my best to stay behind the camera and not not appear in front of the camera as
not not appear in front of the camera as
not not appear in front of the camera as we headed out to the fire base in the
we headed out to the fire base in the
we headed out to the fire base in the Special Forces chopper none of us could
Special Forces chopper none of us could
Special Forces chopper none of us could imagine that we ourselves would become
imagine that we ourselves would become
imagine that we ourselves would become part of the story before the trip was
part of the story before the trip was
part of the story before the trip was over but the way events unfolded
over but the way events unfolded
over but the way events unfolded everything changed in this trips
everything changed in this trips
everything changed in this trips Afghanistan we did become part of the
Afghanistan we did become part of the
Afghanistan we did become part of the story was because we were caught up in
story was because we were caught up in
story was because we were caught up in the same mass casualty event as a lot of
the same mass casualty event as a lot of
the same mass casualty event as a lot of the soldiers we were filming other than
the soldiers we were filming other than
the soldiers we were filming other than the guys inside the vehicle we were
the guys inside the vehicle we were
the guys inside the vehicle we were closest to the truck just 35 feet away
closest to the truck just 35 feet away
closest to the truck just 35 feet away when it blew up
when it blew up I do remember in an
when it blew up I do remember in an instant just seeing the back end of the
instant just seeing the back end of the
instant just seeing the back end of the truck he Bupp into the air the sound was
truck he Bupp into the air the sound was
truck he Bupp into the air the sound was so loud it was the only way I can
so loud it was the only way I can
so loud it was the only way I can describe it as it was almost silent
describe it as it was almost silent
describe it as it was almost silent there was a flash of light
the flash of light essentially seemed to
the flash of light essentially seemed to consume my cameraman Ryan Ryan just
consume my cameraman Ryan Ryan just
consume my cameraman Ryan Ryan just disappeared and at that time I just
disappeared and at that time I just
disappeared and at that time I just figured he was dead your reaction is
figured he was dead your reaction is
figured he was dead your reaction is holy SH I can’t believe that just
holy SH I can’t believe that just
holy SH I can’t believe that just happened to me
happened to me
happened to me I have a little baby at home I have a
I have a little baby at home I have a
I have a little baby at home I have a wife what am I doing here I’m here by
wife what am I doing here I’m here by
wife what am I doing here I’m here by choice I was shocked I was surprised
choice I was shocked I was surprised
choice I was shocked I was surprised that I was intact I was certain that I’d
that I was intact I was certain that I’d
that I was intact I was certain that I’d lost a foot or a hand or arm or
lost a foot or a hand or arm or
lost a foot or a hand or arm or something when I first saw Ryan he was
something when I first saw Ryan he was
something when I first saw Ryan he was covered in a blanket he looked pretty
covered in a blanket he looked pretty
covered in a blanket he looked pretty bad he was going into shock but I knew
bad he was going into shock but I knew
bad he was going into shock but I knew he was alive and I said to him I said I
he was alive and I said to him I said I
he was alive and I said to him I said I thought you were dead man and he looked
thought you were dead man and he looked
thought you were dead man and he looked at me and he said I thought you were
at me and he said I thought you were
at me and he said I thought you were dead too
dead too
dead too Ryan was injured worse than I was a lot
Ryan was injured worse than I was a lot
Ryan was injured worse than I was a lot worse than I was I thought and he had
worse than I was I thought and he had
worse than I was I thought and he had deep second-degree burns up and down his
deep second-degree burns up and down his
deep second-degree burns up and down his arms and it on his face
arms and it on his face
arms and it on his face we both had shrapnel through our faces
we both had shrapnel through our faces
we both had shrapnel through our faces and up and down her arms and I too had
and up and down her arms and I too had
and up and down her arms and I too had second-degree burns up and down my face
second-degree burns up and down my face
second-degree burns up and down my face but not as deep as his in the dutch
but not as deep as his in the dutch
but not as deep as his in the dutch field hospital I reached over to Ryan
field hospital I reached over to Ryan
field hospital I reached over to Ryan and I held his hand and he reached back
and I held his hand and he reached back
and I held his hand and he reached back and held my hand and he said to me Steve
and held my hand and he said to me Steve
and held my hand and he said to me Steve it’s not your fault
it’s not your fault
it’s not your fault I don’t blame you for what happened we
I don’t blame you for what happened we
I don’t blame you for what happened we both made the decision to come here and
both made the decision to come here and
both made the decision to come here and uh you know I pretty much broke down in
uh you know I pretty much broke down in
uh you know I pretty much broke down in tears a little bit because um that
tears a little bit because um that
tears a little bit because um that weighed heavily on my mind making films
weighed heavily on my mind making films
weighed heavily on my mind making films is always personal but this film had
is always personal but this film had
is always personal but this film had become intensely personal my cameraman
become intensely personal my cameraman
become intensely personal my cameraman was in a burn center we both were at
was in a burn center we both were at
was in a burn center we both were at risk of losing our sight we witness guys
risk of losing our sight we witness guys
risk of losing our sight we witness guys die in combat essentially we’d witnessed
die in combat essentially we’d witnessed
die in combat essentially we’d witnessed a lot of other guys suffer pretty
a lot of other guys suffer pretty
a lot of other guys suffer pretty significant wounds and we weren’t just
significant wounds and we weren’t just
significant wounds and we weren’t just going to let the story go
going to let the story go
going to let the story go it was too intensely personal by that
it was too intensely personal by that
it was too intensely personal by that time hopefully we’re just holding up a
time hopefully we’re just holding up a
time hopefully we’re just holding up a mirror to a reality to what’s going on
mirror to a reality to what’s going on
mirror to a reality to what’s going on out there people can take away from it
out there people can take away from it
out there people can take away from it just deeper insight into the complexity
just deeper insight into the complexity
just deeper insight into the complexity of the war being waged in Afghanistan
of the war being waged in Afghanistan
of the war being waged in Afghanistan and the incredible difficulties and
and the incredible difficulties and
and the incredible difficulties and sacrifices being made by those who are
sacrifices being made by those who are
sacrifices being made by those who are who are waging that war the one thing
who are waging that war the one thing
who are waging that war the one thing that strikes you when you get out there
that strikes you when you get out there
that strikes you when you get out there is just how kind of resourceful these
is just how kind of resourceful these
is just how kind of resourceful these guys are how autonomous and how alone I
guys are how autonomous and how alone I
guys are how autonomous and how alone I mean how on their own they are
mean how on their own they are
mean how on their own they are yeah we have the most powerful military
yeah we have the most powerful military
yeah we have the most powerful military the world’s ever created but these guys
the world’s ever created but these guys
the world’s ever created but these guys are pretty much out there on their own
are pretty much out there on their own
are pretty much out there on their own with what they have you know on the base
with what they have you know on the base
with what they have you know on the base and at their disposal I don’t want to
and at their disposal I don’t want to
and at their disposal I don’t want to gather too much attention to well what I
gather too much attention to well what I
gather too much attention to well what I went through and what the National
went through and what the National
went through and what the National Geographic film crew went through
Geographic film crew went through
Geographic film crew went through because the focus should be on on the
because the focus should be on on the
because the focus should be on on the Special Forces soldiers who were out
Special Forces soldiers who were out
Special Forces soldiers who were out there in the field and who are still out
there in the field and who are still out
there in the field and who are still out there in the field and enduring all of
there in the field and enduring all of
there in the field and enduring all of the hardships and dangers and losing
the hardships and dangers and losing
the hardships and dangers and losing friends and taking risks every day just
friends and taking risks every day just
friends and taking risks every day just watch out cause you got this mouse over
watch out cause you got this mouse over
watch out cause you got this mouse over here we went out for just a short brief
here we went out for just a short brief
here we went out for just a short brief window of time and came back home these
window of time and came back home these
window of time and came back home these guys go out and and see friends get
guys go out and and see friends get
guys go out and and see friends get killed and wounded and then go out again
killed and wounded and then go out again
killed and wounded and then go out again the next day and the next day and the
the next day and the next day and the
the next day and the next day and the next day
”
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