As you all might know, the elections are 31 JAN 09 (tomorrow). Well either way its good to get it all over with, then on to the next big mission. but just so all of you know, regardless of who gets elected, Sunni, Shea, Kurd, or mix of them all, if all parties vote, we will have done our job. Allowing the people to even have the right to vote is a mission complete. Last elections many parties, namely Sunni, boycotted and many others were threatened not to support the elections by voting. If the people are able to contribute to the establishment of the government, regardless of creed, religion, or status, the elections have been a success.
In the south Nineveh area there are several security issues and some believe it is the last hold of terrorism in the country. pray for those in command to make the right decisions. to make choices that are best for the nation and not for self greed and hate. This is my prayer and what i work for while serving in Iraq. to do my best to make bad men good and good men better.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
wrong place to break down...
Ok - I forgot to tell you about the second wrong place, wrong time event.
We were driving a 3 vehicle convoy through mosul, i was commander of the lead vehicle when i determined that it was in our best interest to cut through the city and change up our route. This is tactic used commonly as a way to throw off insurgents from patterns, limiting their ability to predict your movement and denying them the ability to fix you in time and space. anyway. We were in an area where an over-pass had been bombed and the only way was to go up the embankment on the right. however, when we got to the road, i saw a huge hole in the pavement and called it out. right after that, i got a call saying that the rear truck slid off the muddy bank and was at a 45 degree tilt. The M-RAP (the vehicles we drive) are top heavy due to armor and a 45 tilt was close to a roll over. we haulted and pulled front security, while the middle truck attempted to pull out the stuck veh. next thing i knew we got a call that the middle truck fell in the big hole that i called out. so 2 trucks down.
I dismounted along with a will yun in order to assess the damage. the middle veh snapped the air brake valve and couldn't move and the rear truck was stuck. luckily an MP unit came up helped assess the damage and assist in security.
Let me tell you a little about the location we were stuck in. the intersection gets a carbomb about every day. there are hide out all along the towering building for snipers. that area is a HIGH threat location. So as we were dismounted we were on the look out for charge veh with a deadly payload. as we were hooking up the middle truck to one of the MP's trucks we started taking AK-47 fire from some building that where across a field. we all took cover, but since no one saw exactly where it was coming from. The rules are that you need PID (positive ID) of a target before firing. well after a while it stopped and we continued to pull out the middle veh. we got it out and just then a ford truck of iraqi police came flying throw our area shooting rounds in the air. not knowing if they were shooting at anything- we took cover and and ready to shot. well, come to find out they just picked up a guy with a suicide vest on, threw him on the back of the truck (vest still on) and drove him throw our area. that was sooooooo stupid bc usually even if the guy's self detonator is take off or secured, there is all most likely a guys watching with a cell phone det, if the guys chickens out or something.
With all this going on we all got back into the trucks and waited for recovery help from the closest FOB. about an hour later they showed up and we got the rear veh out and towed the middle veh on base.
I dont know how more to tell you that we were sitting ducks and i know that God looks out for those in need.
We were driving a 3 vehicle convoy through mosul, i was commander of the lead vehicle when i determined that it was in our best interest to cut through the city and change up our route. This is tactic used commonly as a way to throw off insurgents from patterns, limiting their ability to predict your movement and denying them the ability to fix you in time and space. anyway. We were in an area where an over-pass had been bombed and the only way was to go up the embankment on the right. however, when we got to the road, i saw a huge hole in the pavement and called it out. right after that, i got a call saying that the rear truck slid off the muddy bank and was at a 45 degree tilt. The M-RAP (the vehicles we drive) are top heavy due to armor and a 45 tilt was close to a roll over. we haulted and pulled front security, while the middle truck attempted to pull out the stuck veh. next thing i knew we got a call that the middle truck fell in the big hole that i called out. so 2 trucks down.
I dismounted along with a will yun in order to assess the damage. the middle veh snapped the air brake valve and couldn't move and the rear truck was stuck. luckily an MP unit came up helped assess the damage and assist in security.
Let me tell you a little about the location we were stuck in. the intersection gets a carbomb about every day. there are hide out all along the towering building for snipers. that area is a HIGH threat location. So as we were dismounted we were on the look out for charge veh with a deadly payload. as we were hooking up the middle truck to one of the MP's trucks we started taking AK-47 fire from some building that where across a field. we all took cover, but since no one saw exactly where it was coming from. The rules are that you need PID (positive ID) of a target before firing. well after a while it stopped and we continued to pull out the middle veh. we got it out and just then a ford truck of iraqi police came flying throw our area shooting rounds in the air. not knowing if they were shooting at anything- we took cover and and ready to shot. well, come to find out they just picked up a guy with a suicide vest on, threw him on the back of the truck (vest still on) and drove him throw our area. that was sooooooo stupid bc usually even if the guy's self detonator is take off or secured, there is all most likely a guys watching with a cell phone det, if the guys chickens out or something.
With all this going on we all got back into the trucks and waited for recovery help from the closest FOB. about an hour later they showed up and we got the rear veh out and towed the middle veh on base.
I dont know how more to tell you that we were sitting ducks and i know that God looks out for those in need.
wrong time and wrong place
well I'm still alive, but after the last couple days, i don't know if i should be. This is an example of the wrong time and wrong place.
Like i mentioned in my last entry, we attended a 4 star generals funeral. well after a little research i found out that this general who was killed was the iraq ground forces commander for the 1991 gulf war when Iraq invaded Kuwait. he was also commander when US invaded iraq 2002. so after, not 1, but 2 military defeats from the US, you can imagine his disdain for US forces. however since the gov change in iraq he was a force for regime change, but still never liked or trusted the americans. so looking back on this i started to realize the dirty looks that we got as we were at the funeral. for coalition forces to show up at his funeral was an insult to his family. The iraq brigade we work with intel officer said that since he was known to be close to US force, he would not attend bc of an attempt on his life. there was intel of carbombs, suicide vests, and sniper there and we would have sitting ducks. this is like a group of bloods gang members going to crips funeral. NOT cool. so that just goes to show that a little intel before the mission crucial. When finding out about it, i told my boss point blank that i didn't like it. we knew nothing going in, except that out iraq counterparts invited us. That is SOOO stupid. we have no idea what our iraq counterparts intentions are in that kind of situation. they could have been setting us up for murder. especialy with a bounty of $10,000 per US soldier killed!!!
I knew it was messed up and next time i will have to refuse orders. my boss means well, but is sometimes tactically retarded!!!
Like i mentioned in my last entry, we attended a 4 star generals funeral. well after a little research i found out that this general who was killed was the iraq ground forces commander for the 1991 gulf war when Iraq invaded Kuwait. he was also commander when US invaded iraq 2002. so after, not 1, but 2 military defeats from the US, you can imagine his disdain for US forces. however since the gov change in iraq he was a force for regime change, but still never liked or trusted the americans. so looking back on this i started to realize the dirty looks that we got as we were at the funeral. for coalition forces to show up at his funeral was an insult to his family. The iraq brigade we work with intel officer said that since he was known to be close to US force, he would not attend bc of an attempt on his life. there was intel of carbombs, suicide vests, and sniper there and we would have sitting ducks. this is like a group of bloods gang members going to crips funeral. NOT cool. so that just goes to show that a little intel before the mission crucial. When finding out about it, i told my boss point blank that i didn't like it. we knew nothing going in, except that out iraq counterparts invited us. That is SOOO stupid. we have no idea what our iraq counterparts intentions are in that kind of situation. they could have been setting us up for murder. especialy with a bounty of $10,000 per US soldier killed!!!
I knew it was messed up and next time i will have to refuse orders. my boss means well, but is sometimes tactically retarded!!!
Monday, January 19, 2009
bombs and Obama
the elections are heating up here in the Nineveh area. This should be a historical vote for Iraq, and will possibly drastically change the nations views and politics. there are some good guys and bad guys running for office and after the end of this month we will know where this war stands in the eyes of the government.
Terrorist activity is believed to peak during the elections with all sorts of new ways to spread the message of terror and instability in the region. In fact, just last night a 4 star general with a extremely influential family was killed when a suicide bomber sneaked in to his home and ka-boom!
So this morning when i popped on the morning (your night before) news and hearing the widely known sware in for Obama, i started thinking. Hearing how, for better or worst, his election is mending the loose threads of our society, and uniting the political parties, make me feel grateful. Grateful for the blessing of unity and cooperation in times of trouble. seeing this country torn into pieces, each party thinking they are right. killing and bombing until there is nothing left. I thank God that America has the honor and decency to "for the sake of the nation" forgive trespasses, extinguish the fire of hate, and love thy brother.
So any man (whether i voted for him or not) that this nation can hold as a symbol of peace and healing, i am OK with and accept him as my commander and chief. (not that i really had a choice)
Terrorist activity is believed to peak during the elections with all sorts of new ways to spread the message of terror and instability in the region. In fact, just last night a 4 star general with a extremely influential family was killed when a suicide bomber sneaked in to his home and ka-boom!
So this morning when i popped on the morning (your night before) news and hearing the widely known sware in for Obama, i started thinking. Hearing how, for better or worst, his election is mending the loose threads of our society, and uniting the political parties, make me feel grateful. Grateful for the blessing of unity and cooperation in times of trouble. seeing this country torn into pieces, each party thinking they are right. killing and bombing until there is nothing left. I thank God that America has the honor and decency to "for the sake of the nation" forgive trespasses, extinguish the fire of hate, and love thy brother.
So any man (whether i voted for him or not) that this nation can hold as a symbol of peace and healing, i am OK with and accept him as my commander and chief. (not that i really had a choice)
Friday, January 2, 2009
Starting 2009 with a BANG....
No seriously there was a couple big bangs at the stroke of mid-night. I was in my room with some friends counting it down when... 4....3....2....1.... HAPPY NEW (Bang!!!!!!!!) year?!?! we all look at each other and knew it was close, at least within half a Km. we all ran outside to the bomb shelter when another one went off. then after a couple silent seconds, we all screamed Happy New Years again laughing. so this year really did start off with a bang. I figure it was either in-coming of mortar rounds, or the EOD (bomb guys) having fun on new years (but they usually warn us for a controlled blast.)
but anyways happy new years to all you back in the land of freedom.
but anyways happy new years to all you back in the land of freedom.
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