The Year Comes to a Close
It's been up close and personal. Both over there and here at home. I want to thank everyone for their support and for being my "therapy group" during this past year. We've been through a lot together and I hope that I've been able to show you a side of the war you don't get on the 5 PM news.
Our Soldier will be stateside very soon - and home before we know it. He said he has one, maybe two, missions left to perform. He thought he was all done but the Army had other ideas.
My Stryker emails and blog posts will soon come to a close and hopefully will not have to be started up again in six months. I hope to find time to write a few more and tell you what it's like at homecoming but after that... Well, we'll chat about other things.
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We've seen and read a lot...
A little girl named Awara - probably only ten - on the side of the road trading us a Dinar for a Dollar. Barefoot and wearing rags, helping her family toil on the farm without any tools.
Civilians, women and children, throwing rocks at Strykers in the city of Samarra. Hearing the explosion and seeing the smoke rise from the first Stryker lost in battle earlier that same day.
Being rear ended by a bus on a city street, totaling the bus in the process.
Conducting raids and searches on farms and in homes while a half hour away Saddamm is dragged from his hole in the ground.
Making Kool-Aid in water bottles while a fire fight rages outside the Stryker near Rabeea. Walking through a live mine field. Remaining cool and collected. And seeing row upon row of Iraqi weapons waiting to be destroyed. Then watching as the weapon piles are blown up in earth shattering explosions.
Wounding and capturing Iraqi insurgents in a night time ambush on the Syrian border. One insurgent rising up out of the bushes directly in front of our Stryker as we sit in an over watch position.
Visiting the Governor of Nineveh Province and having lunch served - several times. Learning that the Governor died in a car bomb attack.
Escorting Benzene trucks into Iraq from Turkey. Escorting supply trucks from Kuwait into Baghdad. And providing escort for the Republic of Korea Army when they entered the country, 1500 strong - all two time volunteers, once for the ROK Army and again for Iraq.
Patrolling for 48 hours at a crack - trolling for whoop a$$. Driving around waiting for someone to attack. Learning what it takes to drive a 22 ton Stryker at night at 50 MPH staring through a slit window, with only night vision goggles to illuminate the way.
Passing a Humvee on the highway just as it is destroyed by a road side bomb. And not too many days later having a road side bomb go off under our Stryker causing some heavy damage - capturing the perpetrators minutes later. Plus hearing how taking the ditch sometimes saves civilian lives.
Conducting endless hours of sentry duty. Staring out at the city lights during the night. Sitting in the rain or sweating when the sun beats down fiercely. Getting lost in thought staring at a night sky full of more stars than you can imagine. Having to duck when mortar rounds land within feet of our position - feeling the blast wash over us and hearing the metal pelt down on the roof. Learning that if you hear the gun shot you are safe but if you hear the crack of the bullets dive for cover and realizing that if you are hit you'll probably have heard nothing at all.
Almost starting a gun fight with British Special Forces in a case of mistaken identity on a street in Tal Afar. Getting into real gun fights with evil men carrying weapons, not once, but over and over again - losing good friends in the process.
Guns, mortars, rockets, rocket propelled grenades, anti-tank grenades, land mines, road side bombs and car bombs - we've heard about all of them and learned what they are capable of.
Samarra, Rabeea, Tal Afar, Sinjar, Mosul, Dohuk, Baghdad, Balad, Al Kut and Scania - we've heard about these places. Getting the chance to visit them through somebody else's eyes.
Thanks again for coming on this journey with me - can't say it's been a lot of fun but it was really nice to have company.
Our Soldier will be stateside very soon - and home before we know it. He said he has one, maybe two, missions left to perform. He thought he was all done but the Army had other ideas.
My Stryker emails and blog posts will soon come to a close and hopefully will not have to be started up again in six months. I hope to find time to write a few more and tell you what it's like at homecoming but after that... Well, we'll chat about other things.
-----------------------------------------------
We've seen and read a lot...
A little girl named Awara - probably only ten - on the side of the road trading us a Dinar for a Dollar. Barefoot and wearing rags, helping her family toil on the farm without any tools.
Civilians, women and children, throwing rocks at Strykers in the city of Samarra. Hearing the explosion and seeing the smoke rise from the first Stryker lost in battle earlier that same day.
Being rear ended by a bus on a city street, totaling the bus in the process.
Conducting raids and searches on farms and in homes while a half hour away Saddamm is dragged from his hole in the ground.
Making Kool-Aid in water bottles while a fire fight rages outside the Stryker near Rabeea. Walking through a live mine field. Remaining cool and collected. And seeing row upon row of Iraqi weapons waiting to be destroyed. Then watching as the weapon piles are blown up in earth shattering explosions.
Wounding and capturing Iraqi insurgents in a night time ambush on the Syrian border. One insurgent rising up out of the bushes directly in front of our Stryker as we sit in an over watch position.
Visiting the Governor of Nineveh Province and having lunch served - several times. Learning that the Governor died in a car bomb attack.
Escorting Benzene trucks into Iraq from Turkey. Escorting supply trucks from Kuwait into Baghdad. And providing escort for the Republic of Korea Army when they entered the country, 1500 strong - all two time volunteers, once for the ROK Army and again for Iraq.
Patrolling for 48 hours at a crack - trolling for whoop a$$. Driving around waiting for someone to attack. Learning what it takes to drive a 22 ton Stryker at night at 50 MPH staring through a slit window, with only night vision goggles to illuminate the way.
Passing a Humvee on the highway just as it is destroyed by a road side bomb. And not too many days later having a road side bomb go off under our Stryker causing some heavy damage - capturing the perpetrators minutes later. Plus hearing how taking the ditch sometimes saves civilian lives.
Conducting endless hours of sentry duty. Staring out at the city lights during the night. Sitting in the rain or sweating when the sun beats down fiercely. Getting lost in thought staring at a night sky full of more stars than you can imagine. Having to duck when mortar rounds land within feet of our position - feeling the blast wash over us and hearing the metal pelt down on the roof. Learning that if you hear the gun shot you are safe but if you hear the crack of the bullets dive for cover and realizing that if you are hit you'll probably have heard nothing at all.
Almost starting a gun fight with British Special Forces in a case of mistaken identity on a street in Tal Afar. Getting into real gun fights with evil men carrying weapons, not once, but over and over again - losing good friends in the process.
Guns, mortars, rockets, rocket propelled grenades, anti-tank grenades, land mines, road side bombs and car bombs - we've heard about all of them and learned what they are capable of.
Samarra, Rabeea, Tal Afar, Sinjar, Mosul, Dohuk, Baghdad, Balad, Al Kut and Scania - we've heard about these places. Getting the chance to visit them through somebody else's eyes.
Thanks again for coming on this journey with me - can't say it's been a lot of fun but it was really nice to have company.
posted by deesci | 5:07 PM
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