
people were doing
their jobs correctly,
so leaving my colleagues
to tend to the
clients I moved forward
to the exit door
to get eyes on the area
outside. Once my colleague
had the clients
in place and ready to