1: July 1, 2009: FOB Dwyer, Afghanistan. Briefing on Operation Khanjar or “strike of the sword.” Echo 2/8s bigger picture objective was to cut off Taliban logistical supply routes coming in from Pakistan. Our company was chosen to go the furtherest south in Helmand.

2. Operation Khanjar was set to become the largest Marine offensive since the Battle of Fallujah in Iraq back in 2004. It would also be the biggest offensive airlift by the Marines since the Vietnam War.

3. Echo Company would fly into Mianposteh, which is on the outskirts of Garmsir in Helmand. There are two main roads that run through the area, which we nicknamed Cowboys and Redskins after the NFL teams. From our position, the Helmand River would be to the west.

4. We were to clear two houses IVO our LZ. These were labeled company objectives 1 & 2. (Note: No one was in the houses when we landed on July 2). 50-75 Taliban strength were expected. We were told the locals “fight for fun” and that the Afghan National Army were better trained.

5. For my platoon, 1st squad was assault. They were to provide overwatch at company objective 1. 2nd squad was support. They were to set up a cordon to the south. For me and my squad, security. We were to set up a cordon to the north and prevent potential Taliban reinforcements.

6. With the briefing complete, we began rehearsals/packing. Here’s a photo of me and my team leader. He’s now a staff sergeant (a lance corporal at the time). Here’s a Marine that served under me. He just finished packing his bag and he’s dreading carrying it (100-120lbs).

7. Tomorrow, Operation Khanjar begins.

8. Lt. Col. Christian Cabaniss, the battalion commander of 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, an infantry unit out of Camp Lejeune, NC, called Echo Company together a day before Operation Khanjar (I'm in there somewhere). This is the "Summer of Decision" speech. Video: Frontline

9. The night before Operation Khanjar, we hiked out to FOB Dwyer's flight line. I remember that night being cold. I got up a few times to find warmth in the porta-potty. I couldn't sleep. The desert winds kicked dirt onto us and our gear throughout the night. Photo: Joe Raedle

10. Every year since July 2, 2009, Marine Col. Christian Cabaniss, now retired, writes a letter to the Marines of 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment. Here’s this years letter.

11. Reveille came early on July 2, 2009 as Echo Company, began to awake from their slumber under the blanket of cool air and the growing anticipation at what the day might bring. As I said, we didn’t get much sleep the night before as a steady stream of dirt rained down onto us.

12. I got up and began to clean my M249 SAW and the rest of my gear. Marines smoked cigarettes or listened to their iPods as CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters started to land in the background at FOB Dwyer. I took out my camera to snap photos of the helos—I was anxious about the day

13. I don't think anyone would have said it at the time, but in the back of everyone's head, there was a feeling that we were heading into a gunfight and some of us might not make it out. Jokes about the cold and the weight of gear we would all have to carry broke the tension.

14. The plan for getting off the helos was simple but difficult. Carry off two full water cases and drop them as soon as you're off the ramp. Then, drop your 100+ pack. Then, set into a defensive position. We landed in a recently plowed field around 7:05 a.m. it was quiet until..

15. When I got off the helo, I was already sweating profusely and the temperature outside was quickly rising into the 90s. Like I said, it was quiet when I first landed but after about 20 minutes on the ground, things changed. Video: Frontline.

16. I knew I was getting shot at and I knew the bullets were close from the snaps and whizzes next to me and over me, but I couldn't tell where I was being shot from. I didn't fire a single round on July 2 out of fear of killing an innocent person who was not in the gunfight.

17. One Marine had been evacuated for mental reasons—he threw down his weapon and tried digging a fighting hole with his hands (not sure if this was rumor or if it occurred) Another Marine from my platoon went down for heat exhaustion. We were running out of water quickly.

18. My team leader and I tried standing up to see where we were being shot from so we could return fire. An individual stepped out and fired a rocket propelled grenade at us. We dove for cover. It flew overhead and almost hit Marines to our rear. I don’t remember the 2nd RPG.

19. As the gunfight continued, the worst happened. @USMC Lance Cpl. Charles Seth Sharp, was shot. @usairforce PJs (Pedro) were called in. I saw a Blackhawk do a hard combat landing, so the PJs could jump off and help. My squad was sent over to provide them security.

20. Marines of 2nd Platoon huddled around Sharp as his blood poured onto the pants of another Marine holding his head. They called out to him to wake up—but he didn’t. They ran Sharp’s limp body down the long dirt road, hoping they could load him onto the helo in time to save him

21. Sharp would bleed out before ever reaching the helicopter. Sharp's parents said the world should see this footage. In 2019, @Dan_Fogelman - the creator of @NBCThisisUs - gave me an opportunity to tell my story. We named one of the characters after Sharp. Video: Frontline.

22. The gunfight ebbed and flowed from 7 a.m. to around 5 p.m., we began digging two-man fighting holes in the prone position with E-Tools. I remember thinking back to SOI that fighting holes were dumb and something out of WWI. I was wrong. Photo: Joe Raedle.

23. As night fell, the Marines were exhausted and dehydrated. Given the security threat, we tried to stay awake all night. It was impossible. A few Marines opened fire as they looked through their night vision. They said afterwards they thought the trees were moving towards them.

24. Two more things of note on July 2, 2009. I broke my Kevlar strap and my team leader fell into a canal. July 3, 2009 tomorrow.

25. Another note on July 2. According to @wikileaks - TIC (Troops in Contact) was declared at 0808 with sporadic fire continuing into the afternoon (2103D is around 4pm - 5pm I believe) Sharp was medically evacuated to FOB Dwyer but later was classified as DOW (died of wounds).

26. (Note: this is my only entry for July 3, so I'm writing from memory) We began to move out of our makeshift fighting holes early on July 3. Everyone was tired. And I would be lying if I didn't say I was scared. Soon, we would be expanding the company's defensive position.

27. Echo Company's leadership set up a makeshift command operating post in one of the two company objectives. The order came down that we needed to clear out the Mianposteh market and expand the defensive posture of Echo company.

28. (Note: VBS TV, today known as @VICE was embedded with Echo company. This screenshot is from one of their documentaries). This photo I think was taken as we began to move into the Mianposteh market. I could be wrong as it was 11-years ago.

29. I don't remember being shot at while clearing out the market but I do recall this firefight that broke out later in the day.

30. End of reporting for July 3, 2009. Later today, July 4, 2009.

31. Here’s the full entry I have for July 4, 2009, so let’s see how much of this day I can piece back together. Note: as the days turned into months, my entries on a given day become longer and more detailed.

32. I remember July 4, 2009 in pieces but what stands out the most—even more than being shot at, was that it was also the first time I had the opportunity to take off my gear since Operation Khanjar kicked off at 0700 on July 2, 2009. This pic is moments after I took off my gear.

33. I believe our squad was tasked with clearing out a few Afghan buildings. This is when I first realized that the door frames in Afghanistan are much smaller than ones back home. This would be our home for the next day or so. (Note: we still didn't have a combat outpost)

34. Our company leadership quickly realized that if we were wanting to be productive, they needed to start trying to get some of the Marines some sleep. The door next to Sgt. Bates (on the left) is the room we first got some sleep in but there's a scary moment......see next tweet

35. My squad got into the room and we started stripping down to our boxers. In the room were these beautiful blankets—tons of them stacked on top of each other (Afghan winters are brutal). We got comfortable and started to drift off to sleep when a huge explosion goes off near by

36. We all jump up and begin to put on our clothes and grab our gear when someone pops their head in to tell us that it was just a controlled detonation by EOD. They were clearing an IED. We all burst into laughter, which really was breaking the tension of the moment.

37. I don't remember me getting shot at, but if I wrote it down it happened. I remember building a shelter with a poncho (mainly for concealment, but it sucked). I remember Dello (my team leader) shooting at muzzle flashes. He was yelling I got PID (positive identification)

38. Dello shooting at the muzzle flashes may be related to this entry I found within the Afghan War Logs.

39. Well, that’s it for July 4, 2009. July 5, 2009 I’ll tell later today. It’s one of the scariest days I had in Afghanistan because not only does it involve combat, it involves one of these

40. July 5, 2009 but first a correction to my combat journal. The photo I posted yesterday when I mentioned it was the first time I took off my gear did occur on July 4, 2009. My combat journal is off by a day, I put it down for July 5, 2009. Now on with the story.

41. As Operation Khanjar trudged on into day 3 for Echo Company, it's important to keep in mind the broader context of where the Afghanistan war is at this point. The offensive was representative of the U.S. military’s new counterinsurgency strategy...cont.

42. The offensive, involving four thousand Marines, was launched in response to a growing Taliban insurgency in the country’s southern provinces, especially Helmand Province...cont

43. The operation focused on restoring government services, bolstering local police forces, and protecting civilians from Taliban incursion, per CFR.

44. So that's the goal of the operation coupled with a desire to improve the deteriorating security situation on the ground before the Afghan elections. As for me, July 5, 2009, started early. I had a patrol at 0400. This log shows that we were trying to clear the area of IEDs.

45. My squad had moved into this ditch within a tree line. We had a series of compounds that needed to be cleared out, but the issue was that a recently plowed field with no cover was in between the ditch and the buildings we needed to clear of enemy fighters.

46. The main concern was getting across the field as quickly as possible to the buildings where there was cover. If a machine gun opens up on us in the field, we're dead.

47. Given the possibility that a gun fight might break out in the field, we had to all get up at once and run aligned to the Marine on the left and right. You wouldn't want to run in front of them because they wouldn't be able to return fire. (FT=Fireteam: 4 men)

48: The stage is now set for one of the scariest days of my life. Up until this point, the combat I've seen has been over distance. If the enemy is in the buildings, it will be up close and personal. And most likely, they will have the jump on us coming through the door.

49. We need to pause the story here for a moment so I can take you back to my childhood. Explaining the backstory will support the severity of what comes next on July 5, 2009.

50. I hate snakes. All snakes. I hate them because I fear them and therefore I want them dead and no where around me. I grew up in Orlando, Fla., and I didn't even like seeing black racers. This hate was infused with other influences that made the fear worse at a young age...cont

51. I grew up in a religious home. My mother was a southern Baptist and my father was lapsed Catholic but he still studied the bible. Snakes were basically Satan or so I was taught. Snakes and Vipers are condemned to Hell, per Matthew 23:33. They also try to make you eat apples.

52. At a young age, I saw an episode of Rescue 911, which was an informational docudrama series hosted by William Shatner from 1989 to 1996. There was this story about a snake hiding in a toilet and biting an unsuspecting individual. I sometimes still check for toilet snakes.

53: My dad then showed me the worst thing I could possibly imagine regarding snakes. It's the one you all know. It's my worst nightmare. I'm not lying when I say that I would rather be in a gun fight than have to deal with a room full of snakes.

54. When I entered the Marine Corps in 2006 and got to my first unit Lima 3/8. My senior leaders found out I had this fear of snakes. On a field op at Camp Lejeune, six of them held me down as I kicked and screamed. They laid a snake on my chest.

55. Keeping all that in mind, jump back to July 5, 2009. We all got up to run across this field. Imagine running on the beach when it's 100+ degrees out. You're on maybe 3-4 hours of sleep and you have 80 pounds on your back knowing that at any moment, a mass shooting could occur

56. So I'm running as fast as I can through this field but I keep staring at this window that I believe a machine gun muzzle is going to pop out of. I then look forward and see this thing I'm running towards on the ground but I can't make out what it is.

57. But before I could fully comprehend what was in front of me, a cobra (I don't know what kind) springs up, his head raising as he fans out his hood to full spread, ready to attack. It was at this point that I began a high pitched scream.

58. I pushed left, bumping into my squad leader who was more focused on getting his squad to the buildings. He didn't see what I saw. He asked me with a four letter word, "what I was doing?" as we continued to run.

59. I said loudly, "There's a snake!" to which he replied, "I don't give a f—k. Keep f—ing running!"

60. My squad reached the buildings. My heart was pounding. Without even thinking, I stacked up on the first door, waiting to feel the bump behind me to go in. I was sure that there was someone inside waiting to shoot me. I felt the bump from the Marine behind me to go in.

61. Due to the size of the door frame, my gear, and everything moving so fast, I went in but got stuck in the doorway, which in close quarters combat is the one place you don't want to be stuck. An internal panic started to build up inside as I tried to free myself.

62. Luckily, no one was in the room. I got out, and rejoined the next stack to clear the next room. I don't remember getting shot at on July 5, 2009 but other members of Echo did. Later, we took a combat halt. I remember being stung by a hornet and thinking, well of course.

63. We patrolled back to the building which served as our temporary base. This photo was taken at 5:15 p.m. on July 5, 2009. That's Lance Cpl. Jeffrey J. Minnick. He made it back from this deployment, but in 2015 at the age of 32, he died in a ATV accident https://frederickbrosfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/368/Jeffrey-Minnick/obituary.html

64. Tomorrow. July 6, 2009. (Note: I think I'm going to stop at July 31, 2009).

65. July 6, 2009 is a special day in the deployment for me. It’s the day we discovered the building which would become our permanent combat outpost, which would be name after Lance Cpl. Sharp, who was killed 4-days earlier on July 2, 2009.

66. Throughout the night and into the morning, helos re-supplied Echo company with water and ammunition. These photos are from a building that became known as OP Palace. The building is directly across from where Combat Outpost Sharp was set up.

67. There's only two things I really remember about OP Palace. 1) We had to dig more 2-man fighting holes outside this building and stay up on watch. Here's my sector of fire. My best friend Butera and I named the buildings in front of us after things from @theofficetv ...cont

68. I remember sitting in the fighting hole, feeling miserable. Butera & I were already questioning what we were doing there amid the sounds from a malnourished cow directly behind our fighting holes. Butera wanted to put out of its misery. It moaned in agony throughout the night

69. The 2nd thing I distinctly remember about OP Palace is that it was the first time I had to come to terms with using the bathroom. I hadn't gone since July 1, 2009. In this building was a concrete block and a hole with flies hovering around it. It was not my finest moment.

70. From OP Palace, we were tasked with going to check out this building that used to be a school for Afghan children. The Taliban took it over and converted it into a recruitment center or that's what I was told. This is the place we would name after Lance Cpl. Sharp.

71. The patrol over to the future Combat Outpost Sharp was easy but it was unbearably hot that day. We found 2 RPGs in the field, just outside the building. Here's some of the first pictures from inside Sharp and before the building and its exterior was transformed.

72. This picture is from August but I wanted to show where Combat Outpost Sharp was in relation to where the Mianposteh market was. I'm standing on a makeshift guard post looking at the market place.

73. End of July 6, 2009.

74. End of thread