Combat soldier

21A, 21A, this is starlight tango time.

00:00 on a cold damp September morning.

Rain and fog was on the ground.

A five man team made ready.

Orders, patrol and guard this war torn town.

Checking out equipment, rifles, ammunition.

Rubber bullets tear gas grenades and Kevlar vests.

Gas up the armored jeep, remove the hardtop.

Make call sign 22A to starlight, radio check.

We joke and smoke the last cigarette.

Time for us to move again.

Departing the base camp 7.62's locked and loaded.

No lights in this fog.

Heading for downtown Belfast.

Call starlight, 21A radio check.

Back roads there's no one in sight.

Hair on the back of my neck tells me someone is watching.

All moves are monitored by the IRA in this town.

Setup the jeep and barriers to block the road.

People and traffic starts to move again, daylight is coming fast.

We joke about bombs and sniper shots that

Always turn atheist back into God-fearing men.

Tension rising as radio calls burst out for help.

One of the teams is in a firefight and needs help.

Bugging out from this location call sign 22A.

Can be there in 3 mikes.

Starlight gives the go-ahead and luck.

Blue lights flashing no stopping racing to the scene.

Fingers on the safety's, call sign 22A on location.

21B is pinned and one man down.

Units from the groups turn up to help.

Helicopters with night lights fly high.

Men on rooftops disappear like ghosts.

All is deathly quiet in this town.

Radio calls return to scheduled duties.

Just one more night in Belfast.

GW