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2011 Third Squad

Location:
Patrol Base Fires, Sangin District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan

Unit:
3rd Squad, 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines

Name and Rank: Lance Corporal Brian Shearer

Age: 20

Hometown: Rapid City, South Dakota

Why did you join the Marine Corps?

"I joined the Marine Corps because that’s all I ever wanted to do, even ever since I was a little kid. It’s just, I feel like everybody should serve. Everyone lives in America and a lot of people take it for granted, what they have, and don’t do anything about it. And so I think, I joined because it’s just my way of being able to give back to being able to live in a free country."

What do you think about the Taliban?

"They’re good at what they do. They know how to emplace their IEDs. They know how to attack from multiple positions, and they’re really able to maneuver on you, but mainly because they can blend in with the populace. I mean, they’ve been fighting forever, so it’s nothing you wouldn’t expect."

What's the hardest part about being out here?

"Definitely the hardest part about being out here is watching your friends get killed or altered for the rest of their life. That’s definitely the hardest part."

Describe the rigors of patrolling:

"Patrolling, just, you do what you gotta do. You just get wet a lot. Hygienically, you’re constantly dirty. Everyone’s bodies are constantly messed up in some way. Everyone’s got foot problems and all sorts of body problems . . .

. . . you get really bad trench foot from being in water all day and then you stay in your socks and you can never get your feet dry or clean."

What will you tell people about what you saw out here?

"I won’t tell anybody anything, I mean, nobody really . . . nobody wants to know what anybody saw or did out here. If you really wanna know about it enough you should come out here and do it yourself. They may wanna know, but I don’t think anybody really deserves to know because they weren’t ou

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Sangin_Shearer_C.jpg
Copyright
@ Elliott D. Woods 2011
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Third Squad
Location:<br /> Patrol Base Fires, Sangin District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan<br /> <br /> Unit: <br /> 3rd Squad, 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines<br /> <br /> Name and Rank: Lance Corporal Brian Shearer<br /> <br /> Age: 20<br /> <br /> Hometown: Rapid City, South Dakota<br /> <br /> Why did you join the Marine Corps?<br /> <br /> "I joined the Marine Corps because that’s all I ever wanted to do, even ever since I was a little kid. It’s just, I feel like everybody should serve. Everyone lives in America and a lot of people take it for granted, what they have, and don’t do anything about it. And so I think, I joined because it’s just my way of being able to give back to being able to live in a free country."<br /> <br /> What do you think about the Taliban?<br /> <br /> "They’re good at what they do. They know how to emplace their IEDs. They know how to attack from multiple positions, and they’re really able to maneuver on you, but mainly because they can blend in with the populace. I mean, they’ve been fighting forever, so it’s nothing you wouldn’t expect."<br /> <br /> What's the hardest part about being out here?<br /> <br /> "Definitely the hardest part about being out here is watching your friends get killed or altered for the rest of their life. That’s definitely the hardest part."<br /> <br /> Describe the rigors of patrolling:<br /> <br /> "Patrolling, just, you do what you gotta do. You just get wet a lot. Hygienically, you’re constantly dirty. Everyone’s bodies are constantly messed up in some way. Everyone’s got foot problems and all sorts of body problems . . .<br /> <br /> . . . you get really bad trench foot from being in water all day and then you stay in your socks and you can never get your feet dry or clean."<br /> <br /> What will you tell people about what you saw out here?<br /> <br /> "I won’t tell anybody anything, I mean, nobody really . . . nobody wants to know what anybody saw or did out here. If you really wanna know about it enough you should come out here and do it yourself. They may wanna know, but I don’t think anybody really deserves to know because they weren’t ou