Day Six

Day Six – Thursday October 12, 2006

So that takes me to today. We had another visit from another set of folks from our higher’s higher. This time it was the lawyers that I work with. They were interested in the status of the case. We had a good discussion of the procedures we’d been following as well as what the plan for the case was. I was glad to hear, again, that the prosecutor was sticking to his guns and was not going to release Subject A. My next question was when he would be transferred to the prison to be held instead of holding him here on base. He said it would happen on Saturday. Tomorrow, Friday, is there holiday so no one works. I am hoping that he will in fact be transferred.

So that just about brings you up to date on this saga. I can’t believe that I’m on page 8. Realize that this narration is really not for you the general reader, but for me so I can remember all the details for when I write my memoirs or write a book about the many adventures I had in Afghanistan. It’s also for my die hard fans (a.k.a. Janae) who will amazingly read every word and even more amazingly find it remotely interesting.

OK, the saga is not over. I just heard that Subject A may be getting released every night around 10:00 p.m. to go home. We’re setting up a “raid” to go over to the holding cell to see if he’s really there. So, I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to post this so I can let you know what happens on our raid. I hope he’s gone so he can be charged with “escape from custody” which carries a pretty stiff penalty. I suggested that if he were there, we should let him go, then shoot him and claim he was trying to escape. I guess that’s not very lawyerly of me. It would solve a lot of our problems though.

Well our raid was executed with detailed military precision. We left at 11:00 p.m. from our location. LTC Ken Mundt, LTC Steve Esplin, me and Sergeant Major Larry Hansen were riding in the cab of the truck. Aaron, SFC Damon Harvey and MAJ Burke Tarbott were in the back. We were all armed and ready for anything. As we left, I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to be there or not. If he were there, we would be able to return quickly and go to bed. If he was gone, we’d be up half the night. I wish I could give you lots of exciting details about how we were ambushed by his loyalists on the way; how we stormed the holding cell taking out the enemy as we fought our way inside. I wish I could tell you that bullets were whizzing by my ears and that I was miraculously saved from harm. But that’s not what happened.

We showed up outside the holding cell and found a soldier washing a command vehicle. We walked inside the building and asked where Subject A was. Someone said they didn’t know, that maybe he was in the latrine. My heart began to race a little thinking that he may not be there. Then, someone went into his room, flipped on the light and there he was in his jammies, fast asleep. Pretty boring huh? It was then that I decided that I was glad that he was there. It sure made life easier. As we were leaving, Subject A told Ken that if we brought back a lawyer, he was willing to make a statement. Now that will be interesting to see what he’s willing to tell us.

That will have to come in another posting.

So for now, the saga is on hold as tomorrow is everyone’s day off and nothing should happen.