|
Letter Home from IRAQ
One of the organizations that I volunteer for is the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. We give MOBS/DEMOBS, Family Days. This letter is from a reservists- now on active duty- in IRAQ. With all the small bothers and overwhelm's in the life of the ordinary citizen (some challenging) imagine your life as a soldier in IRAQ?! I am so lucky to be home with whatever life provides in the moment then in IRAQ with whatever life is providing there- ! Ya Know, this soldier seems well suited for the JOB!
Date: 5/3/2005 7:50:23 PM ( 19 y ) ... viewed 1680 times Subject: Countdown
Howdy Folks,
The weather here is a changing, and not for the better. At the end of
April we gat a taste of what is to come. We had some 110+ degree days
but since then it has cooled off down into the lower nineties. Yes,
after that heat the nineties do feel cool. We had a really big gully
washer a week ago. Flash flooding and tornadoes accompanied the rain.
The regimental colonel, Saber 6, tried to cross a low water crossing
only to have his 1 1/4 ton Hummer get washed off the road bed. Everyone
had a good laugh over that one. Especially, those of us in the Scouts.
We did our job and found a safer crossover but it was too far out of the
way. When will people learn to listen. Everything had turned green in
March and by the end of April everything was brown again. The first
wheat harvests are coming in. Most of the harvesting is done by hand.
Some farmers do have modern equipment but many do not.
We have settled down into SOSO. That is an anacronym for steady-state
operations. SOSO is slow. Our missions have decreased but our
assignments have increased. I'm down to one section of scouts as the R&R
and leave departures began to take an upward spike this last month. So
one section is doing the work of two. The attacks have gone down again
since we turned up the heat in April after they turned up their's. No
real direct attacks against us, mostly against the Iraqi Security Forces
(ISF, Army and Police). I'm afraid the ISF do not take their jobs that
seriously sometimes. They let their guard down and bad things happen. We
are trying to teach them the benefits of constant vigilance. I guess
they'll learn the hard way.
Speaking of the hard way. We came across a mass grave in our AO. This
was apparently on FOX and CNN. It was kept hush-hush until the site was
cleaned up. I only saw it after it was cleaned up. Apparently some one
was improving an old canal where it was discovered. It is about 2
kilometers from an old Sadam military base that was overrun by the Kurds
years ago. Apparently the bodies were dumped in this canal that no one
has used for over ten years. Some bone fragments still dot the floor of
the dry canal and small animals have apparently dug up some other small
bones but not much else is left. Fear still permeates these people.
Every time I stop a vehicle or question an individual they have much
fear in their eyes. When we assure them that they will not be dragged
off never to be heard from again they relax somewhat and in their relief
cooperate very well. Everyone here over the age of ten must know
somebody who was taken away never to be heard from again. Things like
that sti ll happen I'm sure. Not by us of course, but by the AIF
(terrorists) or maybe even the small mafia-like groups that are
everywhere. Yet we are still treated like rock-stars when we roll into
the Kurdish towns. I have some video I'll bring home to show you what it
is like. But unlike rock-stars or movie-stars, we know there is a real
reason for the welcome. Not because we made famous love scene or sang a
lewd song, but because we have brought them light in what was once a
very dark world for them.
We've been visiting schools lately. All the good things that folks back
home have sent us for the children over here are now finding a home. The
guys get a big kick out of it. We very seldom hand things out on the
streets. It causes too much headache for us. The schools is the best
place because we can make sure everyone receives an equal share. They
sit very impatiently at their desks and await the teacher to call them
forward to receive a gift. Our children are so jaded back home. These
kids react to receiving a pencil the way our kids would react to getting
a video game. Of course we give more than pencils so you can imagine the
reaction to that.
Here's a new word for the military lexicon, Fobbit. The "Stars &
Stripes" newspaper recently did an article on this word. We've known
since we got here but it receiving much attention now. In the old days
they we called REMF's. That means, Rear Echelon Mother Fornicator, if
you take my politened version to a more vulgar extreme you'll
understand. You see, there really is no rear area in this war, so there
can be no REMF's. The word Fobbit has replaced it because we live in
FOB's (Forward Operating Base), e.g. FOB Cobra. It is a play on
Tolkien's word Hobbit. They are very similar in description too. Most
are pudgy around the waist, have small imaginations because their world
is small, neither know what goes on in the real world outside the wire
(or Shire), and they think they know what is best for everybody and have
an opinion on everything even if they don't have the facts. Also, they
are timid creatures that love to eat five meals per day and complain at
the lack of qua lity and variety of food, "Chicken again?" I feel
somewhat like Bubba from Forrest Gump, instead of shrimp it's chicken.
We have had chicken cooked a thousand different ways, but none of it is
really bad. I think our cooks do a fabulous job with what they have. A
soldier from WWII would look with awe on the quantity and quality of
food we have. They had things like S**t on a Shingle, at least we don't
have it anywhere near that bad. And I could never imagine living on "C
rations" for any length of time. Your choices were stew, spam, or pork
'n beans, usually cold, with someone shooting at you while you eat. Some
folks will complain about anything.
I've mentioned some things like economic development in other letters.
Today, I have some new things to add. The most hostile town in our AO is
currently building a holiday resort. It is right by the lake and they
hope to make a five star hotel there. Many such things are springing up
everywhere, especially in the Kurdish north. They also have a fledgling
fishing industry there. Yes, they lower a wire net into the lake, hook
it up to a dozen or so cars batteries, the water bubbles and fish come
floating to the top for easy gathering. Only if Peter, James and John
had thought of that their nets may not have burst, oh but wait, they
were to be fishers of men. Speaking of that, I broke a major general
order the other day. I gave out some bibles some folks back home had
sent. We are not supposed to do that, in fact we are expressly forbidden
to proselytize. But, a local guy asked for one and I gave him many to
pass out to whomever he pleases. He was not a Muslim but a follow er of
Zoro-aster. The ancient religion of Persia that predates both
Christianity and Islam. I boast only in the Lord and that some seeds
have been planted that may grow into fruition. The Lord knows they could
use a few more bibles over here.
Well, the good news for today is we are just over half-way through our
deployment. We are starting our countdown to our homecoming. We have
even begun to send stuff to Kuwait for shipment back home. It is all
superfluous stuff but it is a start. That means we don't have to do any
maintenance and that lightens up our load a little. The real planning
for our homecoming has started in earnest. People are going off to
classes and briefings on how to do this and what to expect from this
effort. I can look forward to being on leave during the height of the
head-ache all this will bring. This means I won't have to be deeply
involved. God works in wonderful and mysterious ways and continues to
bless my journey. I really do mean that. He has kept me very safe,
unlike one captain here who has had the sixth IED blow up on him, this
time just five feet from his truck. God has kept him from injury but his
poor crewmen keep getting concussions, but still that is better than
being blow n to bits. I fortunately have not been that close to one and
only one scout has suffered a concussion resulting from an IED
explosion. Anyway, keep praying for all of us because it works. We have
had so many near misses that I feel we may have suffered worse if it
were not for all the prayers supporting us back home. If any of you who
read this are skeptical about Christ, come live here with people who
don't know him, you'll appreciate the change he has wrought in the
Western world. If you can't come, then read the Old Testament, shepherds
and all, and you can get some taste for how they live over here. Christ
came to set man free from sin, I hope they get more of that over here
instead of political freedom. They need the latter, but they need the
former if the latter is ever going to last. Remember, that I am still
safe, still homesick, still miss my wife, my kids and Tennessee.
God Bless, JR
________________________________
9th- I am far more liberal than the writer, and I do believe there is a quotient of ethnocentricity in the tone and religious convictions. But he is doing the job while I am blogging! I am happy for him his faith protects him. I donot agree with all sentiments but do support ANY ONE fighting for the uS-I'm sure they'd rather be home blogging also.
Add This Entry To Your CureZone Favorites! Print this page
Email this page
 Alert Webmaster
|
