This is my lucky Afghan dollar. It is quite worthless as currency, but it is very lucky. I say this based on absolutely zero logic beyond my personal history with this dollar.

It was August 2013,I was on a COP near FOB Azzizulah (spelling? IDGAF) walking to the ANA shopette on the other side of my T Wall protection barrier (the one that protected us from our partner forces, it was very partnerly), it was my last week on the COP and I needed some smokes before we pulled thr plug ($10 a carton for pines was hard tompass on). As I arrived at the shopette (basically a plywood phone booth) and made my purchase, I decided to rip open the first pack and share out with the ANA soldiers that were hanging out while my translator did his best to lie to me (he was nice about it). As I was lighting up I saw a bizarre looking piece of pinkish paper flutter by and picked up "holy shit!" I exclaimed "what a waste of paper!" Translator translates then adds some lie on the end, but it gets a chuckle. Then one of the ANA soldiers points at the dollar then at me, translator translates "you should keep for good luck he says" so I pocket it, why not?

Next morning we rise at the wonderful hour of 0330 to prep for our last patrol. The commander has a special day planned, we were to drive all the way across our AO to the shittiest ANCOP controlled territory where I would proceed to call up a quick ROZ and then the company would take turns shooting 60mm mortars at known ammo caches in a poppy field. It was a good time, we all had a good laugh when one of the 11C's landed a round top dead center on a massive pile of sticks that then provided a secondary detonation big enough for battalion to call us and ask why we were shooting 120s. I know I enjoyed that chat with the Battalion S3.

Well fun over we pack up and trundle on back, riding in the commander's Stryker. He decided to finish up in front (changed position of his truck every convoy as though it didn't have 4 COM203s sticking up). As we were closing in on the snake turn in the road before the 90 degree left back to safety the ANA trucks pull off road to the front and brake check the convoy, we herringbone, commander tries to ask what's up and then the gunner on the truck to our rear takes a PKM round to the helmet (he lived, just some horrendous whiplash) so now the two trucks that herringboned left get in line and light up a tree stand where we spot the shooters. Finally catching a moment we ask the translator why the fuck our ANA halted us in an ambush. The ANA 1sg (I called him shovels cause he liked to beat prisoners with his shovel) comes out and points at the ground immediately behind our truck, we drop ramp and shovels holds up a piece of wire with split end, then points back at where our truck had been on the road before they break checked us, and peaking out of the ground was a sketchy looking cheese wheel. Turned out the mine roller on the Stryker cut the wire (you gotta bury it 12" I always say, no cutting corners) and we drove harmlessly over 150 pounds of HME.

I dunno if the mineroller really cut that wire or if Taliban hired scabs during a union strike to do the road work, but I sure as shit was glad I had the fucking lucky dollar.

The end.