We're at our final destination...maybe. The battlespace is very dynamic, and we could be moved anywhere at any time, but for now we're here and getting settled. We hit the ground running, with a mission to one of the most dangerous parts of our AO (Area of Operations) on the first day. I'm sorry that we've been out of communication for a while, but it is standard practice that when a soldier is killed, they black-out all communications until the family is notified through official channels. So, we've had no phones or Internet cafe for several days. I can't go into details beyond that. Needless to say, things are pretty somber here. The guys at this base have had a pretty rough time since the beginning of the year. The base we're at is about as backwater as you can get. We have almost none of the "luxuries" that are found on the super-bases up around Baghdad. We're on the grounds of one of the largest and most important power plants in the country, and situated right near the banks of the Euphrates river.
Some general impressions about Iraq, or at least this part of it. The landscape would be very familiar to anybody who has spent time in a third world country. Trash is everywhere. Packs of feral dogs roam freely. Dead animals litter the roadsides. Power poles all stand at cockeyed angles with their lines slack. It is dry, dusty, dirty, smells of open sewage, etc. Roads are cratered due to the proliferation of IED's. It can all be pretty soul-crushing. Still...there are children everywhere, and they smile and wave enthusiastically when we drive by. On a mission the other day some middle-aged men approached our convoy and expressed in English their gratitude for American presence, and for all that we are trying to accomplish in their country. We've got an awful lot of work to do here, and I have no doubt that it is going to be a very trying year.
Some general impressions about Iraq, or at least this part of it. The landscape would be very familiar to anybody who has spent time in a third world country. Trash is everywhere. Packs of feral dogs roam freely. Dead animals litter the roadsides. Power poles all stand at cockeyed angles with their lines slack. It is dry, dusty, dirty, smells of open sewage, etc. Roads are cratered due to the proliferation of IED's. It can all be pretty soul-crushing. Still...there are children everywhere, and they smile and wave enthusiastically when we drive by. On a mission the other day some middle-aged men approached our convoy and expressed in English their gratitude for American presence, and for all that we are trying to accomplish in their country. We've got an awful lot of work to do here, and I have no doubt that it is going to be a very trying year.
To put some minds at ease a little bit, we're all eating and sleeping quite well, and everybody is healthy. God bless.
3 comments:
Thank you for updating as much as you do. Your blogs really help me feel a bit more connected, it means so much.
Take care and be safe.
Much love,
Kay
Lucy said, JUst know you all are loved and prayed about.
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