Observation Point Rock in Afghanistan sits a few hundred meters south east of Patrol Base Hassan Abad, where a company from 2/8 U.S. Marines has been stationed for the past seven months. It is a lonely and exposed outpost 20 meters (65ft) above the surrounding landscape, which has been in NATO hands since it was captured from the Taliban in 2008 when it was partially leveled by a missile.
Units of U.S. Marines are posted to guard it, usually for a couple of months at a time, and "the Rock" has acquired a peculiar reputation. American troops widely refer to it as "the haunted Observation Point".
Sergeant Josh Brown, 22, briefed his successor when a detachment of men from Golf Company was swapped for an incoming contingent from Fox Company, he warned of the strange atmosphere and inexplicable phenomena that plagued OP Rock."The local people say this is a cursed place," he said. "You will definitely see weird-ass lights up here at night." There is talk of members of the Taliban entombed in caves below; the bodies buried on the summit are identified confidently as dead Russian soldiers from the failed Soviet invasion.
Corporal Jacob Lima's story is the latest addition, one night he was woken by the sound of screaming. It was Corporal Zolik, a Marine who has since been moved to a unit further south."When I got there he said that he was sitting there when he heard a voice whisper something in his ear. He said it sounded like Russian. He begged me to stay in there with him till he was relieved from guard duty. After that he really didn't like standing post up there," Corporal Lima, 22, told the men taking over from him.
The Marine's predecessors, a unit of Welsh Guards, also reported paranormal experiences, the Brits claimed to see strange things, hear noises, Corporal Lima said "Lots of them said it's creepy at night, especially from midnight till 4 a.m. You see a lot of unexplained lights through night-vision goggles."
"This place really sucks," said Lance Corporal Austin Hoyt, 20, putting his pack on to return to the main base. "The Afghans say it's haunted, stick a shovel in anywhere and you'll find bones and bits of pottery. This place should be in National Geographic, they say the Russians occupying forces up here were executed by the Mujahidin."
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