A Team Disrupted by Loss
During the second year of the Iraq War, Bravo Company’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team faced a devastating setback. While attempting to neutralize an improvised explosive device (IED) using a robot, the mechanism carrying the charge failed. Staff Sergeant Matthew Thompson stepped in to manually place the explosive. In the final moments of the operation, an Iraqi insurgent used a cell phone to detonate the IED, killing Thompson instantly. The incident left Specialist Owen Eldridge haunted, burdened by guilt over his inability to prevent the explosion by eliminating the suspected triggerman.
Thompson’s death led to the arrival of a new team leader, Staff Sergeant William James. From the start, his methods created tension. James preferred to handle explosives personally and often operated without informing his team of his intentions. During one mission, he deployed smoke grenades to obscure Sanborn’s view before approaching and defusing an IED. The device was rendered safe only seconds before an insurgent could activate it with a battery. In another tense operation, James insisted on defusing a car bomb against Sanborn’s wishes, removing his headset in defiance and making a rude gesture. These actions left Sanborn increasingly frustrated and alarmed.
Clashes in the Field
Concerned for the team’s safety, Sanborn confided in Eldridge, even suggesting the idea of fragging James—an informal term for killing a superior perceived as a threat. This conversation occurred while they were disposing of surplus ordnance outside the base. Though never acted upon, the moment underscored the volatile dynamic growing within the team.
Their tension was interrupted when they encountered five armed individuals dressed in Iraqi clothing standing beside an SUV with a flat tire. The standoff shifted when the group revealed themselves as British private military contractors. While assisting with the tire, the group was ambushed by sniper fire. Three contractors were killed before James and Sanborn assumed counter-sniping positions. They successfully eliminated three of the attackers. Eldridge contributed by killing a fourth insurgent attempting a flank.
Later, a raid on a warehouse revealed a body embedded with explosives. James believed the remains belonged to a local boy named Beckham, who often sold DVDs and played soccer near the base. During evacuation, Lieutenant Colonel John Cambridge, the base psychiatrist and Eldridge’s counselor, was killed by an explosion. The incident further rattled Eldridge, deepening his trauma.
Breaking from Protocol
Unable to let go of the discovery, James left base alone and forced one of Beckham’s associates at gunpoint to lead him to the boy’s home. Instead, he was taken to the home of a university professor, with no connection to the boy. James fled, shaken by his misjudgment.
Shortly afterward, the team responded to a tanker explosion. James chose to pursue the insurgents responsible, despite objections from Sanborn. Once they split up during the pursuit, Eldridge was captured. James and Sanborn managed to rescue him, but not before Eldridge sustained a gunshot wound to the leg. The following morning, Beckham reappeared alive. James passed by him without acknowledgment. Before being evacuated for medical treatment, Eldridge blamed James for his injury, accusing him of recklessness.
Final Test in a War Zone
On the last day of their rotation, the team was called to a situation involving a suicide bomber. The man had been strapped with explosives against his will. James worked frantically to release the locks, but time ran out. Unable to save him, the team retreated moments before the device detonated. Shaken by the experience, Sanborn reflected on his mortality. He admitted that, aside from his parents, no one would have mourned his death. Expressing a desire for a different life, he shared his wish to leave the service and start a family.
Home and the Pull of War
When Bravo Company’s rotation concluded, James returned to the United States. He reunited with his ex-wife Connie and their infant son, attempting to reintegrate into civilian life. However, the ordinary routines of home offered little comfort. In a quiet moment, James confided in his son that he knew of only one thing he truly loved.
Soon after, James re-deployed to Iraq, beginning another year-long tour of duty with Delta Company. The war, though dangerous and unpredictable, had become the one constant in his life—both a calling and a burden he could not abandon.
