Hammer
02-24-2005, 02:13 PM
From Adam, and unlike anything I've read in the news. This is the real deal guys, and I love this insight. Keep praying for this guy. Thanks!
Dear Mom and Dad,
I know I haven't written in awhile, sorry about that. Things
just seem to keep coming up. But there's good news though. We've really
started to turn over some of the responsibility to the Iraqi forces here. I know I told you a little bit about it earlier, but now we're really starting
to see it.
The problem is that we have to take them to and from the
objectives. They have trucks, but they don't go anywhere without an escort. So basically we end up making the trip but don't get any of the action.
But
the good part is that getting them to be responsible for themselves is
really what we have to do to be able to come home. They are still
pretty
dangerous to be around, but we just step aside and let them handle
themselves. I've found that they're always tardy, and keep us waiting
all
the time, but hopefully that will get better. Its been raining again,
and
I
saw something that just made me laugh the other day. A bunch of the
Kurds
were wearing ponchos out in the rain. It might not seem out of the
ordinary, but what is he going to do when he has to reload his rifle?
He's
> > > going to have to try to get under that thing, and when you're in a
hurry
> > to
> > > get ammo that's the last thing you want to have to mess with. We just
> sit
> > > back and laugh at some of the things these guys do. Last night we
were
> > > patrolling for curfew enforcement, and stopped a car in this tight
> little
> > > neighborhood. The driver gets out of the car with his hands up,
> obviously
> > > scared out of his mind. Which is a good thing, and normal. The ones
> you
> > > have to worry about are the ones that aren't scared. But the poor guy
> had
> > > little kids with him, and the Kurds were all yanking them out of the
car
> > at
> > > gunpoint. At that point we intervened, because the poor kids were
> > > horrified. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a big fan of any of these
> > people
> > > over here, and anyone violating the curfew should be searched, but
there
> > is
> > > a fine line between roughing up a troublemaker, and understanding that
> > some
> > > people just have to break curfew for one reason or another. These
were
> > just
> > > little kids, ya know? These guys are on a real power trip. Generally
> > > someone like that we disable their car and throw them in the Stryker.
> We
> > > won't detain them unless they've done something wrong, but usually
we'll
> > > drive them all the way across the city and throw them out. I know it
> > sounds
> > > pretty mean, but its at night that they plant the bombs and set up
> > ambushes,
> > > so I don't feel the least bit bad. But we couldn't do that to these
> poor
> > > crying little girls, so we let them on their way.
> > > A pretty big weapons cache was found yesterday. It was the
fabled
> > trap
> > > door under the rug thing like you see in the movies. Some guys from A
> co.
> > > were searching a house and heard a creek in the floor. They turned
over
> a
> > > rug and sure enough, there was a door. They found RPGs, mortars,
> AK-47s,
> > > ammo, money, and recruiting CDs. Plus they detained three guys that
had
> > > been launching mortars at us. Not a bad days work.
> > > Dad, about the medicine, they don't really give us much anymore.
> Of
> > > course before we left they shot us full of anything and everything you
> can
> > > imagine. You get to the point where you don't even ask what the
> medicine
> > > they're sticking you with is, you just hand them your paperwork and
let
> > them
> > > do their thing. We were on malaria pills for awhile, but have stopped
> > > taking them. You would think we would be on a lot of meds with how
> nasty
> > > this country is, but we're staying pretty healthy. I mean a bug will
go
> > > around for awhile, just like back in the states, but we've got medics
> that
> > > help us out with that stuff. They've got all the medicines that they
> > would
> > > back home. Even tums and cold medicine and stuff.
> > > Alright well I'm off. Time to hit the hay. Love you both and
hope
> > to
> > > hear from you.
Dear Mom and Dad,
I know I haven't written in awhile, sorry about that. Things
just seem to keep coming up. But there's good news though. We've really
started to turn over some of the responsibility to the Iraqi forces here. I know I told you a little bit about it earlier, but now we're really starting
to see it.
The problem is that we have to take them to and from the
objectives. They have trucks, but they don't go anywhere without an escort. So basically we end up making the trip but don't get any of the action.
But
the good part is that getting them to be responsible for themselves is
really what we have to do to be able to come home. They are still
pretty
dangerous to be around, but we just step aside and let them handle
themselves. I've found that they're always tardy, and keep us waiting
all
the time, but hopefully that will get better. Its been raining again,
and
I
saw something that just made me laugh the other day. A bunch of the
Kurds
were wearing ponchos out in the rain. It might not seem out of the
ordinary, but what is he going to do when he has to reload his rifle?
He's
> > > going to have to try to get under that thing, and when you're in a
hurry
> > to
> > > get ammo that's the last thing you want to have to mess with. We just
> sit
> > > back and laugh at some of the things these guys do. Last night we
were
> > > patrolling for curfew enforcement, and stopped a car in this tight
> little
> > > neighborhood. The driver gets out of the car with his hands up,
> obviously
> > > scared out of his mind. Which is a good thing, and normal. The ones
> you
> > > have to worry about are the ones that aren't scared. But the poor guy
> had
> > > little kids with him, and the Kurds were all yanking them out of the
car
> > at
> > > gunpoint. At that point we intervened, because the poor kids were
> > > horrified. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a big fan of any of these
> > people
> > > over here, and anyone violating the curfew should be searched, but
there
> > is
> > > a fine line between roughing up a troublemaker, and understanding that
> > some
> > > people just have to break curfew for one reason or another. These
were
> > just
> > > little kids, ya know? These guys are on a real power trip. Generally
> > > someone like that we disable their car and throw them in the Stryker.
> We
> > > won't detain them unless they've done something wrong, but usually
we'll
> > > drive them all the way across the city and throw them out. I know it
> > sounds
> > > pretty mean, but its at night that they plant the bombs and set up
> > ambushes,
> > > so I don't feel the least bit bad. But we couldn't do that to these
> poor
> > > crying little girls, so we let them on their way.
> > > A pretty big weapons cache was found yesterday. It was the
fabled
> > trap
> > > door under the rug thing like you see in the movies. Some guys from A
> co.
> > > were searching a house and heard a creek in the floor. They turned
over
> a
> > > rug and sure enough, there was a door. They found RPGs, mortars,
> AK-47s,
> > > ammo, money, and recruiting CDs. Plus they detained three guys that
had
> > > been launching mortars at us. Not a bad days work.
> > > Dad, about the medicine, they don't really give us much anymore.
> Of
> > > course before we left they shot us full of anything and everything you
> can
> > > imagine. You get to the point where you don't even ask what the
> medicine
> > > they're sticking you with is, you just hand them your paperwork and
let
> > them
> > > do their thing. We were on malaria pills for awhile, but have stopped
> > > taking them. You would think we would be on a lot of meds with how
> nasty
> > > this country is, but we're staying pretty healthy. I mean a bug will
go
> > > around for awhile, just like back in the states, but we've got medics
> that
> > > help us out with that stuff. They've got all the medicines that they
> > would
> > > back home. Even tums and cold medicine and stuff.
> > > Alright well I'm off. Time to hit the hay. Love you both and
hope
> > to
> > > hear from you.