Chief Warrant Officer 2 John Hayes speaks with 173rd Airborne Brigade soldiers in Vicenza, Italy, on July 1, 2024, about the 2008 Battle of Wanat in Afghanistan. (Jennifer French/U.S. Army)

VICENZA, Italy — The Battle of Wanat began before dawn with a short burst of rapid machine gun fire, followed by continuous volleys of rocket-propelled grenades launched from all sides toward Chosen Company’s outpost in the rural Wanat Valley.

Nearly four hours of combat followed. Chosen Company’s 49 paratroopers and 24 Afghan soldiers forced approximately 200 Taliban fighters to break contact and withdraw, but not before nine Americans died and many were wounded.

On Monday, two paratroopers who fought in the July 13, 2008, battle shared their recollections as part of discussions designed to keep the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s history fresh for current “sky soldiers.”

Col. Matthew Myer and Chief Warrant Officer 2 John Hayes said the fight came down to quick decision-making.

“One thing tactically that really helped us was we moved our forces ... down to be more accessible,” said Myer, who was the company’s commander. “That helped us have redundant communications.

“The second thing was we could resupply ourselves by ground. We set the battlefield and it enabled us to reinforce, and we never lost communications.”

Their talk to an audience of around 100 paratroopers was part of the Leaders Legacy series, which has been running since January. Myer and Hayes stressed the importance of training, even when war isn’t imminent.

Col. Matthew Myer, center, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 John Hayes, right, share lessons learned from the Battle of Wanat with members of the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy, on July 1, 2024, in advance of their Saber Junction training. At left is Capt. Rob Koontz, who was moderating. (Jennifer French/U.S. Army)

A 173rd Airborne Brigade soldier asks a question of Col. Matthew Myer and Chief Warrant Officer 2 John Hayes during a discussion in Vicenza, Italy, on July 1, 2024, about the Battle of Wanat in Afghanistan. (Jennifer French/U.S. Army)

Then-Capt. Matthew Myer and 1st Sgt. Scott Beeson in Parun, Afghanistan, in June 2007. Now a colonel, Myer and Chief Warrant Officer John Hayes shared their experiences during the July 2008 Battle of Wanat with current 173rd Airborne Brigade paratroopers on July 1, 2024. (U.S. Army)

Troops of Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade in contact with the enemy prepare to return fire at Combat Outpost Bella, Afghanistan, in 2008. Harassment attacks on COP Bella followed the publicized announcement of Bella's closure, prior to the unit's move to Wanat. (U.S. Army)

Then-Sgt. Ryan Pitts takes a break from building a traffic control point northeast of Combat Outpost Bella, Afghanistan, spring 2008. Pitts was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Wanat in July 2008. (U.S. Army)

“Never underestimate the importance of the service you’re in,” Myer said. “You might think, ‘We’re a peacetime army; we’re just training.’ Good leaders know how to emphasize how important the job is that we do. The more you can do that, the better you’ll be prepared.”

The presentation served as a prelude to the brigade’s trip to Germany in September for the biannual Saber Junction training exercise.

Repetition is key to building the experience and confidence needed in combat, Myer and Hayes told the paratroopers. Training is also crucial to identifying informal leaders who can step up in a crisis situation, they said.

During the battle, Hayes was thrown into the role of communicating with unfamiliar people, such as the battalion commander and medevac helicopter crews.

“We’re about to go on patrol. I’m getting my gear ready, then catastrophic destruction occurs,” he said. “It took a minute to go from complete fear to making decisions.”

He suggested that leaders add stressful challenges in training, such as taking away supplies that soldiers would normally have, but not taking that to excess.

“We faced overwhelming firepower and mass casualty,” Hayes said. “But we were tested on a level where we were able to handle it. If you had done that to us in month two of our collective training, it would have been too much.”

The unit fought off a much larger Taliban force, but with great sacrifice.

The battle’s death toll would led to criticism from some parents of the fallen, congressional scrutiny and a 274-page report by the Army’s Combat Studies Institute. In 2009, the Army reprimanded two senior leaders and Myer, who was also awarded a Silver Star, which is the third-highest decoration for valor in combat. The reprimands were revoked a year later after a higher-level Army review.

Several members of the company, which is part of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, were honored for their actions that day at Vehicle Patrol Base Kahler. They include Staff Sgt. Ryan M. Pitts, who was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Pitts fought on while grievously injured at an isolated observation post, throwing “cooked grenades” with little time until detonation at the enemy, while eventually helping Myer guide airstrikes, according to official Army accounts.

On Monday, Myer and Hayes also emphasized the importance of taking the time to build friendships, while enjoying their time in Italy.

“If you have a second every now and then, just realize you could be in the good old days right now,” Hayes said. “It doesn’t necessarily feel like that, but all of my big moments as a young adult happened here.

“I didn’t realize it at the time. When things are not as great as you want them to be, you could still be in some of the best years of your life. Try not to take it for granted.”

Both said their bond with others in the 173rd helped them not only during the battle but also in the years after it. Myer called that July day in Wanat the hardest day of his life.

“It was the hardest day for a lot of people,” he said. “I got to be with Chosen Company, train with them, learn through combat with them, and then on the toughest day, see people perform and act with bravery.

“But it came at an incredible cost, and it’s so hard to deal with. You think about it all the time. It’s not something that goes away, ever.”

holland.rebecca@stripes.com @_RebeccaHolland