European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 10, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pages stars and St ripes july 2on spartans think fast during militant attack dusk firefight at vulnerable Afghanistan base leaves one wounded by Mark stars and stripes fire base Afghanistan the firefight lasted an and by the thankfully Only one Man was just before 8 24 men from the 2nd 503rd Parachute infantry regi ments company spartan Pla Toon were hit hard from multiple locations by Small arms and rocket propelled grenade with the spartans were 12 afghan National army troops and two american sitting almost meters High on a Steep Hill in the Koran Gal River Valley in Eastern of above the towns of a Ali bad and Phoe Nix might not Rise far its surrounded on All sides by Hills and Ridge lines almost 250 meters fire on sunday was coming from the East and and from near places Nick named table nipple Rock and Hon Cho intelligence from the Pla Toon of 10th Mountain Divi Sion infantry whom the spartans said enemy fighters farther up the Val Ley liked to attack at after being on Phoenix nearly two months and seeing Only one Small burst of enemy fire on the some of the spartans had begun to wonder whether having every Man pulling Security was Worth but sure 10 minutes be fore the troops manned their Posi All hell broke running to get their helmets and body men were Don Ning each others protecting themselves As soon As hit immediately was staff Ramon a 32yearold father of four and the spartan third squad wounded in the head and left pinned Down by fire and too dazed to he Man Down Man Down and waited for As bullets made the dust around their feet come Daniel closely Fol Lowed by Aron picked up Padilla and moved him under he was my squad Leader and he was Richardson humbly said i didst think about he was in the open pinned i needed to move him to cover and get him treat up and talking the entire shortly after receiving first Aid from his Padilla was on his Way Down ii he was my squad Leader and he was i didst think about he was in the open pinned i needed to move him to cover and get him Daniel Richardson after pulling his wounded staff Ramon under cover the in route to Jala Labad air Field and the 173rd air borne brigade combat team medical assets in the con trolled chaos that followed padillas re the men began sorting out whose weapon or helmet was whose and re supplying each other with ammo and every Man firing hundreds of As platoon Leader 1st Matt was calling Back to com Pany Headquarters and watching from staff Matthew the second squad Leader and senior enlisted Man led the men on the lower portion of the Piosa said because Many of the spartan senior enlisted leaders including the platoon sergeant were away on other men like and Brendan stepped up and took being hit that hard that photos by Mark and stripes above a cot lies destroyed after Rifle fire ripped through a nearby Wall monday during a firefight at fire base Phoenix in the Koran Gal River top right spartan platoons painted by Vinny adorns a Wall in the room that was damaged during the right Carl cleans his hours after he and other members of his platoon came under intense everything was Simon but that How it goes Down with a situation like we everyone handled it for More than two hours after the and under cover of dark the men with Simon monitored draws and spurs with night vision looking for enemy when men carry ing flickering flashlights were seen so meters from Phoenix and in locations enemy fighters have been Simon was Given the godhead to Tell his men to the lights went it was Only the second time Phoenix has been hit directly since the spartans moved though the men have taken fire on Many of their because of the the spar tans said its almost impossible to Tell How Many enemy fighters there were or still Are in the Val and that its relatively easy for them to crawl up Over a Ridgel Ine and Spray and Pray or make More coordinated efforts like those Simon said because some re cent spartan patrols have been in you want to seethe territory the enemies deem their they might be becoming More and even though the militants wounded Only one radio chatter might claim they killed As Many As 45 to boost their As Phoenix is the southernmost outpost for company its in one of the most dangerous Padilla is the second spartan who has been Timothy the son of 173rd sergeant major com Mand isaia was killed on june email Mark  we show you every read it before you go