Winning Hearts and Minds

Comment by LL on his blog prompted a memory. http://symbolic-mirage.blogspot.com/

LLOctober 31, 2019 at 8:34 AM

I should sail across the pond with a hold full of really nasty sling shots - you know the wrist rockets with ball bearing ammo, land in the dead of night and haul the crates up the beach. You could modify them to fire cream pies (in the face) or just keep the ball bearing ammo. I wonder if they're illegal in Old Blighty?

I put together a “Care” package for my son while he was deployed to Kandahar. Among other items was a wrist rocket. As a teener, he got in lots of trouble with one. I thought he might hunt rats. No, he and his buddies repurposed it for winning hearts and minds.

They had a supply of Jolly Rancher hard candies to pass out to the local kids to build good will. Since the local kid’s favorite activity was throwing rocks as our vehicles passed, the wrist rocket was used to give them candy, usually a head shot.

He didn’t bring the wrist rocket back with him so it still might be in Kandahar and being used to win hearts and minds.

Care Packages

Greybeard at Pitchpull http://pitchpull.blogspot.com/2013/09/mail-call.html  talks about “Care Packages” received and one’s he plans to send. Though I might share what pleased my son and his buddies while my son was at Kandahar.

Along with the usual stuff, I sent him a wrist rocket. He had a lot of fun with one as a young teen. Thought he could plink rodents or just targets. Instead, he and his buddies employed it for a “Hearts and Minds” effort.

Seems they had a supply of Jolly Rancher hard candies that they would give to the Afghan kids as a friendly gesture. Seems the kids like to throw rocks and feces at our people in the guard tower, and especially the gunners in open turrets as the convoys moved along the roads. You can probably see where this is going.

The wrist rocket was used to dispense the hard candies to any kid that got too close, like close enough to throw something. My son tells me it was quite effective, especially head shots. Hey! The kids got candy!

The wrist rocket stayed in Kandahar when he came home. I’m not sure just how the use of the wrist rocket fit into the R.O.E., but I’m proud of my tiny contribution to the downrange effort and troop morale.

Yes, I know, used this material last year. 

Son in Afghanistan

A recent picture he sent. I'm happy he has decent quarters. Look at the condition of his issued weapon. Looks battered. I know he maintains it diligently. Note the carabineer on the butt stock. As a medic, he needs his hands free. Must work better than a sling. Damn, that M4 looks crappy.

Afghanistan Blogger

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