One of my coworkers is in Iraq. Again

[loaf]

Here's an email he just shot to us all. I found the France's Pres words particularly interesting:

 

[Hey all,

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

 

 

It has been a little over month since I last sent an update, I think I

will try and keep it around that. Thank you all for the replies, I tried

to reply to as many people as possible but I was unable to get everyone,

for that I apologize. I get side tracked here pretty easily.

 

 

I promised some of you before I left that I would let you know what the

mood here is like and I will touch on that today. First off there are

two “groups” of people we are still fighting here. Terrorists

organizations such as al-Qaeda and local insurgents. The local

insurgents in some areas, including Ramadi, use to be allied with

al-Quaeda. Most, if not all the local insurgents have broken off this

alliance with them. The alliance, if you could really call it that, was

thin and not really recognized by al-Qaeda as necessary. Al-Qaeda killed

both Iraqi citizens and coalition forces. The local insurgent forces in

Ramadi finally had enough when al-Qaeda killed pretty much the entire

family of a local sheikh. The Sheikh jumped ship and everyone followed

him to us. This happened well before I got here. Since then Ramadi has

begun to clean up dramatically and a major change in the atmosphere has

taken place. What was once dubbed the most dangerous place on earth in

2005, is now one of the quietest areas in Iraq. Not to be undone, in

September, towards the beginning of Ramadan, al-Qaeda killed the Sheikh

not more than 1 km from the entrance to our camp. This of course put us

all on edge, but nothing big came of it. The local people picked up the

pieces and moved on. No blame was placed on the US, they found out that

one of his bodyguards had been bribed.

 

 

Violence is down in every category over here. There are still small

attacks on coalition forces, but nothing major in this area. The locals

are friendly and helpful for the most part. The childern wave their

hands off and of course beg for candy and food. The little girls love to

get dolls and everyone loves getting soccer balls.

 

 

Ramadi is really cleaning up even in the short time we have been here.

They have requested that we drive downtown during daylight and we abide,

I would love to drive down through there again before I leave. The total

devastation that this country was left in, not due entirely to the

attacks, is amazing. Saddam left little to no infrastructure in some

areas. Meaning no completely working sewage, water or electricity, no

garbage pickup, no city clean up, all the nice things our tax payer

dollars pay for, they did not have. One of the towns we drive through,

is horrible, the northern part of the town literally has human feces and

waste flowing down the sides of the streets, the stench is horrible, and

yet families live in this environment. Ramadi on the other hand,

continues to improve. The remaining Sheikh's are still working with us,

the Iraqi Police in this area has grown immensely and the people see us

and the Iraqi Army as friendly forces.

 

 

Things here are going well. I am getting a little tired of the DFAC

food. Its ok, but its on a rotating schedule, so the food never really

varies. The Marines hooked us up on the Marine Corp birthday and I got

to enjoy 2 ice cold refreshing beers. 3^rd ID was wanting to stop the

tradition of the Marines getting 2 beers for everyone here and the

Marines basically told them to piss off (pardon my French). I play poker

with a few of them that live near us. Katie fully supports this idea as

I have not pulled money out of our account in about 2 months.

 

 

Some of you will proly get a kick out of this one. A few of us here are

pretty big into video games and the nightly couple hour sessions of

Unreal Tournament 2004 at Ft. McCoy and Buehring got a bit old. Well I

started talking to some of the guys about World of Warcraft, a massive

multiplayer online role-playing game, and they were pretty interested.

So I did a little research and managed to get a private World of

Warcraft server running off of my laptop. The most I have had on there

is 7 people at once. Not huge if you know the game, but we all get to

run around do some missions together. Breaks the monotony and makes for

some fun. We trying to get a dedicated machine here to be our server for

that and other games.

 

 

I got my leave dates and I will be home towards the end of December as

it looks now. I get 15 days at home and then have to head back here. I

will more than likely miss the birth of little Anthony, which sucks, but

I am excited to see him. Katie sent me a 4-d video of him for my

birthday, it was amazing to see him like that. Her belly is getting

huge, her sister is right, it looks like she swallowed a beach ball.

Everyone seems to think she is going to pop early, possible early

December. We'll see. My guess is he holds out until Dec. 17^th .

 

 

For those that do not know, I turned 27 on Halloween. This is the second

birthday I have had that I spent with the Army, it will also be the

second Thanksgiving that I have as well. Katie's sister sent me a

wonderful gift that I can use to entertain my son (and probably the dog)

and annoy Katie at the same time, what more can you ask for? Its a

little key ring and key fob set for older babies complete with working

car alarm button. Mary (Katies sister) has two of these for her twin

sons, I really enjoy just hitting the alarm button as fast as I possibly

can, the kids seem to like it, Katie does not.

 

 

I try and hit the gym from time to time, but should be more frequent

with it. A few of the guys and I go down to the big gym and do some

submission. I have learned a lot and am so far undefeated, my wrestling

background helps a lot. I tapped our LT out back in Wisconsin and I

recently tapped out our 6'5” rear naked choke specialist. I have lost

about 15 pounds since May, not that I really had to much to lose.

 

 

Once a month we get to verify the zero on our weapons, basically code

for go shoot stuff up. Since I carry a SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) I

get shoot with only a few other people on the line. This past month, it

was only 2 of us (we only have 3 SAW gunners in the platoon). Verifying

my zero is pretty easy. This time I took a water bottle, walk anywhere

from 25 to 50 meters away, put the water bottle on something, walk back,

put a single roung into my weapon and send the water bottle flying.

After that I ensure that it works on full auto by attaching a 200 round

drum to the weapon and destroying whatever I feel like. The first time

one of the other SAW gunners and I turned armored glass into glass

powder and called it a day. All in all pretty fun stuff.

 

 

I have quite a few pictures, not to many of myself though, working on

fixing that. Some them I can not show until I get back, but I do have a

few posted here if you would like to take a look:

http://www.ericandkathryn.com/e107_plugins...y.php?show=Iraq

 

 

Lastly, I recently read some interesting comments from France's new

conservative president. Its amazing how he understands what America was

founded on and how much it differs from what some people are trying to

make it. Here is what he said:

 

 

To the millions of men and women who came from every country of the

world and who -- with their own hands, their intelligence, and their

hearts -- built the greatest nation in the world, America did not say,

"Come, and everything will be given to you." Rather, she said, "Come,

and the only limits to what you will be able to achieve will be those of

your own courage, your boldness, and your talent."

 

 

The America that we love throughout the world impedes this extraordinary

ability to grant each and every person a second chance, another chance,

because, in America, failure is never the last word. There is always

another chance. Here -- in your country, on this soil -- both the

humblest and the most illustrious citizens alike know that nothing is

owed to them and that everything has to be earned. That is what

constitutes the moral value of America.

 

 

America liberated us, and this is an eternal debt we owe America. Every

time, whenever an American soldier falls somewhere in the world, I think

of what the American army did for France. I think of them and I am sad

as one is saddened to lose a member of one's family.

 

 

We need France to be stronger. I am determined to carry through with the

reforms that my country has put off for all too long. I will not turn

back. I will implement all of them, because France has turned back for

all too long. I have come to present to you today a France that comes

out to meet America, to renew the covenant of friendship and alliance

that Washington and Lafayette sealed in Yorktown. Together, let us be

true to their memories. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I say this to you on

behalf of the French people: Long live the United States of America.

Long live France. Long live French-American friendship!

 

 

From Rush Limbaugh's site: Sarkozy on 60 Minutes, when Lesley Stahl

wanted to ask him about his divorce, this is 60 Minutes we're talking

about. We're not talking about Entertainment Tonight or some gossip

show. For a woman, a serious newswoman journalist -- look at what all

they had to talk to Sarkozy about, look at what's in his mind and on his

tongue ready to say -- to ask him about his divorce, and he did the

right thing. He got up and left. He said, "I've got more important

things to do here." This guy can teach a lot of Americans a lot of

lessons that they're not being taught in this country by their fellow

citizens.

 

 

I hope all of you are doing well and I can not wait see you next month.

 

 

Take care,

 

-Eric/quote]

['canes2004]

Thanks for the post loaf. Please pass along my families appreciation to your friend for his service to our country.

 

[The Holy Roller]

Thanks Loaf. Your friend's commentary means more than all the news reports put together. Prayers on the way that he makes it home safe.

[KICK A$$ BLASTER]

That's a good read...Thanks for sharing!

 

[Clubfoothead]

Glad it is going well.

[loaf]

we are putting together a care package to send over to him. He mentioned soccer balls so our "Cruise Director" at the office contacted several sporting goods manufacturers. Spaulding came through and donated (not sure how many) soccer balls and they will be heading to Iraq soon. See, there's still some good left in some people...

[isleseeya]

one of my good friends and neighbors are there as well

 

God bless your friend and protect

 

and all who are there