I’m a DoD Contractor as well as a Reservist. I worked at Bagram, Kandahar, Erbil (which was cool), Al Asad, Djibouti and Kenya. I’m in Japan working on a different program.
I 90 days on and 90 days off. 2019 I was going to start my rotation at DJ. As soon as I land, I get sent to Simba. Simba is a strange little base. US has a base within a Kenyan base. Monkeys everywhere, baboons, black mambas (I ran one over), hyenas and the big cats. Al Shabab is lurking.
Base was tiny. Maybe 500 people max. Air Force runs security. These kids are 18-23. I rarely saw any rank. They are lax. Guard always down.
For me to get to work, I have to exit the encampment, then exit the base. It’s not too far. We had guys that walked to work. Maybe 2 miles.
Everyday maybe 50-100 Kenyans enter the base to work. You know what’s up. You can offer them anything for info.
I had no issues my rotation. I’d see security forces going up and down the runway 2-3 times a day. No problem. I got home in June then another person took my spot.
December comes around. I’m dead sleep and my Wife wakes me up crying. The base was hit. Two Contractors died.
So apparently ever since I had left, security forces got lazier and lazier. It was a day before the attack. My coworker noticed the dog the SF was feeding (pet) was barking at the bushes. They dogs are chill. I never touched them but they were harmless. He thinks that’s strange. 4 am the next morning they head to work and all is well.
Suddenly, BOOM!!! An rpg smacked an asset. My buddy just left there and was headed to the hanger. Maybe 125meters away. It’s 3 of them at the hanger. He goes into the connex. The older guy is stunned. Rounds going off everywhere. You can see the tracers because the sun hasn’t peeled out yet.
They finally get in the truck, picked up one of our guys that was hurt bad and they headed back to the Kenyan base. SF was hiding. The enemies didn’t know they were there so they lucky. Kenyans let them on base for whatever reason then they made it to camp. Camp was taking rounds and mortars.
The attack was a little early. The RTO had to go to the runway to verify something. Bumped into the combatants and got shot. He didn’t make it. Is partner hid during the whole attack and made it.
The barking dog was barking at where they laid. They camped for a few days before the attack. A few days later Bagram got hit so hard combatants made it on base. None on our side died but can you imagine eating breakfast and s**t hits the fan?
I pray I’m done with a war zone. Hoping this contract lasts and China and North Korea don’t show their a**.
