“Lieutenant Easton Wyler,” Vance said out loud.

He lowered the letter and looked at me over the top of his glasses.

“Merrick.

Were you with Joint Task Force East in Helmand Province back in 2017?”

“I was EOD lead on that rotation,” I said.

Vance gave one slow, deliberate nod.

“I remember the compound clearance call outside Sangin.

My team was stuck behind a mud wall until your squad cleared the way in.”