TW// Once again, heavy topics in this chapter.
Y/N's Diary.
Day 12, August 26th.
Nothing can compare to what I saw today. To what I was involved in today. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
I'm sat here, trying to figure out how to word it all, how to describe what I witnessed, what I was involved in.
But most of all, i'm sat here questioning and wondering, how the fuck am I not dead?
This morning. It started off as normal, well, what is normal to us right now.
And that was, get up, quickly have some scran and hydrating before getting changed into our full combats and going straight back out on patrol and crowd control.
It's now more than tens and thousands of people squashed together around the entire airport, rammed against the walls, fences and barriers.
There was literally not a bit of sight of ground from where they all were. It was just completely flooded with people.
There's been a surge of injured people as well. It got to the point where we had to set up a medical CP away from the crowds so that I and a few of the other medics could treat those injured away from the absolute carnage.
However, the carnage had only intensified severely, and we were recalled to go and help out with crowd control. But there was absolutely no controlling today's crowds.
No matter how many warning shots we fired in the air, no matter how much we shouted at them to get back and queue up properly. The absolute insane heat was only adding fuel to the fire. Everyone was tired, restless, angry, frustrated, exhausted, pissed off and everything inbetween.
I did thank myself mentally that i'm not ginger though.
Sorry, Keira if you're reading this. Love you, my favourite ginge, but you wouldn't handle this shit. It's satan's arsehole kind of hot here.
But back to serious. It was absolutely awful. And nothing could have ever prepared me for what was about to happen minutes later.
A bloke were walking about, looking oddly calm, it was in this area, where I took a photo a few days ago.
He was walking about in the far right area of this photo, walking up and down. Only difference is, that is was more busy than this photo.
However, he stood out. I don't know why he stood out at first but he did. I think now, thinking back on it.
He stood out, because he was not like everyone else, he wasn't pushing around, screaming and shouting, nothing like that.
He was the complete opposite. He appeared very calm, and somewhat relaxed in this situation compared to everyone else around him.
I wasn't on the containers at this moment in time, I was stood pretty much where I took that photo, alongside a few of the lads from my platoon and a load of US marines.
It was at this point, I turned on my head cam and made sure to record this in the case of something.
And thank fuck I did.
Some of the US Marines then collectively decided to get people of that path, where he was walking, to ensure safety, whilst myself and the lads in my platoon were going to stay by the containers to try and maintain the crowds from getting past.
The Marines had probably taken no more than ten steps from where I was stood when he walked over, and it went off.
Instantly, I was blown back, hitting the container behind me. And I was out for a good few seconds. Everything was black. My ears ringing, eyes burning, head hurting and spinning, my back in agony.
After about two or three minutes, my sight began to clear, and one of my lads pulled me up, like literally grabbed me by my collar and got me on my feet, checking I was alive.
That's when the muffled voices of the lads in my platoon became a bit more clearer, but that's when the agonising screams and cries became loud and clear.
I rubbed the back of my head, and it felt wet. I looked at my hand, and I had blood on my hands, my own blood. I was bleeding from the head.
I then looked around and there was blood and bodies, body parts, everywhere. The smell was, it- it was, well, the smell of death. Everywhere.
I cannot describe it any more than that, or i'll make myself sick again.
Quickly it became a mission to evacuate ourselves away from this, and so I got pulled up the container, getting onto the other side before we had to literally just run, run and run. For our lives.
I felt like my legs were going to cave in at any given moment, but I somehow managed to keep running. I managed to run with the lads and eventually get to the bunker where the rest of our platoon had re-grouped.
Photo, the morning of the August 26th attack.
Day 13, August 27th.
I keep replying yesterday over and over constantly.
I've been put on bed rest for now. My head hurts, but it just needed a few stitches, other than that, I was fine. Physically anyway.
How the fuck do I comprehend the events of yesterday.
I've re-watched the video on my head cam god knows how many times. It captures it all. Every single bit of it.
The footage I got had to be passed on to my highest CO's so that they could work with Afghan forces to identify the attacker. But that's all I know right now.
I plan to get out and resume my duties. I cannot stay cooped up in this small bunk. It's driving me more insane than being out there.
How much i'm like Mum came into mind tonight, as in, how much we both hate being cooped up.
We can only do it for small periods before we have to do something before we go mental.
I miss her. I miss Keira. I miss Narla. I miss everyone back home.
I honestly thought that yesterday was it. I was going to end up a goner.
And the last thing that was on my mind before it went off, was how I couldn't wait to be back with them.
I was so, so very close to not getting to be back with them.
And even now, it is not a certainty that I will be back with them. I can only pray.
Today was also announced that we were now in the final stage of evacuation, as part of the drawdown, the Baron Hotel was closed, and the main priority was to now evacuate those who have already been processed.
But, it meant that we were not going to be able to evacuate everyone. We were going to have to leave people behind. In this war-zone.
Since being here though, over 13,000 have been confirmed to have been evacuated.
Which is a little nice something to hear. But I cannot help but think of those who will not escape this hell on earth.
There have been some rumours of talks of even leaving behind military equipment, if destroyed, so that we could free up room on the aircraft's to get more people on board. Whether that'll happen or not, I do not know yet.
Update, I managed to get out on a night patrol tonight, nothing else kicked off, but it was still just as hectic. But I could not be cooped up any longer.
But it's not all too long now until we're being evacuated ourselves, and leaving Afghanistan for good.
But it's not over.
Not yet.
Photo of the Para lads during night the watch.
Day 14, August 28th.
Final day today. Two weeks later.
MoD have confirmed that we will be leaving today. I will be on the last flight out of Kabul.
I just have to get through today, will update later on, if I get the chance to.
Update, i'm still here, for now. Still going on, the day is still not over. There is still so much to do, with so little time.
I just helped a pregnant woman deliver a baby in the middle of the airport, she was due to get on a flight to Birmingham, but went into labour.
One of the RAF media guys captured a photo of me cradling the baby. That'll be one to look back on.
A healthy, beautiful baby girl. Another medic escorted them onto the flight. I hope that they have a long, happy, health and fulfilling life. I felt a little better about this whole thing after that.
I just hope that baby doesn't have to ever know about the carnage she could have very closely been born into.
Also, the decision to destroy military equipment was confirmed, and we did. We had the task of destroying millions of pounds worth of equipment, including vehicles and other things.
In a weird way, it felt good. It was a weird sort of reliever.
Getting to smash up some stuff. It was a massive stress reliever for a wee bit. Slashing some tires, breaking some windows, burning things and that stuff.
So it means that we can get the last of processed eveacuees out of here.
But not everyone is making it out of here.
They reckon at least 800–1,100 eligible Afghans and 100–150 British nationals are to be left behind. And that hurts. But there is nothing more that we can do now. It's over.
As I write this last bit, I am sat on the last aircraft that left Kabul about an hour ago. I am alive and in one piece.
We made it out successfully.
Operation Pitting was finally over and we were out.
Photos I took as the equipment was destroyed and burned alongside the US army. And, finally, as we boarded the last flight out of Kabul, Afghanistan.
Diary Of L/CPL Bronze, Operation Pitting in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Complete.
Lucy's POV
"Kei- KEI, KEIRA COME HERE QUICK" I shouted to which my girlfriend came running downstairs and into the living room, to see what I was pointing at on the TV.
BBC BREAKING NEWS
"The last of the British Armed Forces have been confirmed to have left Kabul after a two week operation in the capital. The Operation has now been completed, and the MoD have confirmed that all deployed soldiers are en route back to the United Kingdom and that there has been no fatalities from the British Armed Forces.
The evacuation, now formally known as Operation Pitting. Had a evacuee numbers of over 15,000. Who have been airlifted to safety, taking more than 100 flights. Of those evacuated, 5,000 were British nationals and 8,000 were Afghans. Around 2,200 evacuees were also children, with the youngest just one day old.
Both myself and Keira had tears streaming down our faces. But then, a picture appeard on the tv.
Y/n, our daughter, in her army uniform, full geared up, gun strapped to her side.
She was holding a baby, cradling the newborn as people in the background were escorted to the plane.
A caption underneath it, then said, "British Army Medic, holding a new born that she helped deliver that had been born at the airport.
Myself and Keira looked at eachother. Both hysterically crying as we embraced eachother in a hug. Holding onto each other very tightly.
Eventually we calmed down, and settled on the sofa, but not too long after. Our door opened and both of our heads shot to the corridor to see Keira's Mum.
"Did yous see BBC News?" She said, her eyes also had tears in them. Both me and Keira nodded. "Yeah, yeah we did" I managed to eventually get out.
"Do you know when they'll be back?" She then asked. I shrugged my shoulders Keira before said, "Likely late tonight or very early tomorrow".
"She'll call us when she's got her phone back" Keira then said. I let out a soft sigh nodding.
"I'm never letting her go again when I see her" I said quietly, and Keira placed her hand on my thigh, squeezing it, then resting her head on my shoulder.
"Our girl is gonna be fine"