The Torch: "Man, I really stink!"

You know how you hear people complaining "It's not the heat, it's the humidity" when you hit this time of year? Well, in Afghanistan, sometimes it is the frickin' heat.

Just ask those soldiers on patrol in an RG-31 with Seaforth Highlander Sgt S.D. Shannon:

The first part of the trip goes quite well, out to the Zabul border in the west. There’s no sign saying “Welcome to Zabul, The Friendship Province”, just map references and GPS to tell us we’ve crossed the line. Then it’s back east again and, with a quick stop back at camp for fuel — armoured vehicles do not help conserve the world’s oil supply — we’re off once more and heading east to the Helmand border.

...

As we reach the Helmand border, the air-conditioner has all but packed it in; soon it is blowing hot air and the temperature inside must over 60°C. When we stop and my two guys get out to provide vehicle security, a refreshing blast of what seems like a cool, springtime breeze comes in. This never lasts, as the door must close behind them immediately.

Our task complete, we head home using a different routes, part of it cross-country. Now the heat is starting to take its toll on both the RG’s occupants and its equipment. One of the corporals in the back is showing signs of heat exhaustion. We start force-feeding him water with Gatorade crystals and keep him talking.

Things are really bad when we arrive at another ISAF outpost. We pour out of the RG, and my corporal is immediately taken to the Unit Medical Station for treatment. The rest of us take off our PPE, and we look as if we walked through the shower with our clothes on. We are literally drenched with sweat from head to toe. When our garments dry, they are crisp and streaked with white salt.

We stay at this camp longer than we intended to, but after everyone is fully recovered — including my corporal, who got two litres of IV fluids — we’re off on the last leg of our homeward journey. Now that it is late afternoon, and knowing our plight inside the RG, the Patrol Commander decides we should move at the best speed we can make using proper precautions. In Afghanistan, you’re not safe until you have passed through the gates into your own camp. When you get lazy or start to rush, you can get yourself killed.