Payback

The soldier ignored the stinging sweat that made it’s way into his eyes from his furrowed brow and patiently scanned the forest view from the side door of a UH-60A Black Hawk. Bringing his focus to the business end of the M60D machine gun he commanded blurred the tree-tops wizzing past into a nearly solid green mass from which he could more readily spot the enemy. The last six months had been a seemingly never ending onslaught of rain, mud, insects and far too many close calls. He was glad to finally be off the ground, cradled in the helicopter’s belly, with one of the biggest guns standing between him and jungle hell.

His headphones came to life and the pilot’s voice squawked a message about a fresh assignment to provide some heavy firepower at a newly spotted enemy encampment. Finally, the soldier gritted a smile, some payback.