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The three-hour journey was made mostly in silence. Many of the troops slept, knowing that we would be awake for the rest of the night. We approached the jungle from the southeast with lights off, the drivers using night-vision goggles. At the designated area, we exited the four transport trucks and melted into the jungle. The four trucks would fall back along with the command vehicle, while the APC’s spread out in search of concealment.
At first the going was easy, but after a while the vegetation became denser, slowing us down considerably. Our night-vision equipment gave our surroundings an eerie greenish hue, while the muggy jungle air was filled with the sounds of various nocturnal creatures. My biggest fear was snakes, of which this particular jungle held many poisonous varieties
