[SGT T.]

You ask for my input on equiment over here, so here it is. Keep in mind that if this sounds watered down, it is because the enemy has google too. Over a beer one of these days, I would love to get as far into specifics as possible. But at the moment, there is just too much at risk. Do you remember the HMMWV? It has evolved. The version I ride in here has improved so dramaticly over the earlier versions that it is just barely even the same truck. Oh, and let me tell you about my body armor. It's still heavy, and still uncomfortable, but I SAW with my own two eyes a guy take 3 rounds from an AK -47 at poop your pants close range. He survived. Bruised, but alive. Oh, and for those that get really tore up, we are now issued the IFAK (Improved First Aid Kit). It comes with a nasal airway, a CAT (see below), a HEMCON bandage, Curlex, and the neccessary equipment to treat a sucking chest wound. (Oh yeah, we recieve more medical training then troops at war have ever been privy to.) Remember back in the good ole days when we were taught to treat casualties with a pressure dressing? Those days are gone. Now we have the Combat Application Tourniquet, or CAT. Its used to stop bleeding, can be self applied, and there have been cases where it was removed 12 HOURS after application and the casuality kept the effected limb. There are still little things killing my brothers and sisters out here, but most of the little IED's are not really doing the job anymore. It takes bigger more complex ones now, and the enemy knows that. Thats why we are no longer the big targets we once were. The real enemy we fight here on a daily basis are, IMHO, the Iranians. I really can't get into details. But trust me, they are behind ALOT of the crappy stuff that happens here. BTW, did you know that we have almost nothing based in the Kingdom of Arabia anymore? In fact, there might be a weather detachment still around there, but thats about it.