I'm not exactly a new Combat engineer. Actually I did my time between 1992 and 2000 but i do have a bit of a funny story that happened on a training exercise.

It took Place in what we affectionately refered to as the Yak, Yakima, Washington. We had been up for about four days straight we where sent on a road crater mission at about three in the morning. It was the dumbest idea anyone in command had ever had. Since we were not allowed to blow a real road they had two squads pull off on the side of the road, set up about forty pounds of C-4 each and when they gave the signal let it go, two minute time fuse. I was in second squad and we went out with first squad to set our charges. It was one of those nights were everything seemed to be going wrong. First we got the go ahead, then half way there we were called back, then we were sent again, made it to the righht spot and the changed the location. We finally made it to the proper location and set our charges. Since it was rather informal we conducted our selves rather informal. Instead of all the normal precautions we just dropped the ramp of our APC, set the charge down and waited. We attempted to contact the LT for the go ahead several times but couldn't get through. We waited and waited then suddenly first squad about twenty feet off our rear loads up in to their APC and leaves. It didn't dawn on us they wouldn't leave without lighting their fuse. Not until abour a minute and a half later when our squad leader gets this weird look on his face and walks over to where they dropped their charge. I have never seen anybody run that fast. He came hauling back to our track screaming the entire time to pull the fuse and load up. I was the driver and had pretty much figured out the problem. As soon as the ramp was off the ground about an inch I dropped it in gear and laid on the gas raising the ramp as I drove. I was looking over my shoulder to see when the ramp was up when the first charge blew. It was the prettiest fire ball I had ever seen and due to the course we had to take it wasn't more then thirty feet off our tail. Everyone in he track saw it and one new guy almost wet himself. I was pelted in the helmet by several peices of dirt and rock. When we got down the road a bit more the second charge went. The First Squad showed up. They had made it to the minimum safe distance before they realized we were not following them. They kept waiting for us to show up and had started to get worried. When the first charge blew they had seen our outline in the blast and panicked starting back for us. All in all in was a pretty amusing evening. I ronically there was a comet in the sky that everyone kept saying was bad luck. I Think it was good luck that night.