A listener writes “Hey wes first I Just wanted to say I am sorry about Dr.John Bindernagel I really didn’t use to believe until I was deployed to the Korengal valley in Afghanistan.
We were stationed there for the enemy to come to us so basically we were just there to be shot at I arrived there in 2009 and me and my buddy were on night watch he carried his 300 win mag and was watching nipple rock. There were certain mountains and hills so we named the places so we could tell people where we were taking fire. Anyways While he was watching below us I I heard over the radio “Watch 3-5 this is watch 13 how copy over”. “Good copy watch 13” “Watch 3-5 you have got what looks like 4 goat herders and a bunch of goats coming down from nipple rock” It looks like they are carrying some kind of weapon can not tell looks like a AK-47 over” “Roger that do you want us to neutralize them over?” I then saw them through my spotters scope The Korengal was beautiful it looked like Colorado one of my buddies once said It would be sportsman paradise if they would just stop shooting at us I then Finally saw a AK-47.
We always thought they would attack us at night. “You are cleared hot hostile intent confirmed weapon confirmed engage.” I said I then looked through my acog sight and saw three other people crouched down and walking towards the others. “Whoa Whoa hold fire I’ve got more possible targets creeping off to the left.” Watch 3-5 can you confirm there are any weapons on those guys over.” I waited for a little bit until I heard A WHOOP! that echoed through the valley I didn’t worry about I just waited. “Watch 3-5 that Isn’t a person” “Watch 13 what are you talking about.” ” It’s to big to be person and then I looked through my acog and saw that the possible Taliban fighters were waving there guns behind them they were a good 300 meters away when one of the people I then noticed wasn’t a person It quickly ran towards the Taliban insurgent that was running to his left and then the whole group of possible Taliban broke off and scrambled away then I saw this creature run up to one of the possible taliban and hit him with a rock that was like the size of a basketball and killed him the other possible Taliban ran off into the woods.
We waited all night and would hear screams and Howls. I have been in firefights and ambushes but that night by far was the scariest night of my life. We then the next day went with my unit and spoke to the Village elders to ask them if they were hiding any of the Taliban that was there that night. They said no but they had heard stories about the men of the valley as the Terp told me (Interpreter)”