Envoy en route to investigate pieces pulled from Tigris river suspected to be weapons parts sold to Iraq, from Russia, was under fire 20 km North of Ramadi. The whole experience play thru my head in slow motion, right down to smelling the transmission fluid leaking from the overturned vehicle in front of us, to everything that happened thereafter.

Spent 21 days stuck in Vlora, Albania - originally there on NAVCENTCOMM mission in Gjader, in Lezhe. Missed Silver Wake evac, spent 12 days hiding, was manually extracted. The AK-47 gunfire, the riots, the cannons, the fire, the screams, the glass breaking.

There were other experiences that give me great pause, like just having to watch the streets for fire, and keep cover.