Chris Fettes

That actually ties into a story that I meant to talk about with this helo pilot. Dude, just one of the most incredible heroes of anything I've experienced in my operating career. that night. You didn't tell us where you deployed to. Yeah, so this was Baghdad and all around.

So we were almost exclusively operating in Sadr City, really hairy nightly operations every night, sometimes six nights a week. And then occasionally we'd go out to other areas like Baqaba or Alamara for operations. But we were pretty focused on that during that deployment. What kind of operations? Counter-terrorist operations, just going out after... DAs, sniper work? All DAs, all DAs.

So we were almost exclusively operating in Sadr City, really hairy nightly operations every night, sometimes six nights a week. And then occasionally we'd go out to other areas like Baqaba or Alamara for operations. But we were pretty focused on that during that deployment. What kind of operations? Counter-terrorist operations, just going out after... DAs, sniper work? All DAs, all DAs.

So we were almost exclusively operating in Sadr City, really hairy nightly operations every night, sometimes six nights a week. And then occasionally we'd go out to other areas like Baqaba or Alamara for operations. But we were pretty focused on that during that deployment. What kind of operations? Counter-terrorist operations, just going out after... DAs, sniper work? All DAs, all DAs.

So my first appointment was just purely DAs every night. We had the luxury of... Being able to utilize the 160th Hilo Squadron with some of the dead group guys that were down the street for Task Force 17, they kind of opened it up to the teams because there was just so many bad guys in the networks and so much to do. I think that they kind of trusted...

So my first appointment was just purely DAs every night. We had the luxury of... Being able to utilize the 160th Hilo Squadron with some of the dead group guys that were down the street for Task Force 17, they kind of opened it up to the teams because there was just so many bad guys in the networks and so much to do. I think that they kind of trusted...

So my first appointment was just purely DAs every night. We had the luxury of... Being able to utilize the 160th Hilo Squadron with some of the dead group guys that were down the street for Task Force 17, they kind of opened it up to the teams because there was just so many bad guys in the networks and so much to do. I think that they kind of trusted...

the teams, the East Coast teams at that time to conduct DAs, you know, using their assets and stuff for that deployment. So it was like a, it was a special deployment for us.

the teams, the East Coast teams at that time to conduct DAs, you know, using their assets and stuff for that deployment. So it was like a, it was a special deployment for us.

the teams, the East Coast teams at that time to conduct DAs, you know, using their assets and stuff for that deployment. So it was like a, it was a special deployment for us.

Kinetic being a JTAC or kinetic shooting? Just any kinetic. Whichever came first. Yeah, so the very first night was kinetic. We went out on our first op after turning over. And at that point, I was in the back of a Humvee. I'm an assaulter. And we go out for a guy. And... I end up switching into the driver's seat after the op.

Kinetic being a JTAC or kinetic shooting? Just any kinetic. Whichever came first. Yeah, so the very first night was kinetic. We went out on our first op after turning over. And at that point, I was in the back of a Humvee. I'm an assaulter. And we go out for a guy. And... I end up switching into the driver's seat after the op.

Kinetic being a JTAC or kinetic shooting? Just any kinetic. Whichever came first. Yeah, so the very first night was kinetic. We went out on our first op after turning over. And at that point, I was in the back of a Humvee. I'm an assaulter. And we go out for a guy. And... I end up switching into the driver's seat after the op.

So the op was pretty quiet, but there's always shooting on the way in and the way out, just both for the bad guys to sort of recce where we're at. So they would, you know, shoot up in the air just to kind of like identify where we're at in the town, right, to each other. So that was an experience like, oh, shoot, you know, they're not shooting at us, but they are...

So the op was pretty quiet, but there's always shooting on the way in and the way out, just both for the bad guys to sort of recce where we're at. So they would, you know, shoot up in the air just to kind of like identify where we're at in the town, right, to each other. So that was an experience like, oh, shoot, you know, they're not shooting at us, but they are...

So the op was pretty quiet, but there's always shooting on the way in and the way out, just both for the bad guys to sort of recce where we're at. So they would, you know, shoot up in the air just to kind of like identify where we're at in the town, right, to each other. So that was an experience like, oh, shoot, you know, they're not shooting at us, but they are...

you know they're shooting and it's the first time sort of hearing it so yeah and that that target was pretty quiet but on the way out we for sure caught some shots off of roof towards the humvees and stuff and we're like oh shit you know and then by the third night You know, on our way in, we're driving really fast. And on those infills, you know, there's a couple IEDs going off that just miss.

you know they're shooting and it's the first time sort of hearing it so yeah and that that target was pretty quiet but on the way out we for sure caught some shots off of roof towards the humvees and stuff and we're like oh shit you know and then by the third night You know, on our way in, we're driving really fast. And on those infills, you know, there's a couple IEDs going off that just miss.

you know they're shooting and it's the first time sort of hearing it so yeah and that that target was pretty quiet but on the way out we for sure caught some shots off of roof towards the humvees and stuff and we're like oh shit you know and then by the third night You know, on our way in, we're driving really fast. And on those infills, you know, there's a couple IEDs going off that just miss.

And I'm like, oh, shit. So now every time we're driving, I'm looking at trash. I'm looking at everything. I'm like, man, any of this shit can explode at any time. You're just kind of sitting in there going like, let's fucking get there. Hopefully we don't blow up. And it's just a really strange feeling as a new guy on my first, you know.